Consumer Health Digest #20-51

December 27, 2020

Consumer Health Digest is a free weekly e-mail newsletter edited by William M. London, Ed.D., M.P.H., with help from Stephen Barrett, M.D. It summarizes scientific reports; legislative developments; enforcement actions; news reports; Web site evaluations; recommended and nonrecommended books; and other information relevant to consumer protection and consumer decision-making. The Digest’s primary focus is on health, but occasionally it includes non-health scams and practical tips.

Pharmacist ordered to stop unauthorized practice of medicine. Eric J. Sauer, a licensed pharmacist who owns The Natural Pharmacy in Ocean Township, New Jersey, has agreed to a consent order by the New Jersey Board of Medical Examiners to (a) stop engaging in conduct or using any title that implies he is a medical doctor or has the ability to practice “alternative medicine” in New Jersey, (b) pay $29,880 in investigative costs over the course of three years, and (c) pay a $30,000 penalty if he violates any of the terms of the order. The order followed an undercover investigation during which Sauer advised an individual to purchase and use supplements instead of the medications prescribed by her doctor.  Documents in the case that Sauer:

  • was identified on the pharmacy’s website and voicemail as “Dr. Sauer” and as a naturopathic physician even though he has no doctoral degree
  • engaged in numerous acts constituting the unlicensed practice of medicine including reviewing medical histories, interpreting blood results, and counseling patients
  • told an undercover investigator with the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs that her doctor-prescribed medications would cause cancer and that she should instead take the “natural alternatives” he was selling
  • charged the undercover investigator $174 for a consultation in June 2019 during which Sauer referred to himself as “Dr. Eric,” provided a saliva test for $200, and advised using his vitamins and enzymes—which would cost $261.55—instead of doctor-prescribed medications.
  • appeared before a committee of the New Jersey Board of Pharmacy in February 2020 and agreed to remove the titles of “Dr.,” “NMD,” and “Naturopathic Physician” from his website
  • in a follow-up investigation, gave an undercover investigator a list of eleven supplements and the dosages for both healthy individuals and those symptomatic for COVID-19 and quoted approximately $320 in costs including shipping
  • did not advise the investigator when she inquired about treatment for a relative experiencing COVID-19 symptoms that the relative should contact a licensed physician for medical care

Source: AG Grewal takes action against pharmacist who offered unproven COVID-19 treatments for unauthorized practice of medicine. New Jersey Office of the Attorney General news release, Dec 24, 2020.

Supplement-promoting articles retracted. Dove Medical Press and its parent company, Taylor & Francis, have retracted 14 articles written or co-authored by Marty Hinz, M.D. For many years, Hinz has claimed that amino acid supplements can improve Parkinson’s disease and various other conditions by balancing neurotransmitter chemicals in the brain. In 2011, a federal court ordered him to stop making medical claims for such products sold by CHK Nutrition, which he owned and operated. Hinz transferred the company to his wife and daughter but continued to promote the products through seminars for practitioners and a series of 20 articles in journals published by Dove. [Barrett S. A skeptical look at Marty Hinz and his views of “neurotransmitter-related diseases.” Quackwatch, Dec 23, 2020] In March 2020, the Minnesota Board of Medical Practice reprimanded Hinz for “inappropriate practices” and ordered him to complete continuing medical education coursework on medical ethics and pay a civil penalty of $7,187.80. The board’s order indicates that Hinz admitted that he interacted with patients through the Internet and was compensated through a royalty agreement with CHK, which provided supplements he recommended during the consultations. In April 2020, Dove’s management expressed “concerns” that his 20 articles did not have adequate conflict-of-interest disclosures. The retraction announcement indicated that the 14 articles “did not meet the standard ethical publication requirements for studies involving human subjects in research.” Further action is expected for the remaining six articles. The board action and publisher’s sanctions were triggered by complaints from Dr. Stephen Barrett. [Barrett S. Dove Press retracts 14 articles by Marty Hinz, M.D. Quackwatch, Dec 23, 2020]

Five more CBD marketers warned. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued more warning letters to companies that are marketing cannabidiol-containing products with illegal claims that they are effective against medical conditions. The letters refer to (a) products intended to be administered in the nose, the eye, and through inhalation, (b) products to be added to food, and (c) products impermissibly marketed as dietary supplements. Two of the letters address products illegally marketed for pets, including a product for use in the eye. [FDA warns companies illegally selling CBD products. FDA news release, Dec 22, 2020] The warning letters were issued to:

In 2019, the FDA sent 35 warning letters to CBD marketers, including 13 that made coronavirus disease-related claims.

Amazon criticized for promoting phony anticancer vitamin. TruthInAdvertising.org has found that Amazon steers customers to purchase the phony vitamin, B17, which is another name for amygdalin, a chemical constituent of apricot pits that was debunked in the 80s as an “alternative” cancer treatment. [B17. TINA.org, Dec 10, 2020] The organization reported:

  • The first autocomplete suggestion for “B17” on Amazon.com was “b17 vitamin for cancer.”
  • Searching “b17 vitamin for cancer” yielded no less than 232 results, including dozens of books.
  • Many listings contained testimonials from people who say the products helped treat or cure their cancer or a loved one’s cancer even though companies are prohibited from making claims through consumer testimonials that they could not make directly.
  • This past August, three people in New Zealand were hospitalized after consuming raw apricot kernels.
  • In 2017 an Australian man taking an apricot kernel extract as part of a prostate cancer treatment regimen ended up in the hospital with cyanide poisoning.
  • In 2019, after customers had complained of “severe poisoning,” the FDA arrested a U.S.-based apricot seed vendor for repeatedly refusing to stop selling his products as a cancer cure in violation of a court order

Classic analysis of antifluoridationism published. Dental Watch has published a slightly modified version of a lecture given by the late William T. Jarvis in 1983 about pseudoscientific influences, the conspiratorial mindset, and flawed arguments related to the opposition to community water fluoridation. The lecture was initially published in the proceedings of a conference on “Fluoridation: Litigation & Changing Public Policy” at the University of Michigan. Dr. Jarvis was a professor of health promotion and education at Loma Linda University and the founding president of the National Council Against Health Fraud. [Jarvis WT. The psychology of antifluoridation. Dental Watch, Dec 24, 2020]


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