Another Unwarranted Attack on Supplements from WebMD

In response to the recent tragedy involving NBA player Lamar Odom, an absolutely outrageous article appeared on WebMD today (10/15/15). It is entitled “Dietary Supplements Send Thousands to the ER Each Year.” When you start to read the article you find out several things:

1. The actual number (23,000 estimated) is far less than the number of side effects from prescription drugs (4.5 million), not to mention the number of deaths (37,485).
2. Furthermore, it states in the article that since 150 million Americans take dietary supplements each year, the incidence of side effects is less than 1/10^th of 1%.
3. This “study” was actually a medical records review where doctors had noted that they believed that the symptoms had been caused by a dietary supplement. In my experience, since medical doctors know absolutely nothing about dietary supplements, they always try to lay the blame on whatever supplement someone is taking. Therefore, the records being “analyzed” were flawed from the start.
4. The only item I agree with in this entire article is that you do need to be careful about the source of your supplements. One lady was taking a weight loss supplement that upon testing was found to be “spiked with drugs.” It isn’t exactly fair to call that an adverse reaction to a supplement, is it? It was actually because of the drug contamination. Purchasing your supplements from reputable, professional suppliers where purity is assured it your best choice.

This article is one more salvo in WebMD’s continuing attack on alternative medicine. Since all of their advertising dollars come from pharmaceuticals, it isn’t surprising that the editors constantly denigrate natural remedies. Remember the old saying, “Follow the money!”

I have mentioned this before, but it bears repeating. A friend of mine, Dr. William Cockburn America’s leading expert on thermography, contacted WebMD and offered to provide them with a scholarly article on the uses and benefits of thermography. He was told that WebMD’s mission was to counteract all of the “false” information generated on the Internet about alternative medicine and, therefore, they were not interested in anything he wrote. Remember that when you hear every news outlet citing the latest anti-vitamin headline ripped right from the pages of WebMD. I have had their feed on my home page for years; and I can assure you it happens practically every week.

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