Saturday, June 19, 2010

Nutrition & Healing & Dr. Jonathan V. Wright

We received a renewal notice (1 year or 2 year) for something that we do not subscribe to.  My Dad, as he entered dementia, would write a check for every renewal notice that came in the mail.  This is an extremely common practice, and is particularly troubling because the elderly do not want to be forgetful and not renew a subscription.

So what is in the envelope besides the "renewal" that saves us 50%?
  • "Urgent vitamin news!" because the "mainstream is still cheating you out of the best health possible"
  • Journal of Anti-Aging Research, a newletter that warns "Beware of America's Vitamin D Fraud". Send for a 6-month supply of Healthy Aging pills for only $309.70.
  • A "From the publisher letter entitled "You Could See Clearly Again" in bright orange, large font.  Send for a copy of the book The Read Without Glasses Method for only $39.95 plus shipping.
  • A flyer entitled "The little pink secret to the hottest sex of your life" (Ultra Turbo HG is only $12.95).
  • A flyer entitled "Scientists SOLVE the greatest joint challenge".  Send for 6 bottles of SynerFlex for only $219.70.  Gosh, there is also free shipping on this one.
So who is Jonathan Wright and how does he know more than the "mainstream"?
  • Check out one of Wright's problems with the FDA at http://www.quackwatch.org/04ConsumerEducation/Nonrecorg/aqa.html 
  • Check out QuackWatch's discussion of the American Quack Association: http://www.quackwatch.org/04ConsumerEducation/nonrecorg.html
  • One of the addresses used in the newsletters is P. O. Box 925, Frederick, MD 21705-9838, is the same address as The Douglass Report, another medical "advisory" that sells newsletters, books, and cures.
  • Another of the addresses used in the newsletters is P. O. Box 970, Frederick, MD 21705-9838, which is also the address for a "nutritional" company, NorthStar Nutritionals.  [Check out complaints about North Star Nutritional, at  http://www.ripoffreport.com/alternative-health/north-star-nutrition/north-star-nutritional-tainted-d46dc.htm] .
  • Still another P.O. Box used is P. O. Box 969, Frederick, MD 21705-9900.
  • Jonathan Wright seems to have significant support from others in the Alternative Medicine field.
This "us against them" approach to healthcare is worrisome.  I do believe that there are some natural remedies that can help someone (e.g., when I put a paste made of Adolf's Meat Tenderizer on a insect bite, this seems to help quite a bit), but the drama in these newsletters is a bit much.  There is no proof, with well-developed science, that supports some of what this company promotes. Also, no where are the ingredients of the promoted pills provided.  Even if the "remedy" is potentially helpful, drug interactions with other "nutritional" medicine or someone's prescriptions can be troublesome.  


Can it hurt anyone?  Absolutely.  These are often unproven, definitely unregulated "remedies".  There is nothing wrong with harmless nutrients, and there is nothing wrong with some good old folk remedies, but there is something wrong about taking some of the ingredients in these "cures".  

I once sat down with my Dad's "stash" of "nutitional products" and found he was taking a dangerous level of Bilberry, and that this may interact with a prescription that he was taking at the time. There was Bilberry in two of his "nutritional supplements", and this is dangerous along with the blood thinner the doctor prescribed.  Dad never thought that there could be any interaction between "natural" remedies and his prescriptions, and I suspect that he is not alone in this misconception.


The use of the "renewal" when no subscription exists, pushing specific pills from specific companies, and dramatic language should at least make you more cautious.

30 comments:

  1. If someone like Dr Wright has such wonderful news for sufferers why does he not disseminate the information for free

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    1. That is exactly my question.... He should be over joyed just to get the word out. That is why I never order anything. You notice that they will give you just a little bit of the information, but just enough to wet your appetite for more knowledge. Have a GREAT DAY....

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  2. thanks for the info

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  3. Thank you for this web site! The Quack Watch site you directed us to made me sad we have to be such skeptics, but thank goodness we've a resource like that (in addition to yours) to wake us up. Dr. Wright has, indeed, been playing the game for a long time. He'd probably do very well as an attorney.

    Dr. Douglass, of the Frederick, MD address, is also sending emails regarding North Star's product Synerflex for joint relief, which "sounds" just fantastic. I wrote Dr. Douglass asking if he recommended this product, in lieu of glucosamine and chondroitin, as the Synerflex advertising ALLUDES to. An "out of office reply" came back with "Unfortunately, you have reached an email address that is not in use." Howzat again?

    I've still not found much support for this product, since it does not present itself with scientific documentation or clinical data, as others point out online. Seeing that it is a North Star product, however, and following your link to the RipOff Report has been helpful to my research. I have found a couple of posts in-favor of North Star products, ones written in such a way as to making me think the author has a private agenda that warrants further scrutiny. As such, those posts are not too helpful to me insofar as researching this joint relief miracle.

    Just a note on Adolf's meat tenderizer; it has no MSG, and MSG by itself is the very thing that is a FABULOUS cure -- I mean CURE -- for jellyfish, wasp, bee, fire ant bites, and more. A cheap big bag of it (which you'll probably never use up) can be found in Asian foodmarkets or buy a bottle in almost any food store.

    When sprinkled on dampend skin at a bite/sting site, it actually neutralizes the acid, as if you've never been bitten/stung. I've seen sobbing adults with jellyfish stings, literally, in less than 30 seconds, suddenly start a new conversation, as if completely unaware they'd been sobbing a moment ago, as if the bite/sting never occurred. And it IS gone, blisters disappear; zero further effects.

    A little boy with a bee sting on his back in 15 seconds or so quit sobbing and bolted off to play as if nothing ever happened, even though a shocked adult was sitting there still holding the ice cube that she'd treated the sting with. He didn't even say bye.

    Cutting shrubs I didn't see many, many fire ants drop onto both my arms. My skin usually takes two weeks to fully heal from a fire ant bite. As the stinging began, I brushed them off, went inside, wet my arms, sprinkled MSG, and seconds later, voila. GONE. No noticeable evidence of a sting or bite is left at all (save a bite's puncture, if you can see it).

    Don't leave the MSG on the skin; just brush or wash it off (or it'll fall of when dry). You don't need it anymore; the job's done.

    Thanks for the good job keeping us vigilent to potential reactions between natural and pharaceuticals, especially for our aging population, who may not very clearly see fine print through bifocals, or through the rah-rah for that matter.

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  4. Pushed big time by Newsmax.

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  5. So, what happened to quackwatch.com/org? Why is it not up?

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  6. You make is sound as if Dr. Wright is intentionally targeting old folks with senility. In logic classes, this considered lame.

    Granted, Dr. Wright does engage is what I call "hyper-marketing," but this is everywhere--in practically all industries. We can't and shouldn't shut down the entire free market just because people get old and need to examine their decisions more closely.

    As for "us versus them" (natural remedies versus the always trustworthy FDA), I do NOT ... repeat NOT ... trust the FDA. Just because the FDA does not approve something doesn't mean it's not effective. It usually means that someone in Big Pharma is saying "don't! --- we are making big money with our drug for that!"

    My two close doctor friends quietly inform me that it's impossible to keep up with all the new findings ... most doctors essentially parrot what the pharmaceutical sales reps tell them. So let's think: Who is educating our doctors? Pharmaceutical Sales Reps.

    Oh, goody.

    I do not have a subscription to anything Dr. Wright publishes ... in fact, the reason I landed on your post is because I just heard of him this morning, and I'm scoping out his reputation. All that I see so far is that he's guilty of practicing hyper-marketing. But hey ... since all the big money won't report on the natural remedies that are available, then I'm all for getting the word out. Yes, we must be vigilant (as I am, investigating before acting), but in no case should we resort to be Big Pharma and FDA lemmings.

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  7. WoW, I just went to his site and saw that he was doing amazing things...yet, I always research further to see if they are a hoax, and low and behold, I see this...no wonder he hasn't sent his free newsletter...

    glad I saw this...everyone wants to help yet, they all want money...there is never anyone that gives free wholesome advice...and their supposed to be already well off..

    As for myself...I would rather help someone on an honest basis than to gain from it.

    thanks again.

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  8. Good points. I too lament the over-the-top sales pitches and lack of simple free information which is all I want. How rich is this guy?
    Posted by: An open-minded Canadian, but no pushover.

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  9. Maybe your Dad is the problem. Why not want take responsibility for your actions.

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  10. H.C. from Puget Sound.
    Eight months ago I paid something like $47 for subscription to Dr. Wright's "Nutrition & Healing" Newletter. Month after month I receive an 8 page newsletter (4 pieces of paper printed both sides). The newsletter seems legit. However, stuffed in every envelope is another 28 freaking pages (14 pieces both sides) of SPECIAL REPORTS: "Revealed!" "Beware!" "The best s*x of your life!", etc. Of course, each segment has a high priced supplement it is selling. I have written asking them to cancel. They said they would, but it's been over a month and I just got another envelope. Had I known this was what I was getting I wouldn't have paid $12/yr, let alone $47!

    Alongside the same timeframe as my subscription I began receiving newsletters from a Bill Douglass (one of the author's of the 'special reports' included with Wright's newsletter). This newsletter, too, was nothing but advertisements for supplemental products at extreme prices. I finally got them to quit sending that.

    Buyer beware--your $47/yr for a health newletter in reality supports him pelting you with unwanted advertisements.

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  11. I bought his Healthy Antiaging supplement and got drymouth and constipation, two things I never have issues with so I stopped taking it. I was going to return it, but chose to just block his emails and let it go. Just received a second bottle on the "convenient autoship" plan. Funny - I made it a point to make sure I didnt get autoship.

    I have bought a couple of their reports to validate their research as I work in alternative health.

    These people are truly the used car salespeople of the internet.

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  12. i just got an email from this group, that appears to offer miracle cures for whatever ails you. i decided to check this out further and landed on this sight....so glad that i did not fall victim, being part of the senior population. if it sounds too good to be true, than it probably is.

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  13. Thanks for the info use I was in the process of ordering from this quack!!! I feel something should be done to stop him from targeting the elderly who feel they would benefit from his so called cures.

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  14. Too bad for your dad that you think some broken down, crazed or dead old coot at Quackwatch knows more about nutrition or geriatrics than Wright.

    Really.

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  15. Thank you for some very useful and informative info on this guy. It sounds like he is chasing the almighty buck and doesn't care who he steals from.

    Snake oil salesmen abound, albeit disguised as Harvard and U of M grads.

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  16. As with anything, please, please read up on a topic as much as you can. God bless our doctors but they are truely only making educated guesses at times and you know your body better than anyone. Do your own leg work, don't be lazy and let them just tell you what to do without checking in to it your self. We have more knowledge at our fingertips than we ever have before in the history of man so it would be foolish to take the word of just one person. Nothing wrong with questioning things. It shows your intelligent.

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  17. I'm glad I found these messages...all informative. I got an email from a political group that is suddenly hyping Dr. Wright's miracle cure - Mustard and Sugar Extract. Cures everything!! Amazing.

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  18. As I weigh all of this (thank you), the motive to auto-invoice "renewals" with or without an original subscription in place AND with a dead cancellation address, is far more telling than the credibility of the alternative medicince remedies. My long-time allegiance to alternative medicine remains strong but never where the integrity of the marketing is weak and suspect. I genuinely doubt the sincerity of the motive(s) here.

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  19. Newsmax...and all the other names above...have had experience with them all. They are all trying to get MONEY. Hello. What business isn't? This site probably has been closed off because of the negative comments and that is free market economy response. We all have to remain vigilant about scams and TELL each other on websites. Take it viral, I say

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  20. I received his info from OFF THE GRID....Glad I found your site for more info. I was especially suspect where was the study reports JUST HIS PAID SPOKESWOMAN on the sales pitch. Ugh I know so many people that would fall for this...it makes me MAD. He even has a ytube "interview.. thanks for your work to inform the public

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  21. My Mom had run into the same thing -- and it's not as easy to get out of it as it is to get in.

    AND they won't take returns for products that are harmful. My mom got an "arthritis soothing" liquid, that you only need two drops. Well, I tried the 2 drops on some sore back muscles and it burned. I don't know if they list in the advertisements that it's base is cayenne pepper, something my mom would have been very sensitive to, and hurt by it.

    Taking advantage of the elderly, because they are confused or in pain in just wrong!

    It also doesn't surprise me that Newsmax is a big source of advertising.

    Many of these types of places, publications or groups are linked in some way. To find out that they are NorthStar also, is interesting.

    Thank you for your original posting. I appreciate most of the other posters also.

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  22. Thank you for putting this together.

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  23. Remember this old saying? If it sounds too good to be true it probably isn't. How about buyer beware. If this guys products could do the things he claims he would be on all the television talk shows promoting his "cures". I'm afraid he another creep trying to make money over others misfortunes.

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  24. This was a very informative article for me, especially in revealing the kind of marketing that appears in the mailings - where the content of the pills is not disclosed at all. That tells me all I need to know. I got to Dr. Wright's sales pitch thru NewsMax and have found that everything I ever followed through the NewsMax emails has been totally Bogus, so I do a lot of online research before following through with any purchases coming from that source. Thanks !

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  25. How can I cancel these news letter from being mailed to me ???

    I have tried several times by email and to no avail .

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  26. I am only commenting on the "Quack Watch" website. I would strongly suggest
    that before talking what is said on their site as the truth, one should do a
    quick background check on "Quack Watch" itself, through a brief Google (or other
    searcher) of their opinions on various topics and check out cases against some of
    their stances ... it's not all very wholesome apparently. Head's UP!

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  27. If it sounds to good to be true, in my experience, it always is.
    y.L

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  28. Some time ago I received an unsolicited 16 page long A4 sized report at my PO box address promoting Jonathan Wright's products. I have a pressing question: Has anyone investigated his educational credentials? He does not impress me as a fully trained medical doctor. I have done minimal research on his practice but so far the picture emerges that he misrepresents his methods and grossly distorts, falsifies or just plainly omits clinical proofs (peer-reviewed published supporting clinical evidence and research) for his many claims.

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  29. Make sure to read the "Auto Renewal" before ordering this newsletter. Not sure I ever even had a subscription to this but while in the hospital, it "renewed" using a credit card that I NEVER use and I NEVER, NEVER do an automatic renewal. Also, not happy with the newsletter, as it seems like veiled advertising for items they use in their clinic. Not to mention trying to get a hold of them using phone #given for them on bank statement. A recording answers & no matter which dept you choose, they just keep you on hold for a very long time & never answer. Phone # is 888-240-6317

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