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; 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’s primary focus is on health, but occasionally it includes non-health scams and practical tips. Items posted to this archive may be updated when relevant information becomes available. To subscribe, click here.
FTC sues marketers of COVID-19 herbal tea product. The Federal Trade Commission, the Department of Justice, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, have sued Brooklyn-based B4B Earth Tea LLC, B4B Corp., and their owner and operator, Andrew Martin (“Busta”) Sinclair. The suit seeks to: (a) permanently block deceptive ads that claim Earth Tea is clinically proven to treat, cure, and prevent COVID-19; and (b) impose civil penalties on the defendants under the COVID-19 Consumer Protection Act. The joint agency complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for Eastern District of New York. The complaint charged that since at least April 2020, Sinclair and his companies misrepresented, on their websites and in social media, that Earth Tea prevents or treats COVID-19. The unsupported claims included:
- “Earth Tea works!! The all natural instant immune booster clinical trials proves its [sic] effective against COVID19.”
- “Our Clinical Trial was successful. So successful we are offering a Money Back Guarantee against COVID-19 if 2 bottles do not get you negative you will get your money back.”
- “Vaccines trial shows preventing hospitalization is 85%-96% while so far Earth Tea Extra Strength is 100% we have helped people who are vaccinated.”
- “No one who was positive and used Earth Tea went to the hospital.”
- Earth Tea is clinically proven to cure COVID-19 in 48 hours.
In at least one tweet, the defendants claimed the cure would take only 24 hours. The complaint also noted that the “clinical trial” cited by the defendants had only 15 participants, had no control group, was not published in a recognized journal, and did not rise to the level of “competent and reliable scientific evidence.” The tea sold for $60 per 16-ounce bottle. [FTC, DOJ, and FDA take action to stop marketer of herbal tea from making false COVID-19 treatment claims. FTC press release, March 3, 2022]
Another vaccine opponent dies of COVID-19. Bruce West (1947–2021), a chiropractor who published Health Alert newsletter, died of COVID-19 in October. His newsletter was filled with sensational claims that nutritional products made by Standard Process Laboratories are effective against a wide range of diseases. He also sold the products and advertised himself as “Dr. Bruce West” without mentioning that he was a chiropractor. In private correspondence, he referred to himself as a “clinical biochemist” and said he “subspecialized” in biochemistry and received a “Ph.D.” with his D.C. degree when he graduated from the Columbia Institute of Chiropractic. Several websites that reported his death said he was not vaccinated against COVID-19. In June 2021, the California Attorney General filed a civil suit charging West and Health Alert Immune Systems, Inc. with marketing dietary supplements with illegal claims that they are effective in preventing or curing many serious diseases. The suit will proceed against his estate and Health Alert. Quackwatch has a detailed article that describes the marketing and regulatory history of Standard Process.
Unsubstantiated collagen supplementation claims spotlighted. Collagen, a component of skin, hair, nails, joints, bones, tendons, and cartilage, is marketed by major retailers as a dietary supplement product for health and beauty. Noting that there are over 8.5 million posts with the hashtag “collagen” on Instagram alone and Google searches for collagen supplements have increased rapidly since 2015, researchers: (a) watched and analyzed the first 100 YouTube videos resulting from a search of “collagen,” (b) analyzed the top 50 Instagram photographs with the hashtag “collagen,” (c) reviewed the scientific literature regarding skin, nail, and hair effects of collagen, and (d) reviewed websites of popular collagen brands for claims related to skin, nail, and hair. [Rustad AM. Myths and media in oral collagen supplementation for the skin, nails, and hair: A review. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 21:438-443, 2022] Their findings included:
- Over 75% of YouTube videos and Instagram posts recommended collagen supplementation with most claiming it’s beneficial for skin.
- Financial bias was common (two-thirds of the YouTube videos and most Instagram posts) and associated with recommending collagen supplementation and claiming benefits.
- Most YouTube videos and almost all Instagram posts were uploaded by people without healthcare or medical expertise.
- A variety of collagen supplementation benefits appear on marketers’ websites.
- Systematic reviews have noted evidence from small randomized controlled trials of skin benefits from taking some forms of collagen.
- No reports of clinical trials on the effect of collagen supplementation on hair have been published.
- One study lacking a control group found nail growth after collagen supplementation.
- Dermatologic claims in the media go beyond what the literature supports.
- The main downside of collagen supplementation is that daily use can be costly.
The researchers concluded:
Collagen supplementation is a promising area of research, yet dermatologic claims in the media surpass any evidence currently proven in the literature. More research, especially larger trials with standardized dosage and formulation, is needed to establish stronger knowledge of the effects and physiologic mechanism of collagen supplementation. Dermatology providers should be aware of the excessive proclamations of collagen’s effects being made by companies and in social media, as patients are likely to ask about or try collagen supplementation. There is a considerable opportunity for dermatologists to increase their presence on social media to help educate the public properly about skin health and supplements such as collagen to combat misinformation and exaggerated promises.
Videos to combat vaccine misinformation released. The American College of Physicians (ACP) has released its initial set of short videos called “Ask Your Internist” in both English and Spanish in which physicians answer consumers’ top questions about COVID-19 and flu vaccines. Another newly initiated ACP series, “Physician to Physician Conversations,” shares practical strategies for physicians and other health professionals to address vaccine misinformation and build trust in COVID-19 and routine vaccinations. ACP’s YouTube Channel includes playlists for consumers and internists on a variety of health topics.
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