Joseph Mercola
Encyclopedia
Joseph M. Mercola is a controversial physician, health activist, and entrepreneur
practicing in Hoffman Estates, Illinois
. He is the author of several books including The No-Grain Diet (with Alison Rose Levy), and The Great Bird Flu Hoax. Mercola is the founder and editor of an alternative-medicine
website, where he advocates diet
ary and lifestyle approaches to health and markets a variety of ostensibly health-related products. Mercola criticizes many aspects of standard medical practice, particularly vaccination
and the use of prescription drugs and surgery to treat diseases. He is a member of the politically conservative Association of American Physicians and Surgeons
, as well as several alternative medicine organizations.
Mercola has been the subject of criticism from the business, medical and scientific communities. A 2006 BusinessWeek
editorial criticized Mercola's marketing practices as "relying on slick promotion, clever use of information, and scare tactics." In 2005, 2006 and 2011 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
warned Mercola and his company to stop making illegal claims regarding his products' ability to detect, prevent and treat disease. The medical watchdog site Quackwatch
has criticized Mercola for making "unsubstantiated claims and clash with those of leading medical and public health organizations [and making] many unsubstantiated recommendations for dietary supplements."
treatments and dietary supplement
s. An article in BusinessWeek
was critical of his website's aggressive direct-marketing tactics and complained of Mercola's "lack of respect" for his site's visitors, writing:
Phyllis Entis, a microbiologist and food safety expert, highlighted Mercola.com as an example of websites "likely to mislead consumers by offering one-sided, incomplete, inaccurate, or misleading information."
Mercola has also received three warning letter
s from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
for violations of U.S. marketing laws. The first two letters, dated 2005 and 2006, charged Mercola with making false and misleading claims regarding the marketing of several natural supplemental products, which violated the Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic Act. In the most recent letter, sent in March 2011, Mercola was accused of violating federal law, by making claims about the efficacy of certain uses of a telethermographic camera exceeding those approved by the FDA concerning the diagnostic and therapeutic potential of the device (regulation of such claims being within the purview of the FDA). Dr. Mercola has challenged the FDA's order stating that "We believe that the FDA's warning letter is without merit and is an attempt to regulate the practice of medicine, which the agency does not have the regulatory authority to do. Our use of the thermography device is consistent with its 510(k) clearance for use by health care professionals in their diagnosis and treatment of patients."
s and advocates metabolic typing
, and is a proponent of vegetable juicing. Mercola argues fervently against over-consumption of sugar, especially high-fructose corn syrup, which is the predominant sweetener of many commercial sodas and soft drinks, and processed flour and grains, which the body rapidly converts into sugar. He has also been an advocate of increasing the consumption of Omega-3 fats and of strategies to greatly increase blood levels of Vitamin D3.
Mercola's dietary recommendations often put him at odds with mainstream dietary advice. Mercola encourages the ingestion of unprocessed saturated fat
s, including unrefined coconut oil
in place of polyunsaturated fats such as vegetable, corn, soy, safflower, sunflower and canola oils.
s dangerous, claiming both that they emit dangerous radiation
and that microwaving food alters its chemistry
. In contrast, academic reviews have concluded that "no significant nutritional differences exist between foods prepared by conventional and microwave methods." Other studies have suggested that food cooked in microwave ovens can be more nutritious than conventionally-cooked food. The Harvard Medical School Family Health Guide states that "as a general proposition, cooking with a microwave probably does a better job of preserving the nutrient content of foods because the cooking times are shorter."
Mercola is also against homogenization
, claiming that it leads to xanthine oxidase
absorption and oxidative stress. This idea has been described as "tenuous and implausible" in the Journal of the American Medical Association
. A review published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
concluded that "Experimental evidence has failed to substantiate, and in many cases has refuted, the xanthine oxidase/plasmalogen depletion hypothesis".
is the cause of AIDS
. He has argued instead that the manifestations of AIDS (including opportunistic infection
s and death) may be the result of "psychological stress" brought on by the belief that HIV is harmful. Mercola.com has featured positive presentations of the claims of AIDS denialists, a fringe group which denies the existence of AIDS and/or the role of HIV in causing it.
The scientific community
considers the evidence that HIV causes AIDS to be conclusive and rejects AIDS-denialist claims as pseudoscience
based on conspiracy theories
, faulty reasoning, cherry picking, and misrepresentation of mainly outdated scientific data.
s, including krill oil
, vitamin K
, probiotics, and anti-oxidant supplements.
Mercola is especially critical of new drugs, as well as of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
increases, not decreases, the likelihood of contracting skin cancer
with high UV exposure. He advocates the use of "natural" sunscreens, some of which he markets on his website. This view is not held by mainstream medical science; in 2011, the National Toxicology Program
stated that "Protection against photodamage by use of broad-spectrum sunscreens is well-documented as an effective means of reducing total lifetime UV dose and, thereby, preventing or ameliorating the effects of UV radiation on both the appearance and biomechanical properties of the skin".
, claiming that too many vaccine
s are used too soon during infancy. He hosts vaccine critics on his website, advocates preventive measures rather than vaccination in many cases, and strongly criticizes influenza vaccines.
Mercola argues that thimerosal, previously widely used as a vaccine preservative, is harmful. Thimerosal is no longer present in most vaccines given to young children in the USA, though it is still present in some vaccines approved for adults. Extensive evidence has accumulated since 1999 showing that this preservative is safe, with the World Health Organization
stating in 2006 that "there is no evidence of toxicity in infants, children or adults exposed to thiomersal in vaccines".
In his book The Great Bird Flu Hoax, Mercola appears to take a stronger anti-pharmaceutical industry stance by accusing them of a fear-mongering marketing campaign against the public. In supporting this stance, Mercola often has wholly critical views of those working in governmental health care, as well as towards international health organizations. He argues at length that concern over swine flu
and the resulting immunizations were actually false alarms put forth to terrify the public. The World Health Organization
reports that by August 1, 2010 about 18,500 deaths have been caused by the H1N1 pandemic influenza.
This controversy also ignited a discussion over his stance on infant circumcision
.
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
practicing in Hoffman Estates, Illinois
Hoffman Estates, Illinois
Hoffman Estates is a northwestern suburb of Chicago in Illinois. The village is located primarily in Cook County with a small section in Kane County, Illinois. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 49,495 and estimated to be 52,520 in 2003...
. He is the author of several books including The No-Grain Diet (with Alison Rose Levy), and The Great Bird Flu Hoax. Mercola is the founder and editor of an alternative-medicine
Alternative medicine
Alternative medicine is any healing practice, "that does not fall within the realm of conventional medicine." It is based on historical or cultural traditions, rather than on scientific evidence....
website, where he advocates diet
Diet (nutrition)
In nutrition, diet is the sum of food consumed by a person or other organism. Dietary habits are the habitual decisions an individual or culture makes when choosing what foods to eat. With the word diet, it is often implied the use of specific intake of nutrition for health or weight-management...
ary and lifestyle approaches to health and markets a variety of ostensibly health-related products. Mercola criticizes many aspects of standard medical practice, particularly vaccination
Vaccination
Vaccination is the administration of antigenic material to stimulate the immune system of an individual to develop adaptive immunity to a disease. Vaccines can prevent or ameliorate the effects of infection by many pathogens...
and the use of prescription drugs and surgery to treat diseases. He is a member of the politically conservative Association of American Physicians and Surgeons
Association of American Physicians and Surgeons
The Association of American Physicians and Surgeons is a politically conservative American non-profit organization founded in 1943 to "fight socialized medicine and to fight the government takeover of medicine." The group was reported to have approximately 4,000 members in 2005, and 3,000 in...
, as well as several alternative medicine organizations.
Mercola has been the subject of criticism from the business, medical and scientific communities. A 2006 BusinessWeek
BusinessWeek
Bloomberg Businessweek, commonly and formerly known as BusinessWeek, is a weekly business magazine published by Bloomberg L.P. It is currently headquartered in New York City.- History :...
editorial criticized Mercola's marketing practices as "relying on slick promotion, clever use of information, and scare tactics." In 2005, 2006 and 2011 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Food and Drug Administration
The Food and Drug Administration is an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, one of the United States federal executive departments...
warned Mercola and his company to stop making illegal claims regarding his products' ability to detect, prevent and treat disease. The medical watchdog site Quackwatch
Quackwatch
Quackwatch is an American non-profit organization founded by Stephen Barrett with the stated aim being to "combat health-related frauds, myths, fads, fallacies, and misconduct" and with a primary focus on providing "quackery-related information that is difficult or impossible to get elsewhere."...
has criticized Mercola for making "unsubstantiated claims and clash with those of leading medical and public health organizations [and making] many unsubstantiated recommendations for dietary supplements."
Biography
Mercola is a 1976 graduate of the University of Illinois and a 1982 graduate of the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine. According to Mercola's website, he is a former Chairman of Family Medicine at St. Alexius Medical Center. He has written two books which have been listed on the New York Times bestseller list: The No-Grain Diet (May 2003) and The Great Bird Flu Hoax (October 2006). In the latter book, Mercola dismisses medical concerns over an avian influenza pandemic, asserting that the government, big business, and the mainstream media have conspired to promote the threat of avian flu in order to accrue money and power. Mercola has appeared on programs such as the Dr. Oz show, and The Doctors.Views and controversy
Mercola operates mercola.com, which he has described as the most popular alternative-health website on the Internet. The site advocates and sells a variety of alternative medicineAlternative medicine
Alternative medicine is any healing practice, "that does not fall within the realm of conventional medicine." It is based on historical or cultural traditions, rather than on scientific evidence....
treatments and dietary supplement
Dietary supplement
A dietary supplement, also known as food supplement or nutritional supplement, is a preparation intended to supplement the diet and provide nutrients, such as vitamins, minerals, fiber, fatty acids, or amino acids, that may be missing or may not be consumed in sufficient quantities in a person's diet...
s. An article in BusinessWeek
BusinessWeek
Bloomberg Businessweek, commonly and formerly known as BusinessWeek, is a weekly business magazine published by Bloomberg L.P. It is currently headquartered in New York City.- History :...
was critical of his website's aggressive direct-marketing tactics and complained of Mercola's "lack of respect" for his site's visitors, writing:
Mercola gives the lie to the notion that holistic practitioners tend to be so absorbed in treating patients that they aren't effective businesspeople. While Mercola on his site seeks to identify with this image by distinguishing himself from "all the greed-motivated hype out there in health-care land", he is a master promoter, using every trick of traditional and Internet direct marketing to grow his business... He is selling health-care products and services, and is calling upon an unfortunate tradition made famous by the old-time snake oil salesmen of the 1800s.
Phyllis Entis, a microbiologist and food safety expert, highlighted Mercola.com as an example of websites "likely to mislead consumers by offering one-sided, incomplete, inaccurate, or misleading information."
Mercola has also received three warning letter
FDA Warning Letter
The United States Food and Drug Adminstration defines a Warning Letter as "...a correspondence that notifies regulated industry about violations that FDA has documented during its inspections or investigations...
s from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Food and Drug Administration
The Food and Drug Administration is an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, one of the United States federal executive departments...
for violations of U.S. marketing laws. The first two letters, dated 2005 and 2006, charged Mercola with making false and misleading claims regarding the marketing of several natural supplemental products, which violated the Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic Act. In the most recent letter, sent in March 2011, Mercola was accused of violating federal law, by making claims about the efficacy of certain uses of a telethermographic camera exceeding those approved by the FDA concerning the diagnostic and therapeutic potential of the device (regulation of such claims being within the purview of the FDA). Dr. Mercola has challenged the FDA's order stating that "We believe that the FDA's warning letter is without merit and is an attempt to regulate the practice of medicine, which the agency does not have the regulatory authority to do. Our use of the thermography device is consistent with its 510(k) clearance for use by health care professionals in their diagnosis and treatment of patients."
Food consumption
Mercola advocates a diet consisting mostly of unprocessed foods. He sees value in paleolithic dietPaleolithic diet
The modern dietary regimen known as the Paleolithic diet , also popularly referred to as the caveman diet, Stone Age diet and hunter-gatherer diet, is a nutritional plan based on the presumed ancient diet of wild plants and animals that various hominid species habitually consumed during the...
s and advocates metabolic typing
Metabolic typing
Metabolic typing is the term for a diet based upon the concept of metabolic type. Proponents claim that each person has a unique metabolism, and that therefore the nutrients which are appropriate for one person may be inappropriate for a second, and detrimental for a third...
, and is a proponent of vegetable juicing. Mercola argues fervently against over-consumption of sugar, especially high-fructose corn syrup, which is the predominant sweetener of many commercial sodas and soft drinks, and processed flour and grains, which the body rapidly converts into sugar. He has also been an advocate of increasing the consumption of Omega-3 fats and of strategies to greatly increase blood levels of Vitamin D3.
Mercola's dietary recommendations often put him at odds with mainstream dietary advice. Mercola encourages the ingestion of unprocessed saturated fat
Saturated fat
Saturated fat is fat that consists of triglycerides containing only saturated fatty acids. Saturated fatty acids have no double bonds between the individual carbon atoms of the fatty acid chain. That is, the chain of carbon atoms is fully "saturated" with hydrogen atoms...
s, including unrefined coconut oil
Coconut oil
Coconut oil is an edible oil extracted from the kernel or meat of matured coconuts harvested from the coconut palm . Throughout the tropical world, it has provided the primary source of fat in the diets of millions of people for generations. It has various applications in food, medicine, and industry...
in place of polyunsaturated fats such as vegetable, corn, soy, safflower, sunflower and canola oils.
Food preparation
Mercola's website has called microwave ovenMicrowave oven
A microwave oven is a kitchen appliance that heats food by dielectric heating, using microwave radiation to heat polarized molecules within the food...
s dangerous, claiming both that they emit dangerous radiation
Radiation
In physics, radiation is a process in which energetic particles or energetic waves travel through a medium or space. There are two distinct types of radiation; ionizing and non-ionizing...
and that microwaving food alters its chemistry
Microwave chemistry
Microwave chemistry is the science of applying microwave irradiation to chemical reactions. Microwaves act as high frequency electric fields and will generally heat any material containing mobile electric charges, such as polar molecules in a solvent or conducting ions in a solid...
. In contrast, academic reviews have concluded that "no significant nutritional differences exist between foods prepared by conventional and microwave methods." Other studies have suggested that food cooked in microwave ovens can be more nutritious than conventionally-cooked food. The Harvard Medical School Family Health Guide states that "as a general proposition, cooking with a microwave probably does a better job of preserving the nutrient content of foods because the cooking times are shorter."
Mercola is also against homogenization
Homogenization (chemistry)
Homogenization or homogenisation is any of several processes used to make a chemical mixture the same throughout.-Definition:Homogenization is intensive blending of mutually related substances or groups of mutually related substances to form a constant of different insoluble phases to obtain a...
, claiming that it leads to xanthine oxidase
Xanthine oxidase
Xanthine oxidase Xanthine oxidase Xanthine oxidase (XO (sometimes 'XAO'), a form of xanthine oxidoreductase that generates reactive oxygen species. Is an enzyme that catalyzes the oxidation of hypoxanthine to xanthine and can further catalyze the oxidation of xanthine to uric acid...
absorption and oxidative stress. This idea has been described as "tenuous and implausible" in the Journal of the American Medical Association
Journal of the American Medical Association
The Journal of the American Medical Association is a weekly, peer-reviewed, medical journal, published by the American Medical Association. Beginning in July 2011, the editor in chief will be Howard C. Bauchner, vice chairman of pediatrics at Boston University’s School of Medicine, replacing ...
. A review published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition is a monthly peer-reviewed medical journal in the field of clinical nutrition.According to the Journal Citation Reports, it has a 2009 impact factor of 6.307, ranking it third among 66 journals in the category "Nutrition & Dietetics".The journal was...
concluded that "Experimental evidence has failed to substantiate, and in many cases has refuted, the xanthine oxidase/plasmalogen depletion hypothesis".
HIV and AIDS
Mercola has questioned whether HIVHIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
is the cause of AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
. He has argued instead that the manifestations of AIDS (including opportunistic infection
Opportunistic infection
An opportunistic infection is an infection caused by pathogens, particularly opportunistic pathogens—those that take advantage of certain situations—such as bacterial, viral, fungal or protozoan infections that usually do not cause disease in a healthy host, one with a healthy immune system...
s and death) may be the result of "psychological stress" brought on by the belief that HIV is harmful. Mercola.com has featured positive presentations of the claims of AIDS denialists, a fringe group which denies the existence of AIDS and/or the role of HIV in causing it.
The scientific community
Scientific community
The scientific community consists of the total body of scientists, its relationships and interactions. It is normally divided into "sub-communities" each working on a particular field within science. Objectivity is expected to be achieved by the scientific method...
considers the evidence that HIV causes AIDS to be conclusive and rejects AIDS-denialist claims as pseudoscience
Pseudoscience
Pseudoscience is a claim, belief, or practice which is presented as scientific, but which does not adhere to a valid scientific method, lacks supporting evidence or plausibility, cannot be reliably tested, or otherwise lacks scientific status...
based on conspiracy theories
Conspiracy theory
A conspiracy theory explains an event as being the result of an alleged plot by a covert group or organization or, more broadly, the idea that important political, social or economic events are the products of secret plots that are largely unknown to the general public.-Usage:The term "conspiracy...
, faulty reasoning, cherry picking, and misrepresentation of mainly outdated scientific data.
Drugs and supplements
Mercola opposes the use of most prescription drugs and immunizations, favoring better food choices, especially unprocessed, organic produce and elimination of most sugar and grains from our diet, lifestyle modifications, especially regular exercise, better sleep, and removing household toxins from cleaning supplies and cosmetics, and energy psychology tools to address emotional challenges. He promotes and sells numerous dietary supplementDietary supplement
A dietary supplement, also known as food supplement or nutritional supplement, is a preparation intended to supplement the diet and provide nutrients, such as vitamins, minerals, fiber, fatty acids, or amino acids, that may be missing or may not be consumed in sufficient quantities in a person's diet...
s, including krill oil
Krill oil
Krill oil is made from a species of krill [Euphausia superba]. Three of the most important nutrients in krill oil are: omega-3 fatty acids similar to those of fish oil, omega-3 fatty acids attached to phospholipids, mainly phosphatidylcholine and astaxanthin, an antioxidant...
, vitamin K
Vitamin K
Vitamin K is a group of structurally similar, fat soluble vitamins that are needed for the posttranslational modification of certain proteins required for blood coagulation and in metabolic pathways in bone and other tissue. They are 2-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone derivatives...
, probiotics, and anti-oxidant supplements.
Mercola is especially critical of new drugs, as well as of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Sunscreen
Mercola has also claimed that the use of many commercial brands of sunscreenSunscreen
Sunblock is a lotion, spray, gel or other topical product that absorbs or reflects some of the sun's ultraviolet radiation on the skin exposed to sunlight and thus helps protect against sunburn...
increases, not decreases, the likelihood of contracting skin cancer
Skin cancer
Skin neoplasms are skin growths with differing causes and varying degrees of malignancy. The three most common malignant skin cancers are basal cell cancer, squamous cell cancer, and melanoma, each of which is named after the type of skin cell from which it arises...
with high UV exposure. He advocates the use of "natural" sunscreens, some of which he markets on his website. This view is not held by mainstream medical science; in 2011, the National Toxicology Program
National Toxicology Program
The National Toxicology Program is an inter-agency program run by the United States Department of Health and Human Services to coordinate, evaluate, and report on toxicology within public agencies....
stated that "Protection against photodamage by use of broad-spectrum sunscreens is well-documented as an effective means of reducing total lifetime UV dose and, thereby, preventing or ameliorating the effects of UV radiation on both the appearance and biomechanical properties of the skin".
Vaccinations
Mercola has been highly critical of vaccines and vaccination policyVaccine controversy
A vaccine controversy is a dispute over the morality, ethics, effectiveness, or safety of vaccinations. Medical and scientific evidence surrounding vaccinations generally demonstrate that the benefits of preventing suffering and death from infectious diseases outweigh rare adverse effects of...
, claiming that too many vaccine
Vaccine
A vaccine is a biological preparation that improves immunity to a particular disease. A vaccine typically contains an agent that resembles a disease-causing microorganism, and is often made from weakened or killed forms of the microbe or its toxins...
s are used too soon during infancy. He hosts vaccine critics on his website, advocates preventive measures rather than vaccination in many cases, and strongly criticizes influenza vaccines.
Mercola argues that thimerosal, previously widely used as a vaccine preservative, is harmful. Thimerosal is no longer present in most vaccines given to young children in the USA, though it is still present in some vaccines approved for adults. Extensive evidence has accumulated since 1999 showing that this preservative is safe, with the World Health Organization
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...
stating in 2006 that "there is no evidence of toxicity in infants, children or adults exposed to thiomersal in vaccines".
In his book The Great Bird Flu Hoax, Mercola appears to take a stronger anti-pharmaceutical industry stance by accusing them of a fear-mongering marketing campaign against the public. In supporting this stance, Mercola often has wholly critical views of those working in governmental health care, as well as towards international health organizations. He argues at length that concern over swine flu
Swine flu
Swine influenza, also called pig influenza, swine flu, hog flu and pig flu, is an infection by any one of several types of swine influenza virus. Swine influenza virus or S-OIV is any strain of the influenza family of viruses that is endemic in pigs...
and the resulting immunizations were actually false alarms put forth to terrify the public. The World Health Organization
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...
reports that by August 1, 2010 about 18,500 deaths have been caused by the H1N1 pandemic influenza.
Natural parenting
Mercola's announcement in October 2010 that he planned to produce a breastmilk alternative for mothers who may experience difficulty in breastfeeding their infants ignited controversy among his members of his site. Mercola explained in the announcement that he intended on providing an alternative nutritional source for infants who are unable to nurse from their mothers. Many of his fans questioned his ethics for marketing an artificial formula product, when donor milk banks provide a nutritionally adequate food for human infants. Mercola suggests that the pasteurization of the milk results in many of the important essential immune-building elements becoming decimated thus resulting in the infant failing to receive crucial support when they need it the most.This controversy also ignited a discussion over his stance on infant circumcision
Circumcision
Male circumcision is the surgical removal of some or all of the foreskin from the penis. The word "circumcision" comes from Latin and ....
.
External links
- Mercola.com: Joseph Mercola's website