Twenty-Six Ways to Spot Quacks and Vitamin Pushers

Twenty-Six Ways to Spot
Quacks and Vitamin Pushers

Stephen Barrett, M.D. from  Quckwatch

How can quacks and vitamin pushers be recognized? Here are 26 signs that should arouse suspicion.

1. When Talking about Nutrients, They Tell Only Part of the Story.

2. They Claim That Most Americans Are Poorly Nourished.

3. They Recommend "Nutrition Insurance" for Everyone.

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4. They Say That Most Diseases Are Due to Faulty Diet
and Can Be Treated with "Nutritional" Methods.

5. They Allege That Modern Processing Methods and
Storage Remove all Nutritive Value from Our Food.

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6. They Claim That Diet Is a Major Factor in Behavior.

7. They Claim That Fluoridation Is Dangerous.

8. They Claim That Soil Depletion and the Use of Pesticides and
"Chemical" Fertilizers Result in Food That Is Less Safe and Less Nourishing.

9. They Claim You Are in Danger of Being "Poisoned"
by Ordinary Food Additives and Preservatives.

10. They Charge That the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs)
Have Been Set Too Low.

11. They Claim That under Everyday Stress, and in Certain Diseases,
Your Need for Nutrients Is Increased.

12. They Recommend "Supplements" and "Health Foods" for Everyone.

13. They Claim That "Natural" "Bio identical" Vitamins and  hormones  are Better than "Artificial" "Synthetic" Ones.

14. They Suggest That a Questionnaire Can Be Used
to Indicate Whether You Need Dietary Supplements.

15. They Say It Is Easy to Lose Weight.

16. They Promise Quick, Dramatic, Miraculous Results.

17. They Routinely Sell Vitamins and Other
"Dietary Supplements" as Part of Their Practice.

18. They Use Disclaimers Couched in Pseudomedical Jargon.

19. They Use Anecdotes and Testimonials to Support Their Claims.

20. They Claim That Sugar Is a Deadly Poison.

21. They Display Credentials Not Recognized
by Responsible Scientists or Educators.

22. They Offer to Determine Your Body's Nutritional State
with an Invalid Test or a Questionnaire.

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23. They Diagnose Their Favorite Diseases in Virtually Everyone Who Consults.

24. They Claim They Are Being Persecuted by Orthodox Medicine
and That Their Work Is Being Suppressed Because It's Controversial.

25. They Warn You Not to Trust Your Doctor.

26. They Encourage Patients to Crusade for Their Treatment Methods.