NCAHF Position Paper on Colonic Irrigation
Colonic irrigation (CI) is a procedure in which very large quantities of liquids are infused into the colon via the rectum through a tube, a few pints at a time, in an effort to wash away and remove its contents. CI differs from an ordinary enema which involves infusing a lesser amount of liquid into the rectum only. A “high colonic” may involve the use of twenty or more gallons pumped by a machine or transmitted with an apparatus that relies upon gravity to achieve its purpose. Liquids used in colonics may include coffee, herbs, enzymes, wheat grass extract, or many other substances. Proponents of the procedure advertise that “all disease and death begin in the colon,” that colonics “detoxifies” the body, and that …
Continue Reading >NCAHF Position Paper on Homeopathy
Contents Abstract Summary of Recommendations Origin The Cardinal Principles of Homeopathy The Psora and Vitalism Provings and the Law of Similiar Infinitesiminals and Potentizing Homeopathy and Science Studies of Homeopathy Homepathic Products Dubious Labelling Suspicious Effectiveness Homeopathic Services A Haven for Untrustworthy Practitioners Federal Regulations State Regulations Recommendations Abstract Homeopathy was devised by the German physician Samuel Hahnemann (1755-1843) as a reaction to practices based upon the ancient humoral theory which he labeled “allopathy.” The term has been misapplied to regular medicine ever since. The cardinal principles of homeopathy include that (1) most diseases are caused by an infectious disorder called the psora (itch); (2) life is a spiritual force (vitalism) which directs the body’s healing; (3) remedies can be discerned by noting the symptoms …
Continue Reading >NCAHF Position Paper on Nutrition Diploma Mills in California
Special Terms FOOD FADDISM: A general term used to designate nutrition nonsense. Food faddism is characterized as much by its exaggerations as absolute errors about nutrition and diet. QUACK: “Anyone who promotes medical schemes or remedies known to be false, or which are unproven, for a profit.”* (U.S. House of Representatives, May, 1984). *In the opinion of the NCAHF offering such goods or services for a donation or through alleged “nonprofit” schemes still constitutes quackery. NUTRITION QUACKERY: Utilizing invalid methods for assessing an individual’s nutritional status, or promoting the use of food supplements, nutrition substances or special diets that lack reasonable scientific evidence of safety and effectiveness to cure, treat or prevent disease, increase longevity, enhance physical, sexual, or mental performance. DEGREE MILL: “An organization …
Continue Reading >NCAHF Position Paper on Chiropractic
Chiropractic is a controversial health care delivery system with an estimated 24,000 practitioners in the United States. Chiropractors are licensed in all states and several foreign countries. According to the American Chiropractic Association, 9.8 million patients made 135 million office visits during 1983 and utilization increased by 77% from 1964-74 while the population grew at only 10.4%.(1) Politically aggressive and public-relations minded, chiropractors are seeking to expand their legal scope of practice, and are attempting to establish their methods as suitable alternatives to conventional medicine. However, most chiropractors do not share the view of health and disease held by health scientists worldwide. Most dispute the idea that germs are the primary cause of infectious diseases, disparage conventional medical practices–particularly drug therapy and surgery—and oppose various …
Continue Reading >NCAHF Position Paper on Acupuncture (1990)
Summary ||| Theory and Practices ||| Current Use in China Scientific Status ||| AcupunctureTraining ||| Hazards Legal Status ||| NCAHF Recommendations ||| References SummaryAcupuncture involves the stimulation of certain points on or near the skin by the insertion of needles or by other methods. It has been used as a treatment in Asia for several thousand years but has not been proven effective by modern standards. Acupuncture is being promoted as both an “alternative” treatment and an adjunct to standard treatment. In China, it was banned in 1929 but underwent resurgence in the 1960s during the Cultural Revolution. In the United States, it is used mainly for pain relief. Some states permit only licensed physicians to perform acupuncture, while others license lay persons as well. …
Continue Reading >NCAHF Position Paper on Over-the Counter Herbal Remedies (1995)
The over-the-counter (OTC) herbal remedies business is reported to be well over $1.5 billion in current sales with an estimated annual growth rate of 15%. In 1994, $813.8 million of the health food store’s $4.815 billion in sales (17%) was from herbal remedies. Herbal product vendors benefit from society’s romanticized view that equates “natural” with “safe.” Unfortunately, the assumption that natural products are safe is false. It is precisely because herbs are a source of potent drugs that responsible people are concerned about the manner in which herbal remedies are being marketed. Consumers are being denied the most fundamental information and assurances of quality. By law, drug labels must provide essential information, but herbal remedies are being marketed as “dietary supplements” with little of the …
Continue Reading >NCAHF Position Paper on Diet and Criminal Behavior
The National Council Against Health Fraud (NCAHF) believes that misinformation is presently being used to exploit some popular beliefs that are not factual. We therefore endorse the following statements: Nutritionally adequate and acceptable diets should be available for all institutionalized individuals. Nutritional adequacy must be determined on the basis of accepted dietary principles. Valid evidence is lacking to support the claim that diet is an important determinant in the development of violence and criminal behavior. Valid evidence is lacking to support the hypothesis that reactive hypoglycemia is a common cause of violent behavior. Inappropriate dietary treatment based on unfounded beliefs about the relationships between diet and criminal behavior can have harmful effects. It can result in nutritional deficiencies and/or excesses. It can detract from efforts …
Continue Reading >NCAHF Position Paper on Multilevel Marketing of Health Products
Multilevel marketing (MLM ) — also called network marketing — is a form of direct sales in which independent distributors sell products, usually in their customers’ home, by telephone, or through the Internet. In theory, distributors can make money not only from their own sales but also from those of the people they recruit as distributors. Becoming an MLM distributor is simple and requires no real knowledge of health or nutrition. Many people do so initially in order to buy their own products at a discount. For a small sum of money — usually between $35 and $100 — these companies sell a distributor kit that includes product literature, sales aids (such as a videotape or audiotape), price lists, order forms, and a detailed instructional …
Continue Reading >NCAHF Position Paper on Amalgam Fillings (2002)
This statement was written in response to claims that the mercury content of amalgam fillings causes toxic amounts of mercury to enter the body. Advocates of this belief are seeking to ban amalgam use and to force dentists and dental organizations to compensate all persons who claim that amalgam has damaged their health. The National Council Against Health Fraud believes that amalgam fillings are safe, that anti-amalgam activities endanger public welfare, and that so-called “mercury-free dentistry” is substandard practice. NCAHF is a nonprofit consumer protection organization that promotes rational health care. This page and the PDF version of this paper are copyrighted but may be noncommercially reproduced with appropriate credit. Background History Dental amalgam has been widely used for over 150 years. It is made …
Continue Reading >NCAHF Position Statement on White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Revised March 25, 2002The White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine Policy (WHCCAMP) was appointed during the closing days of the Clinton Administration to make recommendations “assuring that public policy maximizes the benefits to Americans of complementary and alternative medicine.” The Commission final report recommends expanded federal spending and other policy initiatives that would foster irrational methods. Background Information “Complementary and alternative medicine” (“CAM”) is an imprecise marketing term that is inherently misleading. “Alternative” methods are loosely described as practices outside of mainstream health care. They lack evidence of safety and effectiveness and are generally not covered by insurance plans. “Complementary medicine” is loosely described as a synthesis of standard and alternative methods that uses the best of both. In truth, there are no …
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