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Pesky skeptics accuse Prince Charles of 'outright quackery' over detox food supplement
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1160916/Prince-Charles-accu...
A leading scientist has accused the Prince of Wales of endangering public health and promoting 'outright quackery' with a new Duchy product.
Professor Edzard Ernst branded the £10 detox tincture 'a dangerous waste of money' and said Charles was misleading people and ignoring science.
The leading academic, who is professor of complementary medicine at Peninsula Medical School in Exeter, said detox went against the 'tablet of medical history' and there was no evidence such products worked.
The body was more than capable of detoxing itself, he said, adding that the Prince was financially exploiting 'a gullible public in a time of financial hardship'.
The tincture, which is part of the Duchy Herbals range of products, is on sale via the Duchy website and in selected Boots stores and Waitrose.
The website says the tincture, which contains dandelion and artichoke, is 'a food supplement to help eliminate toxins and aid digestion'.
It goes on: 'Duchy Herbals Detox Tincture is made from extracts of artichoke and dandelion, cleansing and purifying herbs to help support the body's natural elimination and detoxification processes, and help maintain healthy digestion.
'Duchy Herbals Detox Tincture can be taken as part of a regular detox program.'
The website says globe artichoke 'is a well known vegetable that can be used in a variety of different dishes, and is also a well known digestive aid'.
It adds that dandelion 'can be found growing throughout the English countryside and is easily recognised by its vibrant yellow flowers.
'Dandelion leaves can be included in salads, the dried roots can be used as a coffee substitute, and it is also used to flavour herb beers and soft drinks.'
People are advised to take the tincture twice a day as a 2.5ml dose in a glass of water.
'It is important to follow a varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle,' the website adds.
'Food supplements should not be used as a substitute.'
Prof Ernst said there was no evidence that detox programmes worked and accused the Prince of presiding over 'Dodgy Originals'.
He said all that would be needed would be to prove that detox products work but no such studies existed.
A study might simply involve taking blood samples from volunteers and testing whether a toxin is eliminated from the body faster than normal.
'We as humans are not poisoning ourselves with waste products,' he added.
'The concept of these products is wrong and there is no evidence they work.
'The body has a powerful mechanism to deal with itself and there's no evidence that dandelion or artichoke will improve these functions.
'If a patient has a diseased kidney and cannot eliminate toxins via their kidney, then they need serious medical help.
'Products like this are a dangerous waste of money.
'Charles is exploiting people during hard times.'
Prof Ernst said the word 'detox' also undermined the treatment of people with drug addiction, when getting them off drugs represented a 'real detox'.
He added: 'It also gives a bad name to the respectable side of herbal medicine, which has a lot of good in it.
'By making these claims for detox products, I feel this good is being endangered.
'If people are led to believe they can overindulge on food and drink and put that all right with a Duchy detox tincture, then that, to me, is endangering public health.
'It is almost cynical to put such a product on the market.'
Prof Ernst said the Prince should know better, adding: 'He has a very long-standing interest in the field and has all sorts of advisors.
'He could have read what scientists have written about the issue of detox.
'It would take a normal citizen about two milliseconds to find that information.'
Last year, Prof Ernst said he would award £10,000 to the first person who could show that another area of complementary medicine, homeopathy, actually worked.
He invited people to prove that homeopathy was better than a placebo in a scientifically controlled trial.
'After one year, nobody has taken me up on the offer and we are now hoping to increase it,' he said.
'We hope to increase the offer to 100,000 US dollars - not using money from the pharmaceutical industry as some people think - and take it internationally.'
Prof Ernst said detox was based on the notion that toxins damage the body by accumulating and 'overloading' the system.
'A whole industry thus supplies consumers with products that promise to eliminate poisonous substances from the body,' he said.
'But the pathophysiology of 'detox' is non-existent.
'As a therapeutic approach detox is implausible, unproven and dangerous.'
Prof Ernst said the Prince and his advisors 'seem to deliberately ignore science and prefer to rely on 'make believe' and superstition.
'Prince Charles contributes to the ill health of the nation by pretending we can all over-indulge, then take his tincture and be fine again.
'Under the banner of holistic and integrative healthcare he thus promotes a 'quick fix' and outright quackery.'
A leading scientist has accused the Prince of Wales of endangering public health and promoting 'outright quackery' with a new Duchy product.
Professor Edzard Ernst branded the £10 detox tincture 'a dangerous waste of money' and said Charles was misleading people and ignoring science.
The leading academic, who is professor of complementary medicine at Peninsula Medical School in Exeter, said detox went against the 'tablet of medical history' and there was no evidence such products worked.
The body was more than capable of detoxing itself, he said, adding that the Prince was financially exploiting 'a gullible public in a time of financial hardship'.
The tincture, which is part of the Duchy Herbals range of products, is on sale via the Duchy website and in selected Boots stores and Waitrose.
The website says the tincture, which contains dandelion and artichoke, is 'a food supplement to help eliminate toxins and aid digestion'.
It goes on: 'Duchy Herbals Detox Tincture is made from extracts of artichoke and dandelion, cleansing and purifying herbs to help support the body's natural elimination and detoxification processes, and help maintain healthy digestion.
'Duchy Herbals Detox Tincture can be taken as part of a regular detox program.'
The website says globe artichoke 'is a well known vegetable that can be used in a variety of different dishes, and is also a well known digestive aid'.
It adds that dandelion 'can be found growing throughout the English countryside and is easily recognised by its vibrant yellow flowers.
'Dandelion leaves can be included in salads, the dried roots can be used as a coffee substitute, and it is also used to flavour herb beers and soft drinks.'
People are advised to take the tincture twice a day as a 2.5ml dose in a glass of water.
'It is important to follow a varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle,' the website adds.
'Food supplements should not be used as a substitute.'
Prof Ernst said there was no evidence that detox programmes worked and accused the Prince of presiding over 'Dodgy Originals'.
He said all that would be needed would be to prove that detox products work but no such studies existed.
A study might simply involve taking blood samples from volunteers and testing whether a toxin is eliminated from the body faster than normal.
'We as humans are not poisoning ourselves with waste products,' he added.
'The concept of these products is wrong and there is no evidence they work.
'The body has a powerful mechanism to deal with itself and there's no evidence that dandelion or artichoke will improve these functions.
'If a patient has a diseased kidney and cannot eliminate toxins via their kidney, then they need serious medical help.
'Products like this are a dangerous waste of money.
'Charles is exploiting people during hard times.'
Prof Ernst said the word 'detox' also undermined the treatment of people with drug addiction, when getting them off drugs represented a 'real detox'.
He added: 'It also gives a bad name to the respectable side of herbal medicine, which has a lot of good in it.
'By making these claims for detox products, I feel this good is being endangered.
'If people are led to believe they can overindulge on food and drink and put that all right with a Duchy detox tincture, then that, to me, is endangering public health.
'It is almost cynical to put such a product on the market.'
Prof Ernst said the Prince should know better, adding: 'He has a very long-standing interest in the field and has all sorts of advisors.
'He could have read what scientists have written about the issue of detox.
'It would take a normal citizen about two milliseconds to find that information.'
Last year, Prof Ernst said he would award £10,000 to the first person who could show that another area of complementary medicine, homeopathy, actually worked.
He invited people to prove that homeopathy was better than a placebo in a scientifically controlled trial.
'After one year, nobody has taken me up on the offer and we are now hoping to increase it,' he said.
'We hope to increase the offer to 100,000 US dollars - not using money from the pharmaceutical industry as some people think - and take it internationally.'
Prof Ernst said detox was based on the notion that toxins damage the body by accumulating and 'overloading' the system.
'A whole industry thus supplies consumers with products that promise to eliminate poisonous substances from the body,' he said.
'But the pathophysiology of 'detox' is non-existent.
'As a therapeutic approach detox is implausible, unproven and dangerous.'
Prof Ernst said the Prince and his advisors 'seem to deliberately ignore science and prefer to rely on 'make believe' and superstition.
'Prince Charles contributes to the ill health of the nation by pretending we can all over-indulge, then take his tincture and be fine again.
'Under the banner of holistic and integrative healthcare he thus promotes a 'quick fix' and outright quackery.'
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by LeavingSOE on -
As mentioned in the article, the haphazard marketing of this supplement undermines legitimate, scientifically proven herbal and food remedies. Both of the mentioned ingredients have proven medicinal value in clinical trials. For example, dandelion root can aid in digestion by stimulating bile production. Dandelion leaf's high potassium content makes it useful as a mild diuretic. Artichoke leaves have also been shown in clinical trials to aid in digestion by stimulating bile production. One significant double-blind, placebo-controlled trial showed artichoke leaves to improve cholesterol levels. No clinical trials have proven that these vegetables' "detoxification" effects are any better than a placebo.
What's worse than charging for this snake oil is that clinical trials have found significant safety concerns with the use of these two ingredients as supplements! For example, since dandelion root and artichoke leaves can stimulate the flow of bile (and potentially stimulate gallbladder contraction), individuals with gallbladder disease could be put at risk for obstructed ducts or gallbladder rupture.
So to the point, herbal remedies and food remedies have value. However, it is irresponsible to make claims that have not been proven and reckless to not warn of the scientifically-proven safety risks!
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Permalink Reply by DeusEx on -
I guess EoS is covered since they only sell virtual goods ROFL
LeavingSOE said:As mentioned in the article, the haphazard marketing of this supplement undermines legitimate, scientifically proven herbal and food remedies. Both of the mentioned ingredients have proven medicinal value in clinical trials. For example, dandelion root can aid in digestion by stimulating bile production. Dandelion leaf's high potassium content makes it useful as a mild diuretic. Artichoke leaves have also been shown in clinical trials to aid in digestion by stimulating bile production. One significant double-blind, placebo-controlled trial showed artichoke leaves to improve cholesterol levels. No clinical trials have proven that these vegetables' "detoxification" effects are any better than a placebo.
What's worse than charging for this snake oil is that clinical trials have found significant safety concerns with the use of these two ingredients as supplements! For example, since dandelion root and artichoke leaves can stimulate the flow of bile (and potentially stimulate gallbladder contraction), individuals with gallbladder disease could be put at risk for obstructed ducts or gallbladder rupture.
So to the point, herbal remedies and food remedies have value. However, it is irresponsible to make claims that have not been proven and reckless to not warn of the scientifically-proven safety risks!
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