Dr. Oz Fights Back!

Here is a podcast of yesterday's show. Again he reiterates that he doesn't financially gain from spreading the word about alternative medicine. But for me that is not the issue. Just one example, the government's official recommended daily allowance (RDA) for vitamin D is 600 IU for those 1-70 years of age and pregnant or breastfeeding women, and 800 IU for those over 71 years of age.

But many here on this forum who have checked our blood levels of vitamin D have found that the official RDA is barely sufficient for preventing rickets. Many of us take as much as 10 times the official RDA to realize the benefits of vitamin D for UC, Crohn's, heart health, arthritis, cancer prevention, depression, etc., and even that large daily amount is still well below blood levels that can lead to an overdose.

And still most doctors don't have a clue. But because of the efforts of Dr. Oz millions of Americans are now routinely asking their doctors to check their blood levels of vitamin D. IMO the health benefits for so many people are enormous.

In this podcast Dr. Oz doesn't believe that the letter against him was about weight loss supplements. It has been over a year since that show. (BTW in another thread I explained that there really are research studies confirming that green coffee extract is a proven supplement for weight loss. And I found a thread where someone in HW shared that it was also an effective aid for UC).

No, this letter came shortly after Dr. Oz told his millions of viewers that the consumer has the right to know that GMO foods are labeled. And he informed millions of Americans that IARC, the cancer research arm of the World Health Organization, has declared glyphosate a probable carcinogen. Apparently this was unacceptable to these doctors (who Dr. Oz says are affiliated with the GMO industry), because as we speak lobbyists are now trying to get congress to pass federal legislation that would ban all labeling of GMO foods.

www.doctoroz.com/episode/dr-oz-fights-back-his-exclusive-reaction-his-critics
My exploration of alternative medicine has never been intended to take the place of conventional medicine, but rather as additive. Critics often imply that any exploration of alternative methods means abandoning conventional approaches. It does not.

Post Edited (IamCurious) : 4/24/2015 5:12:18 AM (GMT-6)

It takes BIG money and a behind the scenes campaign to create something like the anti-Oz publicity. Usually has to do with money being lost by a big corporation or loss of power to keep making that money.

Is it the GMO peeps? Maybe.
Is he a bad doctor? No worse than many without TV shows, probably better.
If people get their "news" from TV (or the internet) without fact-checking with a reputable source (NIH, etc) they cannot blame anyone but themselves.

Dr Oz doesn't need support. His multi-million dollar empire, backed by Oprah Winfrey and Sony, has a team of hundreds to protect itself.
He will only profit from the recent controversy.

Every episode of his show features another 'magic, wondrous' new pill.
The truth is that diet and exercise are the most important aspects of healthcare, not the latest 'magic, wonder pill' (this is the sort of terminology he uses). That is why Dr Oz is a menace.

Even a broken clock gets the time right once a day. Of all the hundreds of marginal products he promotes, some turn out to be ok (like vitamin D.)

Perhaps it doesn't matter if someone has little integrity, acting only as highly paid mouthpiece, as long as they can be used, to support a worthy cause?

Take a look at his stand on GMO's only a couple of years ago:
http://naturalsociety.com/dr-oz-monsanto-eat-gmo-foods-same-as-non-gmo-organic/

“In the article, Dr. Oz states that those who buy organic are both ‘snooty’ and ‘elitists’. Furthermore, he goes on to state that GMO conventional foods are the food of the ‘people’.”

Quite a flip flop. I guess people can just ignore these things if it suits their views, but many can not.

DMC2011: If he did a show on IBD, I'm afraid if I watched that show, it would CAUSE me to run to the bathroom....LOL!!

there is a reason that words like quack and shill were coined. of all doctors, perhaps surgeons are the least scientist-like. most doctors are practitioners, and trained in science findings, but most are not researchers or scientists. surgeon might occasionally research a new device, a laser instead of a knife, a splint instead of balloon .... etc - but most are not scientists. they are skilled at cutting people.

the Oz show is entertainment 1st, and may or may not mention something that has some clinical support, and may mention something that has failed to be supported in clinical studies. the point is ratings and not science - I am very skeptical that the true concern is for the public health.

the very reason Columbia is taking no action is because they view this "entertainment" as outside speech unrelated to his job as a medical professional. so just like a chemical engineer can get on TV and talk about race relations - or false flag operations, a heart surgeon can get on TV and talk about nutrition and metabolism.

It is unfortunate that viewers mistake this "entertainment" as scientific dissemination of information.

Why everyone is throwing Dr. Oz under the bus? What do you think majority of other doctors are doing? They are no saints, including the ones who wrote the letter. Just look at healthcare as an industry. There are so many ways, patient health can be improved, but esp. in the US, is it even taken into consideration? Public health is a joke in the US. Pharma industry along with so called medical association drafts such guidelines that the patient remains in remission but rarely gets cured so that they keep making money off their ailments. For e.g. Common sense tells you that Vit D, Ca, Mg and Vit K combo along with some other minerals can really help you with Osteoporosis, should there be no other underlying condition, but biphosphonates are preferred over this, and this is just a micro tip of the iceberg. I can go on and on, but I hope you get where I am going from this.

While I am no fan of Dr. Oz, others don't get any credit for calling out on him. All are same. Probably, he hit hard where it hurts a lot for these docs and hence the revenge.. Thats it.

All these conspiracy theories. It really makes people who believe them loose all credibility. Until youve worked in the industry, been a part of the research or had ANY scientific training, you really have NO IDEA what you are talking about and how absolutely ridiculous you sound to those who have...

Ambling said...
Even a broken clock gets the time right once a day. Of all the hundreds of marginal products he promotes, some turn out to be ok (like vitamin D.)

In the article, Dr. Oz states that those who buy organic are both ‘snooty’ and ‘elitists’. Furthermore, he goes on to state that GMO conventional foods are the food of the ‘people’.
Quite a flip flop. I guess people can just ignore these things if it suits their views, but many can not.

What is wrong with changing your mind? I shudder to think of some of my opinions from a few years back. I am sure that your thoughts on various subjects have evolved over the years too. In Earth School 101 it's called learning. “The man who never alters his opinion is like standing water, and breeds reptiles of the mind.” ~William Blake

Dr. Oz is more than a broken clock. Lately turmeric/curcumin has been a hot topic here on HealingWell. Well Dr. Oz promoted the health benefits of curcumin way back in 2011. Look it up.

Or the benefits of fish oil. I told my PCP that fish oil drastically lowered my triglycerides and he just rolled his eyes. I find that it really helps with my UC and sore joints. Dr. Oz has been recommending omega-3s since 2010.

Probiotics: Dr. Oz on Sept 6, 2012:
"Probiotics are essential to basic human nutrition. Probiotics are live microorganisms (in most cases, bacteria) that are similar to the beneficial microorganisms naturally found in the human gut. These “good bacteria” are used to prevent and alleviate many different conditions, but particularly those that affect the gastrointestinal tract."

Now our forum is lucky to have members like Old Mike who can find these tidbits of health information so we can check for ourselves if they are helpful in our individual cases. And apparently the rest of the country can watch Dr. Oz to learn about alternative options that they most likely will never hear from their doctors.

You called Dr. Oz a “menace”. Suebear said that he is “a shill and an embarrassment to the AMA “. And DbwithUC said that he is a “quack”. I hope you don't mind if I respectfully disagree with all of you. I hope Dr. Oz can muster enough grass roots support to kill the bill pending in congress that will ban all labeling of GMO foods. He has my signature on his petition.

Post Edited (IamCurious) : 4/24/2015 6:01:37 PM (GMT-6)

You seem to be ignoring/missing the point, IAC....

This is a self promoting, mass marketed, hyped up TV show, not an educational program!

Oz is not some local doctor making a few peculiar pronouncements. He's the face of a giant machine that has been created to generate sales, and ratings – with a huge audience of fans.

If you think Oz talking about probiotics in 2012 (a decade after their use became popular) was informative, then I feel sorry for you being so behind the times. And that goes for fish oil too.

The show is designed as a trend follower, not a trend leader.
That is the strategy behind the show, to pick up on trends. Surely no-one could be gullible enough to think the giant flip flop on GMO's is about evolving ideas !?


Let's look at the green coffee bean extract that Oz called “a magical weight loss pill for every body type.”
The active ingredient is believed to be Chlorogenic Acid. This acid interferes with carbohydrate digestion in the intestines. In other words, it reduces carbohydrate absorption.
But what other effects does it have? Is it safe for pregnant women, children, diabetics, or people with other health conditions? Does it interfere with absorption of other substances?

That is why Oz is a menace. He calls these things “magic” and “wondrous”, and touts their virtues in order to hype up the product and make his TV show more popular. But there is none of the due care to which genuine, responsible people must adhere. And, he uses his status as a surgeon in an attempt to lend credibility to the performance (he is sometimes seen wearing his surgeon's outfit - 'menace' is therefore a kind description.)

That is just one example amongst thousands. Every show a newly hyped product appears – marketed irresponsibly by the Oz machine in order to promote his show, and the sponsors.
It is not designed to be a benevolent, educational machine.

Remember, the end does not justify the means - and yes we will have to respectfully disagree here.

Chronic Disease Causes Low Vitamin D

Eating the Western diet causes serious common chronic diseases. In an effort to heal, the body responds with repair processes that include inflammation. One of the responses to this inflammation is the lowering of the serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D in the blood. Thus, low vitamin D in the blood is a result of being ill, not the cause of sickness. This is the main reason studies using vitamin D supplements have consistently shown no benefits to patients with common chronic diseases. The metabolic imbalances created by administrating this unnatural substance may actually be responsible for the increase in falls, fractures, and other damage. (Vitamin D is a hormone synthesized with the help of sunlight; it is not intended for oral intake or injection.)

See latest studies here https://www.drmcdougall.com/2015/03/31/vitamin-d-supplements-are-harmful-sunshine-and-food-determine-health/

Ambling said...
If you think Oz talking about probiotics in 2012 (a decade after their use became popular) was informative, then I feel sorry for you being so behind the times. And that goes for fish oil too.

I have been taking fish oil or flax seed oil for over 25 years. And probiotics for over 15 years. This is not new to me. But how many people receive health information from their doctors? Look at the newbies in our forum and how uninformed most are about vitamin D, fish oil, curcumin, probiotics etc. Just one example, that Dr. Oz encouraged millions to request that their doctors check their blood levels of vitamin D is an enormous benefit to their health.

After Dr. Oz's recent show on GMOs and glyphosate of course those doctors, who were affiliated with the GMO industry, were sufficiently scared enough that they had to write that letter to Columbia University. Our country might finally demand that we actually have our food labeled and in large part we can thank Dr. Oz.

Did you read zengirl's post?

Zengirl's post is from drmcdougall.com. Dr. McDougall believes that everybody should eat a vegan low-fat high-starch diet comprised of potatoes, rice, beans etc. and avoid meat, dairy and even olive oil. Maybe he is right, I dunno, but for me at this time I don't pay any attention to it.

But as I said earlier everyone has the option to change their minds if given new information.

Both Dr. Phil and Dr. Oz sold out to Dr. Nielsen a long time ago and that's who they pledge their hypocratic oath to. Some of the things they say are good and some are just plain old BS but the bottom line is that money is their one and only driving force.