Consumer Health Digest is a free weekly e-mail newsletter edited by Stephen Barrett, M.D., with help from William M. London, Ed.D., M.P.H. It summarizes scientific reports; legislative developments; enforcement actions; other news items; Web site evaluations; recommended and nonrecommended books; research tips; and other information relevant to consumer protection and consumer decision-making. The Digest currently has 11,200 subscribers. Items posted to this archive may be updated when relevant information becomes available.
Issue #14-46, December 21, 2014
- BMJ study blasts “Dr. Oz” and “The Doctors”
- Manipulation under anesthesia ring charged with insurance fraud
- Herbalife ordered to remove misleading ad
- Dentists will promote fluoridation through social media campaign
Issue #14-45, December 14, 2014
- Another chelationist disciplined
- Herbalife accused of making illegal health claims
- Resveratrol research accelerating
Issue #14-44, December 7, 2014
- Antiquackery group achieves nonprofit status
- Classic quackery report republished
- Arizona naturopathic board criticized
- Naturopath who offered cancer cure suspended
Issue #14-43, November 30, 2014
- Cigarette use declining
- British ASA attacks commonly made “performance mouthwear” claims
- Fluoridation does well in recent election
- Appeals court rejects glucosamine class-action settlement
Issue #14-42, November 23, 2014
- Herbalife class-action suit settled
- Skepticism expressed toward Airrosti claims
- Meridian tooth analysis criticized
Issue #14-41, November 16, 2014
- Randi profiled in New York Times
- Glucosamine flunks another test
- United Sciences story archived
Issue #14-40, November 2, 2014
- Medical data valuable for identity theft
- Faith healer Ernest Angley severely criticized
- Health Canada seizes Miracle Mineral Solution
- Smithsonian reports on fasting quack
Issue #14-39, October 26, 2014
- Recalls only partially effective in removing drugs from dietary supplements
- Old chiropractic business manual uncovered
- Klinghardt offshoot ordered to stop making unsubstantiated claims
Issue #14-38, October 12, 2014
- “Dr. Oz” draws more criticism
- Suit filed to block Israel fluoridation ban
- New Zealand court upholds fluoridation law
- Supplement products associated with liver toxicity
- Infant dies following laetrile treatment
- More vaccine misinformation debunked
- Whole Foods sued over homeopathic claims.
Issue #14-36, September 28, 2014
- FTC warns companies about disclosures
- State Farm withdraws ad involving vaccine opponent
- GcMAF cancer claims questioned
Issue #14-35, September 21, 2014
- Cancer fraud doctor pleads guilty
- Dismissal of Wakefield libel suit upheld
- Avon leaves Direct Selling Association
- Whelan obituary published
Issue #14-34, September 14, 2014
- Pediatrician group updates fluoride advice
- ACSH founder dies
- “Food Babe” severely criticized
Issue #14-33, September 7, 2014
- No cancer-bra connection found
- Analysis of MLM complaints published
- Meta-analysis compares weight-loss diet programs
- Medical Letter skeptical of fish oil supplements
- Israel’s health minister bans fluoridation
- Victor Stenger, prominent skeptic, dies at 79
- Doctors who bought tainted drugs identified
- Several Senators support personal drug importation
- New Zealand issues favorable fluoridation report
- Contact reflex analysis proponent fatally injured
- Paul Fleiss, M.D., dead at 80
- Illegal cancer drug marketer convicted
- Unlicensed practitioner investigated
- Mental health experts rate “discredited” treatments
- Anti-Doping Agency warns athletes about dietary supplements
- AHA publishes statement on neck manipulation and stroke
- British agency issues favorable fluoridation report
- More fluoridation educational materials released
- Georgia court bans sale of illegal cancer products
- Former Burzynski associate disciplined
- Key fluoridation article released
- British chelationist shuts down Web site
- TriVita settles FTC charges
- Burzynski associate facing disciplinary action
- Key fluoridation article updated
- New Herbalife investigation results available
- JAMA editorial criticizes “medical” marijuana
- Burzynski hit with massive amended complaint
- Perforated colon suit settled
- Court upholds medical expert review of chiropractic records
- Another chelation therapist charged with unprofessional conduct
- UK autism lawyers sued
- Cosmetic company settles FTC charges
- Arnold Relman dead at 91
- “Gluten-free” fad criticized
- Kathleen Helms gets prison sentence
- Australian cigarette warnings appear to be effective
- British regulators uphold complaints against “alternative” practitioners
- Biological dentist disciplined for the seventh time
- Class-action suits induce homeopathic manufacturer to exit U.S. and Canada.
- European Union (EU) poised to ease clinical trial access policy
- Amway executive arrested in India
- Drug ingredients found in many products marketed as “dietary supplements”
- Pharmacists urged to shun “integrative medicine”
- “CAM” practitioners seeking primary care status
- FTC attacks dubious green coffee bean weight-loss claims
- Texas sues Xerox over dental fraud
- New Zealand researchers refute claim that fluoridation lowers IQ
- FTC settlement bans MLM operators
- British regulators nix several health claims for vitamins
- Former Herbalife distributors describe how they were severely harmed
- Prenatal DHA supplementation not found beneficial
- Lawrence Stowe sentenced
- Dental Watch posts article about recommended products
- New report on cholesterol control available
- Study suggests that hundreds of thousands of deaths per year can be prevented
- List of key fluoridation reports compiled
- Jennifer McCarthy blasted
- Herbalife distributors caught making improper medical claims
- Cleveland Clinic scorched for prescribing traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) herbal treatments
- FDA warns about misleading autism claims
- Severe “black salve” complication reported
- Herbalife hit by class-action suit
- Toxic supplement product triggers call for greater regulation
- NSW nurse facing practice ban for administering “alternative” treatments
- Australian agency blasts homeopathy
- Dental chain agrees to Medicare/Medicaid exclusion
- White paper calls for greater MLM regulation
- British chelationist ordered to stop making unsubstantiated claims
- Site debunks water-related quackery
- HHS foreign-drug-access petition draws thousands of supporters
- Access to reduced drugs prices at risk
- Australian anti-vax group under more pressure
- Bad Science Watch blasts proposed TCM drug regulation
- Kevin Trudeau sentenced to prison
- Study finds health-related conspiracy beliefs are widespread
- FTC again finds widespread Funeral Rule violations
- “Right to try” laws would unravel consumer protection
- Anti-vaccine messages may cause permanent harm
- Pair arrested for practicing homeopathy without a license
- Psychic swindler gets 10-year prison sentence
- FDA launches anti-cigarette offensive
- Pediatricians issue raw milk policy
- Nazis contributed to “alternative medicine”
- Activists call for “bile farming” ban
Issue #14-06, February 16, 2014
- Key Obamacare provisions take effect
- Elderly stem cell scammer gets long prison sentence
- Medical Letter has excellent blog
Issue #14-05, February 9, 2014
- Surgeon General calls for tobacco-free society
- CVS will stop selling cigarettes
- Research review finds little health-related benefit from meditation
Issue #14-04, February 2, 2014
- New antiquackery organization launched
- Generic manufacturer further restricted
- Naturopath who uses unapproved cancer vaccine suspended
Issue #14-03, January 26, 2014
- Study undercuts blood-type diet concept
- Dubious nutritionist arrested
- Emergen-C marketers settle class action suit
Issue #14-02, January 19, 2014
- FDA facilitates reporting of serious dietary supplement reactions
- Conspiracy theories placed in perspective
- License of “anti-aging” doctor suspended
- New book attacks pseudoscience
Issue #14-01, January 12, 2014
- Bircham International University investigated
- Florida dentist agrees to stop using Sargenti materials
- Fake doctor convicted of practicing medicine without a license
- Chiropractic groups disclaim interest in prescribing drugs
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