“We want our money back!” On the Dangers of Selling Supplements

by Bob McCauley, CNC, MH

I don’t sell supplements.  I don’t think they are necessary to live a healthy lifestyle.  I sell wholefoods such as chlorella and spirulina.  However, first, let’s define what a supplement actually is.  I consider a supplement a nutrient that has been isolated from a whole food, such as Vitamin C from rosehips, or synthesized meaning that it has been chemically recreated.  Synthetically created nutrients should be avoided at all costs in my opinion.

When you consume a wholefood such as chlorella you are consuming something that comes directly from nature and has not be “tampered” with.  Supplements are a whole other story.  For instance, when you have low iron your doctor will recommend an iron supplement.  However, the problem with that is iron supplements are not in the correct form therefore it builds up and becomes toxic, especially to the liver.  Supplements sometimes have side effects because they don’t come directly from nature.

The danger when you sell supplements is that you become answerable to things that happen when supplements don’t work.  This is what happened to Dr. J. Mercola when he spoke this last weekend at the Health Freedom Expo in Schaumberg. IL, June 11, 2011.  Mercola has written a lot about Vitamin D (which is really a hormone) and he asked how many in the audience took a Vitamin D supplement.  I was amazed to see 80% of the audience raise their hands.  Mercola said “No, no, no.  Don’t, do not, take a Vitamin D supplement.  It’s wrong.” The audience members rebelled and yelled back at Mercola who was sadly shaking his head.  Someone shouted: “We want our money back!”  Mercola ignored the comment completely and went on with his talk.  Everyone heard the comment which drew several laughs from the audience.  And this is the problem when you sell supplements such as Mercola does. He sells lots of them.  I don’t know if he ever sold oral Vitamin D supplements, but ignoring the comment the way he did made him look like he had once promoted Vitamin D oral supplements.  It was a long, very long, very awkward moment.

If Dr. Mercola did not sell supplements at all he wouldn’t have people yelling to have their money refunded from the audience.  I don’t often have people yell at me from the audience when I do talks, but if anyone wants to argue with raw wholefoods they can take it up with the producer: God.

 

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Dr. Bob’s Blog is not intended as medical advice. The writings and statements on this website have not reviewed and/or approved by the FDA. Our products are not meant to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Rather they are meant to demonstrate that aging can be slowed and even reversed and that Great Health achieved when the most fundamental nutritional needs of the human body are met. Always consult a medical doctor or other medical professional when you consider it necessary.
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About Bob McCauley

Bob McCauley, ND (Robert F., Jr.) was raised in Lansing, Michigan and attended Michigan State University (BA, 1980 in Journalism). He is a naturopathic doctor, Master Herbalist and a Certified Nutritional Consultant. He has traveled extensively, both domestically and abroad, visiting over 32 countries. He published Confessions of a Body Builder: Rejuvenating the Body with Spirulina, Chlorella, Raw Foods and Ionized Water (2000), Achieving Great Health (2005), The Miraculous Properties of Ionized Water, (2006) which is the only book on the market that exclusively addresses Ionized Water, Twelve (Fiction, 2007) and Honoring the Temple of God (2008). He considers himself a Naturalist, meaning he pursues health in the most natural way possible. He studies and promotes nature as the only way to true health. From 2002-2004 he hosted the radio program Achieving Great Health, which was heard by thousands of people each day. His guests included some of the most well-known and respected names in the natural health world. With the help of his father, Dr. Robert F. McCauley, Sr. (Doctorate in Environmental Engineering, MIT, 1953) they started Spartan Water Company in 1992, which sold vended water machines in supermarkets. Robert Jr. founded Spartan Enterprises, Inc. in 1993. He is a Certified Water Technician with the State of Michigan. He is also a Type II Public Water Supply Specialist and has the certifications of S-5 and D-5. The McCauley family has a long history in the water industry. Bob's father pioneered environmental issues regarding ground water and drinking water quality. He received his Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1953 for his thesis on removing radioactive strontium from water. He earned his doctorate in Environmental Engineering in less than 2 years, one of the shortest doctoral studies in the history of MIT. He taught civil, sanitary and environmental engineering at Michigan State University for 18 years before retiring to run Wolverine Engineers & Surveyors of Mason, Michigan, for 17 years. His reputation throughout Michigan as a water quality expert was legendary. Bob worked for his father's company for 12 years learning the water business, which dealt primarily with municipalities, including water quality and sanitary sewer issues. After apprenticing with his father, Bob moved on to the bottled water business. He established greater Michigan's biggest selling bottled water: Michigan Mineral – Premium Natural Water. He was introduced to Ionized Water in 1995 and has done more to promote Ionized Water than anyone else in the industry. Bob often lectures and offers seminars on his Seven Component Natural Health Protocol . Bob is a Certified Nutritional Consultant and a Certified Master Herbalist. He is also a 3rd Degree Black Belt and Certified Instructor of Songahm Taekwondo (American Taekwondo Association).
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2 Responses to “We want our money back!” On the Dangers of Selling Supplements

  1. Marissa says:

    We all know what Mercola’s game is … he sells stuff. He sells a full spectrum Vitamin D full body lamp for $1400 … that’s more than he can make selling Vitamin D supplements. He is inconsistent, and more people need to catch him in his mind-change game …

  2. Pat Robinson says:

    Ummm… don’t you sell these products? http://watershed.net/Watershed-Products/

    Pat

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