Supplement sellers need to create the narrative that most health issues are caused by poor nutrition, and their special products are the best way to treat that. However, the evidence does not support their marketing narrative. When called out on their misleading claims, supplement sellers often go on the attack, claim there is a conspiracy, and use legal thuggery. Founder and Executive Editor of Science-Based Medicine, Steven Novella, MD, is an academic clinical neurologist at the Yale University School of Medicine. He hosts and produces the popular weekly science podcast, The Skeptics’ Guide to the Universe, and writes the NeuroLogicaBlog. He has also produced two courses with The Great Courses and published a book on critical thinking called The Skeptics Guide to the Universe.
The controversy over Dr. Adam Smith’s defamation lawsuit in Australia against naturopath Farrah Agustin-Bunch has raised concerns among those who advocate for Science-Based Medicine (SBM). It appears that Agustin-Bunch has a history of responding to criticism by attacking her critics and suing them. Dr. Smith, a Melbourne GP, had expressed concern over Agustin-Bunch’s claims of treating cancer with potatoes and wanted to provide a scientific response. However, he is now out of pocket $600,000 in legal fees, and it is predicted that he will have to spend up to two million dollars to fight the lawsuit.
Agustin-Bunch’s website promotes dietary solutions for all sorts of problems, including cancer, and sells products such as a magnesium supplement and Boston-C supplements that claim to support immune system function and natural detoxification and cleansing. However, her products are not approved by the Philippines FDA, where her clinic is located, and Quackwatch, a consumer protection website that focuses on bogus medical claims and treatments, has criticized her.
The lawsuit highlights the problem of legal thuggery being used to silence legitimate commentary, which is concerning for those in the SBM community. The Australian defamation laws are seen as particularly challenging, with Sydney being called the defamation capital of the world. Despite this, Dr. Smith is not backing down and believes that he has a duty to challenge dubious claims and products being sold to the public.
It is important to be wary of individuals peddling misinformation about diet and cancer, particularly when they respond to criticism by attacking their critics and using lawsuits to silence them. The controversy surrounding Dr. Smith’s lawsuit against Farrah Agustin-Bunch is a prime example of this issue, and it highlights the need for strong advocacy for Science-Based Medicine.
Farrah Agustin-Bunch, a naturopath currently involved in a defamation lawsuit with Dr. Adam Smith in Australia, has been criticized for attacking her critics and using lawsuits to silence them. In a 2018 Quackwatch article about Agustin-Bunch, Stephen Barrett, the founder of Quackwatch, is cited as a critic. However, Agustin-Bunch took Barrett’s words out of context and used them to support her own claims. Agustin-Bunch’s strategy is to set up a battle of authority rather than evidence and attack her critics relentlessly.
Agustin-Bunch’s claims regarding the contribution of diet to disease are misleading. The Western world’s contribution of diet to disease is mainly due to obesity and consuming too much meat, sugar, and fat, rather than malnutrition. Agustin-Bunch uses conclusions that are really about obesity to justify prescribing supplements for cancer. However, a 2019 study of 80,000 new cancer cases in the US found that only 5.2% were attributable to diet, which directly contradicts Agustin-Bunch’s narrative. A 2020 review of diet and cancer published in BMJ made very direct conclusions from the data.
Agustin-Bunch’s history of promoting dietary solutions for all sorts of problems, including cancer, and selling unapproved products raises concerns among those who advocate for Science-Based Medicine. It is important to be wary of individuals peddling misinformation about diet and cancer, particularly when they respond to criticism by attacking their critics and using lawsuits to silence them. Dr. Smith’s lawsuit against Farrah Agustin-Bunch is a prime example of this issue, and it highlights the need for strong advocacy for Science-Based Medicine.
It is also worth noting that Agustin-Bunch’s attacks on Barrett are baseless. Barrett was fully licensed when practicing, and there were no complaints against his license, which was in good standing when he retired. Agustin-Bunch tries to diminish Barrett by saying he has no reported medical training since 1961, but he completed his residency that year and was in practice until 1993, which means he had to keep up with his continuing medical education requirements.
Vitamin and mineral supplements are not effective in reducing cancer risk and might even increase it in well-nourished populations. High dose β carotene might increase the risk of lung cancer. Fruits and vegetables are not convincingly or probably associated with the risk of any cancer, according to the 2018 World Cancer Research Fund report.
While some cancers are caused by genetics, lifestyle factors are known to be significant causes of cancer. Smoking and obesity are among the known causes. However, the evidence suggests that as much as 65% of cancers are due to bad luck, which is still a major cause.
Supplement sellers need to create the narrative that most health issues are caused by poor nutrition, and their special products are the best way to treat that. However, the evidence does not support their marketing narrative. When called out on their misleading claims, supplement sellers often go on the attack, claim there is a conspiracy, and use legal thuggery.
Founder and Executive Editor of Science-Based Medicine, Steven Novella, MD, is an academic clinical neurologist at the Yale University School of Medicine. He hosts and produces the popular weekly science podcast, The Skeptics’ Guide to the Universe, and writes the NeuroLogicaBlog. He has also produced two courses with The Great Courses and published a book on critical thinking called The Skeptics Guide to the Universe.
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