Mercola: Baking Soda Cures H1N1!

[HuckleB]

Woooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!

Arm & Hammer Baking Soda for H1N1 influenza and cancer? Woo at its finest!
http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2009/12/arm_hammer_baking_soda_for_h1n1_influenz.php

"...

The latest example is yet another instance of Mercola taking advantage of the H1N1 pandemic to promote the rankest pseudoscience to an unsuspecting world in an article entitled Overlooked 150 Year Old Household Cleaner a Remedy for Swine Flu? It's hard to find a more clearly fallacious set of arguments. In fact, this time around Mercola makes Dana Ullman's support of homeopathy seem almost reasonable.

Well, not really, but Mercola sure does try. Basically, he tries to convince his readers that baking soda will cure H1N1. First, he references a woo-filled article that claims:

In today's modern world of medicine the FDA just will not let companies that sell products make medical claims about them unless they have been tested at great expense and approved as a drug. But this was not always the case and as we can see in the information in this chapter, which is from a 1924 booklet,<1> published by the Arm & Hammer Soda Company. On page 12 the company starts off saying, "The proven value of Arm & Hammer Bicarbonate of Soda as a therapeutic agent is further evinced by the following evidence of a prominent physician named Dr. Volney S. Cheney, in a letter to the Church & Dwight Company:

"In 1918 and 1919 while fighting the 'Flu' with the U. S. Public Health Service it was brought to my attention that rarely any one who had been thoroughly alkalinized with bicarbonate of soda contracted the disease, and those who did contract it, if alkalinized early, would invariably have mild attacks. I have since that time treated all cases of 'Cold,' Influenza and LaGripe by first giving generous doses of Bicarbonate of Soda, and in many, many instances within 36 hours the symptoms would have entirely abated. Further, within my own household, before Woman's Clubs and Parent-Teachers' Associations, I have advocated the use of Bicarbonate of Soda as a preventive for "Colds," with the result that now many reports are coming in stating that those who took "Soda" were not affected, while nearly every one around them had the "Flu."

Amazing, isn't it? Doesn't it remind you of the claims of homeopaths that homeopathy routinely produced better results treating the flu during the 1918 influenza pandemic than "conventional" medicine? This was a claim derived from a story that homeopaths relate of W.A. Dewey, MD, who allegedly reported that among patients treated by homeopaths there was a mortality rate of just over 1%, which is less than half the reported case fatality rate observed during the pandemic. Of course, in the story it's not mentioned that the real case fatality rate was around 2.5% for the pandemic; homepaths claim it was their woo producing a 1% death rate versus a 30% death rate among those treated by conventional doctors.

..."


----------------------------------------------------


I don't know whether to cry or to laugh, knowing that far too many people fall for Mercola's BS.

[tabatha]

1. Mercola is fast going off the rails.

He has gotten a few things right, but most of the time he is just selling stuff, actual and imagined.

[Warpy]

67. This advice is lethal.

Remember the old commercials touting baking soda as a cure for upset stomach? They were pulled decades ago because people were overdosing with enough of the stuff to upset their physiological balance and landing in the hospital if they were lucky or collapsing and dying at home if they were not.

The human body has to retain a pretty tight pH between 7.35-7.45. Anything above or below that, or even at high or low normal, will make a person incredibly sick. Fortunately, the healthy body uses the lungs and kidneys to keep us in balance.

Mercola is suggesting overriding this on one of his wild theories about curing the flu. Oh, you'll get over the flu, all right. You'll be dead.

It's just sad that somebody has to die before these quacks get what's coming to them in the way of lawsuits.

[Celebration]

2. I read this

But did not see any statement from Mercola saying that baking soda cures H1N1

:shrug:

All I saw was a bunch of convoluted things about who Mercola quotes and doesn't quote, and associations that don't quite match. Honestly, the whole Orac blog was hard to follow. Don't you follow any other blogs besides Orac?

But if you can find a statement from Dr. Mercola recommending baking soda for H1N1, then that perhaps would be interesting.

If there isn't one, then I would suggest that this the title and the article is misleading.

[semillama]

4. The actual title of the Mercola post suggests that baking soda is a remedy for swine flu.

The article itself makes a number of insane claims, such as that sodium bicarbonate can cure certain cancers within 6 days just by injecting it into the body.

[Celebration]

5. well, as far as I can tell

He posed a hypothetical, based on Arm and Hammer claims back in the 1920s......

There was NO claim of cure there!

[HuckleB]

7. BS...

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/12/15/Baking-Soda-Used-to-Treat-Swine-Flu-85-Years-Ago.aspx

[Celebration]

8. back at you BS

This is the closest he comes to endorsing it--

"It’s worth noting that I have personally never tried this cold remedy, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it worked"

So that is a claim for a CURE? I don't think so. He thinks it *might* work as a cold remedy. He never says it is a cure for H1N1--

He only poses that as a question based on the old Arm and Hammer claims!!

[HuckleB]

9. Your disingenuousness is noted.

:eyes:

You don't write what he wrote, and then claim "I didn't directly endorse it."

Cut the crap.

[Celebration]

13. uh, he isn't making claims

It is Orac making claims that Mercola says it is a cure! But, there is NOTHING in Mercola's statement that says that baking soda is a cure for H1N1.

Orac needs to support his claims. But, uh, he can't, at least based on this article.

Why didn't Orac say something like "Mercola wouldn't be surprised if baking soda didn't work for colds" That would be accurate.

[HuckleB]

15. Oh brother.

You keep lying to yourself.

I'm done giving your BS any more of my time.

[Celebration]

21. please answer this

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=222x79131#79155

[HuckleB]

27. In other words, you want to change the "goal posts" to suit your pointless game.

That's intellectual dishonesty at its worst. That's all you've offered.

If you can't offer anything else, why do you bother at all?

[Celebration]

31. Look at the OP title

Yes, it is the blog title. It completely misrepresents what Mercola said. You know it! Why should I let this stand unchallenged? I just want everyone to know the truth....that Orac completely and totally misprepresented what Mercola said. Am I surprised? No. But it was totally off base. Over and over again I have asked you where Mercola said that H1N1 could be cured by baking soda , and you have NOTHING to say about that, but persist in attacking me for no reason other than I am for the TRUTH here.

Look, if he doesn't like this column, fine. But Orac should not be putting words in people's mouths. Again, though, it is Orac, and it doesn't surprise me.

[HuckleB]

32. Keep repeating yourself as much as you want.

The dishonesty you've shown on this topic has been made clear. There is no need for you to repeat it, unless you really enjoy doing so.

[Celebration]

34. hahahahaha

The dishonesty is in the complete misrepresentation of Mercola's words, and your inability to defend what Orac said other than attacking me.

[HuckleB]

36. Now that is truly hilarious!

:rofl:

Seriously, thanks for the laugh. I needed that!

[HysteryDiagnosis]

74. Didn't orac say that embalming fluid cures life? I thought he

said that but I may be misquoting him/her.

[wuvuj]

39. Hemp oil cures cancer...

http://www.naturalnews.com/027756_cancer_cure_Big_Pharma.html


NaturalNews) A small Canadian community's success with curing cancer naturally was recently crushed, forcing its provider into exile in Europe. Rick Thompson had discovered a cure for himself and then had shared it at no cost with others in the small rural town of Maccan, Nova Scotia.

Rick offered results without side effects, and the Maccan residents took advantage. The results were amazing with even cancer patients. There are always problems promoting alternative cures. But here was an additional obstacle. The cure was hemp oil with the illegal substance THC.

Rick`s Reasons

Rick Thompson experienced a head injury at work in 1997. Afterward he was afflicted with post concussion syndrome. He was put on pharmaceuticals, which created dysfunctional side effects. He heard about the medical benefits of marijuana. So Rick purchased a bag and began smoking daily.

Eventually, both the post concussion syndrome and the pharmaceutical drug fog vanished completely. Rick's doctor discouraged him from smoking. So Rick decided on growing his own hemp and extracting the oil with THC. He reduced a pound of plants by slow boiling in a solution to get a small tube of thick THC concentrated oil.

Soon after he began, Rick was diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma. After one of the three cancers was removed surgically, it came back. So he decided to try the THC laden hemp oil topically. Within days, all three skin cancers were completely healed. Rick deduced that THC hemp oil cured cancer, but smoking marijuana would not.

more...

[HuckleB]

6. I read a lot of blogs, journals, and science news sites.

I have also posted from a variety of sites.

Do you ever make any accusations that are accurate?

PS -- http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/12/15/Baking-Soda-Used-to-Treat-Swine-Flu-85-Years-Ago.aspx

[Celebration]

10. I read it

Please quote where he says it is a cure for H1N1.

[HuckleB]

11. Ah, yes.

"He didn't say X, therefore he's not endorsing it."

He just wrote a fairly lengthy blog piece about it, pushing it and other woo as something to try. But he "didn't endorse it."

Are you really that full of it?

[Celebration]

12. just like I thought

There is no statement saying it cures H1N1--just a mild statement saying that he wouldn't be surprised if it doesn't work for colds.

Honestly, Orac would be better to stick to what people say and not try to put words in their mouth. It discredits him.

[HuckleB]

14. Thank you for proving my point.

He doesn't want to be sued. But to publish that article is to say it.

You know it.

I know it.

And your dishonesty (intellectual and otherwise) is out of control.

[Celebration]

17. there is nothing in that article even CLOSE

to claiming a cure. You would be a lot more credible if you wouldn't put words in people's mouths.

[HuckleB]

19. There is no point to posting all of that nonsense, if he's not pushing it.

Try to stop lying to yourself.

[LeftishBrit]

24. He begins the article with 'Overlooked 150 Year Old Household Cleaner a Remedy for Swine Flu?'

which, if not strictly claiming a cure, is certainly recommending that the possibility be taken seriously.

But what worries me much more than this is the last part of the article:

'The Potent Healing Power of Baking Soda

Dr. Tullio Simonici and Mark Sircus, Ac, OMD both advocate using baking soda for even the most serious of diseases – cancer!

Unfortunately, despite all the evidence showing that baking soda indeed has enormous potential as an effective and non-toxic cancer treatment, conventional medicine is refusing to take notice, as baking soda will never be a huge profit center for any drug company.

Even worse, the industry tries to discredit or downright destroy those who dare bring inexpensive treatment options like baking soda to the forefront. Make no mistake about it, cancer treatment is big business, and for all the promises to find a cure, there seems to be an unwritten law somewhere stating it will only be studied and accepted if there’s big profits to be had.

Dr. Simoncini, who is an oncologist (cancer specialist), was ousted from the medical community when he refused to use conventional cancer treatment methods and elected instead to administer sodium bicarbonate.

This despite the fact that he’s been able to show that 99 percent of breast- and bladder cancer can heal in just six days, entirely without the use of surgery, chemo or radiation, using just a local infiltration device (such as a catheter) to deliver the sodium bicarbonate directly to the infected site in your breast tissue or bladder!...

You can watch actual before and after footage of the treatment working in Sodium bicarbonate happens to be one of our most useful medicines because bicarbonate physiology is fundamental to life and health.”

Many chemotherapy treatments actually include sodium bicarbonate to help protect the patient’s kidneys, heart and nervous system. It’s been said that administering chemotherapy without bicarbonate could possibly kill you on the spot.

Could it be that while mixing chemo poisons with baking soda, any improvements seen are the result of the baking soda, and not the toxic poisons? Dr. Sircus believes that may be the case.

“There are no studies separating the effects of bicarbonate from the toxic chemotherapy agents, nor will there ever be,” he says.

Final Thoughts

If you keep an open mind, you will quickly learn that there are numerous ways to support your body in healing that have nothing to do with toxic drugs, vaccines, or surgery, even when it comes to a serious condition like cancer.'

So he is basically recommending that people take baking soda for cancer, instead of following recommended treatments. This is incredibly dangerous. At least, though many people die from flu, the large majority recover with supportive treatment. With cancer, most people will die if it is not promptly and aggressively treated, with something a bit stronger than baking soda.

[Celebration]

16. please look at the title of the blog-- and the OP

Mercola: Baking Soda Cures H1N1!

He didn't even use the word "endorse"!! He said Mercola claims a cure, and it is obvious that he did NOT.

Of course, after the fact, you are trying to weaken Orac's claims by saying "endorse". Talk about disengenous, and changing the goalposts.

Even "endorse" is too strong for something that Mercola clearly says is worth a try. But endorse would be at least somewhat closer than saying he claimed a cure. Unfortunately, Orac DID say something that is clearly false. Mercola claims no cure.

[HuckleB]

18. You don't post what he did, and then say you're not endorsing it.

End of game.

[Celebration]

20. changing the goalposts

Claiming a cure vs. endorse vs. worth a try

Which is it?

1.Does Mercola claim a cure? yes/no

2.Does he endorse it? yes/no

3.Does he say it is worth a try? yes/ no

Answer

1. No

2. I don't think so, but arguably yes.

3. Yes.

Do you disagree? On which ones?

[HuckleB]

25. Yes, you have done just that.

But then you're only playing games. An actual discussion is not your intent.

[Celebration]

26. thanks for such

clear and concise answers to the three questions I posed.

:eyes:

[HuckleB]

28. Ah, you're still obsessed with your pointless game.

Pitiful.

:eyes: :eyes:

Oh, and funny.

:rofl:

[Celebration]

33. ......................

So it is a game now? If so, you lose. You still have not come up with one iota of evidence that Mercola says that Baking soda cures H1N1. Look, Orac is the original person who made the bad, bad mistake in claiming that. Why would you continue to support that? Actually, I am trying to find out if you do.

Did Mercola say that baking soda cured H1N1, (Orac's claim) OR NOT?

Why won't you answer?

[HuckleB]

35. You're asking?

It's your game.

:rofl:

[trotsky]

29. Mercola dances as closely as possible to claiming a cure.

Because he knows damn well he'll get his ass sued off if he outright made the claim. He's got some great legal advisers protecting him from all the wooish bullshit on his website, enabling him to keep milking money off the gullible and stupid.

[Celebration]

30. BS

He says nothing about a cure......you think you can read minds? I guess you are a psychic, huh?

[SemiCharmedQuark]

37. Fox News never actually SAYS Obama is Kenyan born Muslim, they just say "What if?"

That's the same game Mercola plays. It's patently obvious to anyone familiar with his writings.

No one with any credibility would post the work of a discredited doctor convicted of swindling and stripped of his license with anything other than contempt. They certainly wouldn't suggest it was "worth a try".

[trotsky]

38. EXACTLY. n/t

[Celebration]

43. a couple of things

It is quite possible to attack Mercola without misprepresenting what he said. He never used the word "cure" in the hypothetical question, for one thing. Your noting the Fox News analogy would only be relevent if he had asked "Does baking soda cure H1N1?".

I do think he has changed the title now, to simply note the Arm and Hammer claim from years back. But my internet isn't working that well now so I am not completely sure.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

57. You're right. Fox (and Mercola) actually prefer the "Some People Say" version.

[Celebration]

62. Actually

I find it REALLY interesting that Arm and Hammer was making these claims, way back then. It is historically very intriguing.

I mean, it could have ended up like Aspirin, I suppose. I am sure that there were companies making "unfounded" claims about Aspirin way back then.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

23. Mercola is an nutjob. Here he is endorsing a disgraced Doctor's view that cancer is a fungus.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/08/05/fungus-causing-cancer-a-novel-approach-to-the-most-common-form-of-death.aspx?source=nl

Quoting a doctor that was stripped of his license and convicted of swindling isn't a great way to preserve your credibility.

[prole_for_peace]

3. I overheard the accountant in the next office tell someone

that baking soda cures cancer and can help with prostate problems. He then made a phone call to someone asking them how much baking soda should he be ingesting each day.

This guy has a masters in accounting but still believes this kind of stuff.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

22. That's why this crap is dangerous.

Good people get sucked into the lies and decide to treat cancer or even AIDS with vitamins and baking soda and pay with their lives.

Dr. Tullio Simoncini had his license pulled for bullshit claims about cancer being a fungus. The paradox is that for some of these people being punished for bad medicine only makes them more powerful-like Obi Wan. They then get to say how they were persecuted for speaking truth to power or some such nonsense.

[wuvuj]

40. I followed an alkaline diet...

...that involved using baking soda in drinking water...among other diet modifications...and lost 50 lbs.

RIDICULE is easy...finding something that works and doesn't enrich Big Pharma...priceless.

* that's the problem with DU...as many dumb-butts as people who actually know something useful?

[uppityperson]

72. "that's the problem with DU...as many dumb-butts as people who actually know something useful"

For sure. And do you attribute your losing 50 lbs to drinking baking soda or to "other diet modifications" or something else?

[kerrywins]

41. Inaccurate Title - Nowhere Does He Say Baking Soda Cures H1N1

...

[HuckleB]

42. Any more disingenuous repeats to offer?

:eyes:

Sheesh.

[Celebration]

44. Correct!

Amazing how many people around here either can't read, or choose to obfuscate.

:eyes:

[HuckleB]

47. The only obfuscation is in your little pointless game playing.

:eyes:

[Celebration]

50. so, accurate attributions

are now a "game"?

Yeah, sure.

[HuckleB]

51. The attribution is accurate.

You are trying to pretend otherwise with childish word play.

[Celebration]

52. yet you cannot find "cure" in the article!!! LOL n/t

[HuckleB]

55. And you keep playing your childish game!

That post makes it VERY clear that you are just playing a juvenile, pointless, baseless game.

WOW!

[trotsky]

48. Do *YOU* think baking soda is a cure or even treatment for H1N1 infection? n/t

[Celebration]

49. LOL, it seems unlikely

But what do I know?

:shrug:

It is of no importance what I think. The important thing is that we don't misrepresent people's opinions.

[trotsky]

53. On the contrary, it's very important to a point I'd like to make.

So your answer - "it seems unlikely" - is that a NO?

[Celebration]

58. It would have to be proven to my satisfaction

I don't know everything. Do you?

[trotsky]

59. You aren't answering my question.

Hint: It has a yes or no answer.

[Celebration]

61. Hint:

I don't know everything and won't pretend that I do just to satisfy some anonymous person on the net.

[trotsky]

63. That is a red herring.

You don't have to know everything to indicate whether you *think* baking soda is a cure for H1N1.

So, is it yes or no?

Are you afraid to answer?

[Celebration]

64. Are you kidding?

Hint: Look at my first answer. It seems unlikely!! That is my feeling about it. I can't be any clearer than that.

[trotsky]

66. So your answer is no? n/t

[hedgehog]

45. What worries me most about Mercola is when he gets something

right! I would imagine if he endorses something, everyone else assumes it's quackery!

[HuckleB]

46. Science-based medicine doesn't assume.

If you pay attention to those who address Mercola's BS, you'll note that they look at the evidence or the lack thereof.

[Tumbulu]

54. I don't even know who Mercola is, but you need to correct the title,

it is a misrepresentation. You look foolish arguing on and on about it too.

[HuckleB]

56. How many monikers do you use?

You're not fooling anyone.

[Tumbulu]

60. What is that supposed to mean?

Pretty rude post. I have been posting here for a few years now. And I am not up on every nutcase who posts on the net.

I do think that the headline should describe the post, however. You could say something like "I think Mercola is implying that...." something like that would be more accurate.

But you just post rude comments to Celebration and now to me. So why?

[HuckleB]

65. If the truth is rude, so be it.

[Name removed]

68. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[trotsky]

69. The more important question is, why do YOU keep coming back?

Doesn't your mom have chores for you to do or something?

[Name removed]

70. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[trotsky]

71. What incarnation is this, the 30th?

Do you really think you're accomplishing anything by getting banned OVER and OVER and OVER and OVER and OVER again?
:rofl:

[cutecub00]

73. Is it true..

Actually its a right time to here the news about H1N1 ..But i don't know this is working or not..hope it may be helpful..i am not sure to agree this..lets see..we gone through homeopathic medicine as a precaution for flu.Can i have any scientific proof from you?I am just asking..whether its worked or not..anyways good information you have added here..keep it up and try to add some more about H1N1.http://doctorhermann.com/>acupuncture in tampa