Alkaline diet creater convicted of practicing medicine without a license
singingflutelady
Posts: 8,736 Member
Yeah for real science 
but this is sad that people were so desperate for help they paid so much money for IV baking soda
"The man who created the alkaline diet, a bogus eating regimen based on the idea that certain foods cause your body's pH levels to become acidic, faces up to three years in prison, the BBC reported.
Robert Young, who wrote the book "The pH Miracle," claimed that diseases were caused by acidity in the blood, which influenced one of the most popular food writers in the UK, Natasha Corrett. Young was convicted last year on two charges of practicing medicine without a license after he was found to have bought his doctorate from a correspondence school, according to the BBC.
"The alkaline diet gained some traction after Kate Hudson lauded it at this year's Golden Globes as the way she stays in shape, but the idea has been around for a while. The idea behind the alkaline diet is that certain foods like meat, wheat, and sugar cause your body to produce acid, which leads to health problems such as bone loss, muscle loss, and back pain.
But what you eat has very little effect on the acid concentrations in your blood. As my colleague Jessica Orwig reported, blood pH levels hover around 7.4 - neither extremely acidic (pH level of 0) nor basic (pH level of 14).
While what you eat can affect the acidity of your urine, your kidneys work hard to keep your blood pH levels steady. One small study, for example, found that a diet high in protein and low in carbs had a strong effect on urinary acidity but appeared to cause very little change in blood pH.
The BBC reported that Young advised a woman who was dying from breast cancer, British army officer Naima Houder-Mohammed, to pay him thousands of dollars for his alkaline treatment, which predominantly consisted of baking soda administered intravenously. According to the BBC, Houder-Mohammed and her family ended up paying Young more than $77,000 (£62,700) for the treatment and his advice.
Houder-Mohammed stayed at Young's facility, the "pH Miracle Ranch," for three months, according to the BBC, until her condition worsened and she was taken to the hospital. She died at age 27.
In 2011, the Medical Board of California began an investigation at Young's ranch, where it discovered that none of the 15 cancer patients Young treated there outlived their prognosis. One woman died from congestive heart failure after being given 33 intravenous sodium bicarbonate drips over 31 days at a cost of $550 each, according to the BBC.
The San Diego Union-Tribune reported in March that Young would be retried on other charges and also faced another civil lawsuit brought by a woman with stage 4 cancer who claimed he advised her against medical treatments in favor of his remedies."
http://www.businessinsider.com/alkaline-ph-diet-founder-arrested-2017-1
but this is sad that people were so desperate for help they paid so much money for IV baking soda"The man who created the alkaline diet, a bogus eating regimen based on the idea that certain foods cause your body's pH levels to become acidic, faces up to three years in prison, the BBC reported.
Robert Young, who wrote the book "The pH Miracle," claimed that diseases were caused by acidity in the blood, which influenced one of the most popular food writers in the UK, Natasha Corrett. Young was convicted last year on two charges of practicing medicine without a license after he was found to have bought his doctorate from a correspondence school, according to the BBC.
"The alkaline diet gained some traction after Kate Hudson lauded it at this year's Golden Globes as the way she stays in shape, but the idea has been around for a while. The idea behind the alkaline diet is that certain foods like meat, wheat, and sugar cause your body to produce acid, which leads to health problems such as bone loss, muscle loss, and back pain.
But what you eat has very little effect on the acid concentrations in your blood. As my colleague Jessica Orwig reported, blood pH levels hover around 7.4 - neither extremely acidic (pH level of 0) nor basic (pH level of 14).
While what you eat can affect the acidity of your urine, your kidneys work hard to keep your blood pH levels steady. One small study, for example, found that a diet high in protein and low in carbs had a strong effect on urinary acidity but appeared to cause very little change in blood pH.
The BBC reported that Young advised a woman who was dying from breast cancer, British army officer Naima Houder-Mohammed, to pay him thousands of dollars for his alkaline treatment, which predominantly consisted of baking soda administered intravenously. According to the BBC, Houder-Mohammed and her family ended up paying Young more than $77,000 (£62,700) for the treatment and his advice.
Houder-Mohammed stayed at Young's facility, the "pH Miracle Ranch," for three months, according to the BBC, until her condition worsened and she was taken to the hospital. She died at age 27.
In 2011, the Medical Board of California began an investigation at Young's ranch, where it discovered that none of the 15 cancer patients Young treated there outlived their prognosis. One woman died from congestive heart failure after being given 33 intravenous sodium bicarbonate drips over 31 days at a cost of $550 each, according to the BBC.
The San Diego Union-Tribune reported in March that Young would be retried on other charges and also faced another civil lawsuit brought by a woman with stage 4 cancer who claimed he advised her against medical treatments in favor of his remedies."
http://www.businessinsider.com/alkaline-ph-diet-founder-arrested-2017-1
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Replies
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Bumping1
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Wow, so sad but glad they're finally going after him.2
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That is terrible.
People wonder why many of us are so anti "woo." It's because BS like this has the potential to harm. And in this case, the consequences of this charlatan's actions were fatal for some.
I hope he goes to prison for a long time.11 -
Yes it's pretty scary how people are willing to sell dangerous treatments to desperate people2
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The scary thing is how willing people are to believe and trust an insane person with their lives.4
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This needs to be put in every section of the forum. Not because I see so many posters asking about the pH diet specifically but to prove how much woo is out there and how easy it is for (some) to believe it.
It's also very sad about his victims. May they rest in peace.
I hope he rots.9 -
extra_medium wrote: »The scary thing is how willing people are to believe and trust an insane person with their lives.
I'm chronically ill and see this type of garbage every day on fb. Luckily I'm research orientated but I understand being so desperate that you'd be willing to do anything to feel better.5 -
This is the kind of *kitten* I read and end up thinking "hahah...wait, it's not April...what the Christ?"1
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Good. Too bad not many news sources will report this unfortunately, yet are so quick to report "miracle cures".2
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Quack watch http://www.quackwatch.org/11Ind/young3.html1
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His legal history according to Wikipedia:
"In 1995, Young allegedly drew blood from two women, told them they were ill, and then sold them herbal products to treat these illnesses. He was charged with two third-degree felony counts of practicing medicine without a license, but pled guilty to a reduced misdemeanor charge.[16][26] Young argued that he had never claimed to be a medical doctor, that the women had entrapped him by asking to be part of his research, and that he "looked at the women's blood and simply gave them some nutritional advice."[16]
In 2001, Young was again charged with a felony in Utah, after a cancer patient alleged that Young told her to stop chemotherapy and to substitute one of his products to treat her cancer. Subsequently, when an undercover agent visited Young, he allegedly analyzed her blood and prescribed a liquid diet. The case was taken to preliminary trial, but charges were dropped after the prosecutor stated that he could not find enough people who felt cheated by Young.[26] Young dismissed the arrests as "harassment" and stated that he moved to California because the legal climate there was more tolerant.[26] On May 12, 2011 Quackwatch published a critical analysis of Young's qualifications and practices.[6]
In 2014 Young was arrested in San Diego and received 18 felony charges relating to practising medicine without a license, and of theft.[30] According to the Medical Board of California's press release chronically ill patients were paying Young up to $50,000 for his treatments.[31] His trial started in Vista Superior Court in November 2015.[32] In February 2016, jurors found Young guilty of two counts of practicing medicine without a license.[33] As of January 2017 he is facing a three year jail sentence and will also be retried on six charges of fraud, after a jury deadlocked 8-4.[34]"
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_O._Young2 -
So sad for the victims.
I'm glad to see at least one of these snake oil sales people get put away, at any rate.3 -
The dying officer treated for cancer with baking soda....
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-386507391 -
The dying officer treated for cancer with baking soda....
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-38650739
Wow0 -
The dying officer treated for cancer with baking soda....
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-38650739
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Alyssa_Is_LosingIt wrote: »That is terrible.
People wonder why many of us are so anti "woo." It's because BS like this has the potential to harm. And in this case, the consequences of this charlatan's actions were fatal for some.
I hope he goes to prison for a long time.
Agreed. I was just coming in to say the same thing.3 -
Alyssa_Is_LosingIt wrote: »That is terrible.
People wonder why many of us are so anti "woo." It's because BS like this has the potential to harm. And in this case, the consequences of this charlatan's actions were fatal for some.
I hope he goes to prison for a long time.
Exactly. This is why people speak out against these bulldust diets when they get posted about and don't just pat everyone on the back. It's not people being high and mighty? There's a fine line between useless and dangerous.4 -
This is a profound example of why there needs to be much tighter regulations on any type of health related products, services and healthcare providers. The United States is full of such quackery under the guise of what the average consumer thinks is legitimate credentials.
For example, a nutritionist or herbalist doesn't have to have any formal education through a college or university to bestow this title upon themselves. Those who obtain a formal education may or may not have received a "degree" from a college whose accreditation may or may not be accrediated and if they are accreditated, their accreditation may or may not be recognized by one of the two most important guardians of accreditation, the US Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education (https://cynthiasass.com/about/nutritionist-vs-dietitian.html and http://www.thebestschools.org/degrees/accreditation-colleges-universities/) This makes it incredibly hard for the consumer to determine if their are dealing with a quack or legitament healthcare practitioner.
Chiropractors are another profession that is full of quackery. They promote their education as "different" but equivalent to other types of doctors. Neither the US Department of Education nor the Council for Higher Education will provide give accreditation to schools of chiropractic. They have their own accrediting body, that has determined their degree entitles the person who completes their prescribed program has earned the title "Doctor". Chiropractic accrediting it's own schools, which is like having the fox watch the hen house (www.cce-usa.org/Accredited_Doctor_Chiro.html).
Doctors of osteopathy and Doctors of Chiropractic were asked to align their educational standards to that of a Medical Doctor. Schools of Osteopathy did just that, therefore they are accredited like any college that produces Medical Doctors, and recognized as legitimate medical doctors. Schools of Chiropractic refused.
Finally, in all fairness there have been a couple studies that showed that chiropractic treatment of low back pain provided basically the same outcomes as physical therapy and medical doctor treatments. However, there are no other studies conducted by anyone outside of chiropractic practice that supports the multitude of chiropractic interventions as actually being effective.
Furthermore the studies conducted by chiropractors and promoted by their organization do not meet the rigorous standards of solid scientific research and can be easily picked apart by the larger scientific community.3 -
A total quack. For sure.
..........
Just a comment though.
IV sodium bicarbonate IS actually used in emergency situation such as prolonged CPR or overdose or even treatment of overdose of some kinds of antidepressants.
It's not just 'IV baking soda'.
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Bumping0
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I would say "oh wow!" but i'm honestly not surprised.0
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Sadly, this probably won't change the minds of many who saw the alkaline diet on Pinterest or YouTube or wherever and are determined to try it.2
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diannethegeek wrote: »Sadly, this probably won't change the minds of many who saw the alkaline diet on Pinterest or YouTube or wherever and are determined to try it.
This. It is sad how the fire of misinformation keeps spreading even after it's been fought/discredited at the source.3 -
I just read an article about how Superbowl quarterback Tom Brady follows this diet. As long as celebrities continue to endorse it, people will continue to follow their lead.0
This discussion has been closed.
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