@ Dr. Mercola

[AdmiralSizzla]

There are some issues I want to address and resolve with the nutritional advice he gives. For the most part I agree with what he says, such as avoiding processed soy products, hfcs, and certain pharmacueticals.

The following issues I have with what he says may be a misinterpretation, but in many of his articles I feel like he takes an extreme view on a certain food / vitamin / w/e.

1. Whey protein isolate is bad; he claims that the protein has poor nutrition value compared to whey concentrate and therefore should not be used. I think its used for a fast absorbing protein at specific times, get your nutrition from food.

2. Pasturized milk is garbage; he claims that raw milk is the way to go, which i agree with, but he claims that pasturized milk has degenerated (or whatever the word is) that does nothing for you and can actually harm you.

3. Fructose is bad for you; he claims that hfcs is terrible for you, which i agree with, but he uses hfcs and fructore interchangably, which would make it seem to me that fruit is bad for you as it contains fructose. Is fructose in fruit bad for you (i hope not)?

4. Whey protein has superior nutritional value to casein; he claims why does all this great stuff to help you lose weight and gain muscle, but last i checked casein has hormonal effects on your body that are beneficial for muscle growth (ie increased test production) where as whey causes insulin spikes similar to high gi carbs (good for fast and increased absorption pwo).

Please post your opinions/facts concerning these topics.
If you think im wrong about something please explain why, im not trying to force what i think is right onto anyone.
If you want I can go post those articles but I dont feel like it atm.
Sorry for the lack of scientific terminology.

[rich503]

Personally I think he is an idiot and I think it's a shame that he gets to place Doctor in front of his name. I think he markets himself and his ideas well.

[desslok]

He finds articles that help sell his overpriced versions of things you can get cheaper elsewhere.

[snorkelman]

http://www.quackwatch.com/11Ind/mercola.html

[genepool]

Personally I think he is an idiot and I think it's a shame that he gets to place Doctor in front of his name. I think he markets himself and his ideas well.

this... Under investigation by FDA had a C&D against his supplements by the FDA because he claimed they CURED diseases. I believe his license was suspended at some point. He flipped flopped on cholesterol from eggs a few times. Claims the Chlorine in the shower gets absorbed thru the skin (it doesnt) among a whole other host of BS he spews.

[AdmiralSizzla]

Ya i forgot about the cholesterol articles with eggs. I guess my view on him his changing, and im sure he was trying to sell his whey as you guys suggest.

However, I think he was correct in addressing the issue of the h1n1 vaccination and that one should avoid it. IMO he gives decent reasons to avoid alot of pharms.

Also, this is another instance in which I dont think he was trying to sell anything, he was talking about how microwaving food over a certain time destroys much of the foods nutritional value because as the water turns into steam it changes the chemical structure of certain compounds (somethin like that). This is correct no?

[nathan183]

Also, this is another instance in which I dont think he was trying to sell anything, he was talking about how microwaving food over a certain time destroys much of the foods nutritional value because as the water turns into steam it changes the chemical structure of certain compounds (somethin like that). This is correct no?

No, that's not correct.

Well, it is, microwaving does turn water to steam. So does boiling and any other cooking method that raises a food's temperature above 100 degrees C. So microwaving is no different than boiling, frying, etc.

[AdmiralSizzla]

No, that's not correct.

Well, it is, microwaving does turn water to steam. So does boiling and any other cooking method that raises a food's temperature above 100 degrees C. So microwaving is no different than boiling, frying, etc.

That is understandable, but why would he make these exaggerated claims (when hes not trying to sell something)... I dont know what he could be possibly trying to sell by claiming this unless he came up with a mercola microwave or somethin.

Just making sure steaming veggies, like broccoli, preserves more of the nutrients? This is not something I learned from mercola

[nathan183]

That is understandable, but why would he make these exaggerated claims (when hes not trying to sell something)... I dont know what he could be possibly trying to sell by claiming this unless he came up with a mercola microwave or somethin.

Just making sure steaming veggies, like broccoli, preserves more of the nutrients? This is not something I learned from mercola

You can't always explain people's actions with logic and reason. He's a quack.

Steaming would likely preserve more nutrients vs. boiling (where they could be lost into the water).

[WonderPug]

Personally I think he is an idiot and I think it's a shame that he gets to place Doctor in front of his name. I think he markets himself and his ideas well.

He did receive his D.O. at an accredited school (Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine), so he is entitled to the salutation. Heck, the school is even well ranked.

Just goes to show you that you can't judge the duck by his school.

[AdmiralSizzla]

Ok heres something else that i find to be bs:

"I would say that coconut oil is okay to cook with. It's a saturated fat. Your body will burn it as fuel or it will get rid of it some other way. It won't store it in your body.. So from that point of view, if you're going to use oil then that's a good one to use."

This is dr. mercola quoting a dr. moerk.

So your body cant store saturated fat?

Dr. mercola also states this: "Interestingly, unlike carbohydrates, which can also deliver quick energy to your body, coconut oil does this without producing an insulin spike. Yes, it acts like a carbohydrate, but without any of the debilitating insulin-related effects associated with long-term high carbohydrate consumption"

Donno if this is true, anyone know about this? (i would assume it wouldnt because to my understanding fats slow digestion... unless there is something special about coconut oil).

[rich503]

He did receive his D.O. at an accredited school (Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine), so he is entitled to the salutation. Heck, the school is even well ranked.

Just goes to show you that you can't judge the duck by his school.

I know he is a D.O...I mean that he routinely says so much garbage that I wish he was not a physician. Embarassment to the profession. Unfortunately people believe his BS since he is a doc.

[Los_Diablo]

He was on Dr. Oz's show on tuesday. Oz is cool ****, but Mercola is a quack.

[MikeK46]

Oz is cool ****

I wouldn't go that far...

[stancel]

He seems to be too sensationalist about certain things.

There are some issues I want to address and resolve with the nutritional advice he gives. For the most part I agree with what he says, such as avoiding processed soy products, hfcs, and certain pharmacueticals.

The following issues I have with what he says may be a misinterpretation, but in many of his articles I feel like he takes an extreme view on a certain food / vitamin / w/e.

1. Whey protein isolate is bad; he claims that the protein has poor nutrition value compared to whey concentrate and therefore should not be used. I think its used for a fast absorbing protein at specific times, get your nutrition from food.
protein is protein...

2. Pasturized milk is garbage; he claims that raw milk is the way to go, which i agree with, but he claims that pasturized milk has degenerated (or whatever the word is) that does nothing for you and can actually harm you.
pasteurization is just cooking. Why do some people maintain only that milk needs to be raw, but meat and eggs are fine when subject to heat? Seems they just hopped on a cause celebre to yap about.

3. Fructose is bad for you; he claims that hfcs is terrible for you, which i agree with, but he uses hfcs and fructore interchangably, which would make it seem to me that fruit is bad for you as it contains fructose. Is fructose in fruit bad for you (i hope not)?
Fructose is not bad for you unless you're guzzling HFCS soda all day long. Fructose in fruit is not bad for you at all.

4. Whey protein has superior nutritional value to casein; he claims why does all this great stuff to help you lose weight and gain muscle, but last i checked casein has hormonal effects on your body that are beneficial for muscle growth (ie increased test production) where as whey causes insulin spikes similar to high gi carbs (good for fast and increased absorption pwo).
It may be true, but then again protein is still protein.

Please post your opinions/facts concerning these topics.
If you think im wrong about something please explain why, im not trying to force what i think is right onto anyone.
If you want I can go post those articles but I dont feel like it atm.
Sorry for the lack of scientific terminology.

[stancel]

He was on Dr. Oz's show on tuesday. Oz is cool ****, but Mercola is a quack.

Dr. Oz promotes a low-fat vegan diet for weight loss.

[Los_Diablo]

^ Actually I've seen him promote many different types of diets. Despite what some think he is himself actually not a vegan.

But has he promoted a vegan diet for some, sure, what's your point though?

[Los_Diablo]

I wouldn't go that far...

I would.

Donates a GREAT deal of money and time to charity. Very likable (yes I've met him). Is that rare breed of doctor that really did become a doctor to help others.

Thought it was a really nice touch too last year when he was doing one of his ask doctor oz shows and one of the questioneers (is that even a word, lulz) was a fire fighter. Oz goes "You a firefighter" guy says "Yes sir". Oz goes "thank you for that".

Probably not a big deal to you but I have a lot of firefighters in my family and just little thing like that means a lot.

Firefighters are real heroes.

[alan aragon]

I haven't looked into Dr Oz' material at all. However, I found this link to Jamie Hale giving a piece of his mind about him:

http://www.randi.org/site/index.php/...ad-wizard.html

[synthetic]

Ok heres something else that i find to be bs:

"I would say that coconut oil is okay to cook with. It's a saturated fat. Your body will burn it as fuel or it will get rid of it some other way. It won't store it in your body.. So from that point of view, if you're going to use oil then that's a good one to use."

This is dr. mercola quoting a dr. moerk.

So your body cant store saturated fat?

Dr. mercola also states this: "Interestingly, unlike carbohydrates, which can also deliver quick energy to your body, coconut oil does this without producing an insulin spike. Yes, it acts like a carbohydrate, but without any of the debilitating insulin-related effects associated with long-term high carbohydrate consumption"

Donno if this is true, anyone know about this? (i would assume it wouldnt because to my understanding fats slow digestion... unless there is something special about coconut oil).

thats because the saturated fat of coconut oil, like butter... is a medium chain triglyceride

[alexl53]

The following issues I have with what he says may be a misinterpretation, but in many of his articles I feel like he takes an extreme view on a certain food / vitamin / w/e.

1. Whey protein isolate is bad; he claims that the protein has poor nutrition value compared to whey concentrate and therefore should not be used. I think its used for a fast absorbing protein at specific times, get your nutrition from food.

What Mercola claims about isolate is that the manufacturing processes some lower-quality companies use to produce whey isolate are inferior; inferior in such that it destroys/removes the micro-factions and bio-availability and all the other stuff that is attached to concentrate. Yes, on his site, he says that the body can't assimilate isolate protein. I don't know where he got that from or what exactly he means by assimilate, but he has a ton of other articles shouting praises for whey, so I just ignore that claim he makes about isolate.

2. Pasturized milk is garbage; he claims that raw milk is the way to go, which i agree with, but he claims that pasturized milk has degenerated (or whatever the word is) that does nothing for you and can actually harm you.

The heating in pasteurization, much like the heating in producing oils, whey protein, etc. destroys a lot of the nutritional value, turns fatty acids into trans fat, and so on. Heating the milk breaks down the nutritional factors like calcium and vitamin d in the milk, rendering them useless and not absorptive by the body. He's not bashing milk completely. He's just saying that raw milk is a better choice than pasteurized milk (and he isn't the only one that will argue that).

3. Fructose is bad for you; he claims that hfcs is terrible for you, which i agree with, but he uses hfcs and fructore interchangably, which would make it seem to me that fruit is bad for you as it contains fructose. Is fructose in fruit bad for you (i hope not)?

Another misinterpretation. If you've ever watched "Sugar: The Bitter Truth", you'll know isolated fructose or fructose in large quantities is bad for your health and your liver. It gets processed the same way alcohol does. HFCS is between 55% and 90% fructose. Because of the high concentrations of fructose in HFCS, you can assume it is bad as well. He's NOT saying fruit is bad. That is just ridiculous. A diet with a lot of fructose is bad, but fruit has (there's a theme developing here) nutrition co-factors that make it healthy and prevent the fructose from eliciting a harmful effect on the body; that's the pectic and fiber. That's also discussed in "Sugar: The Bitter Truth". Look it up on youtube! Great watch.

4. Whey protein has superior nutritional value to casein; he claims why does all this great stuff to help you lose weight and gain muscle, but last i checked casein has hormonal effects on your body that are beneficial for muscle growth (ie increased test production) where as whey causes insulin spikes similar to high gi carbs (good for fast and increased absorption pwo).

I've never seen or heard him talk about casein, but he promotes whey because it has about a billion positive effects on the body, from regulating insulin, promoting a healthy heart, muscle growth, etc. Mercola is all for natural products. Casein is definitely included in that category.

As for the whey insulin spikes, both casein and whey produce insulin spikes. Milk is for young animals/babies looking to grow. It's meant to promote storage and growth. While it does cause an insulin spike, this spike is very quick and does not last long. It's not like a spike from a bowl of pasta.

Please post your opinions/facts concerning these topics.
If you think im wrong about something please explain why, im not trying to force what i think is right onto anyone.
If you want I can go post those articles but I dont feel like it atm.
Sorry for the lack of scientific terminology.

Some of the things I have to say and share. Hope this is of benefit!

[alexl53]

thats because the saturated fat of coconut oil, like butter... is a medium chain triglyceride

This. MCTs have special properties.

[Neopragmatist]

Make outrageous claims = profit. That's how movie critic Armond White makes a living.

[alan aragon]

Some of the things I have to say and share. Hope this is of benefit!

I have handed Dr. Lustig his ass in debate. The Bitter Truth vid is a bunch of sensationalist noise, rife with inaccuracies. He's having people focus on a tree & miss the whole forest.

[ven33]

I would.

Donates a GREAT deal of money and time to charity. Very likable (yes I've met him). Is that rare breed of doctor that really did become a doctor to help others.

Thought it was a really nice touch too last year when he was doing one of his ask doctor oz shows and one of the questioneers (is that even a word, lulz) was a fire fighter. Oz goes "You a firefighter" guy says "Yes sir". Oz goes "thank you for that".

Probably not a big deal to you but I have a lot of firefighters in my family and just little thing like that means a lot.

Firefighters are real heroes.

So wait a second. You are saying he is cool simply because of the things he does.

I have personally heard Dr. Oz make some pretty retarded statements, such as avoiding all sugars.

If you want to say he is cool for the things he does that's one thing but the things he SAYS are a COMPLETELY different story.

[rich503]

So wait a second. You are saying he is cool simply because of the things he does.

I have personally heard Dr. Oz make some pretty retarded statements, such as avoiding all sugars.

If you want to say he is cool for the things he does that's one thing but the things he SAYS are a COMPLETELY different story.

For the general public, I think it is fine to advise avoiding all sugars. No one is going to follow the advice anyways but it may make them think a bit before shoving a candy bar down their pie holes. I can also tell you that the guy has forgotten more about medicine and physiology than you will learn in your entire lifetime. Picking out a few statements that are not in vogue with the stuff on a bodybuilding forum (it's all macros...anything else is broscience) is not a real assessment of his character or ability as a physician.

[Los_Diablo]

You a thousand and ten percent can think a person is cool for the things they do and not have to agree with everything they say. I think the guy is a cool egg whose heart is really in the right place.

[Los_Diablo]

Another reason for Dr. Oz being cool.

Believes in eating the whole egg and thinks your a **** for eating just the white.

Has come around a lot on having a cheat day. In other words unlike say Ornish for instance he's willing to admit he's not always right .

[AlternativeMed]

Rich,

Before speaking out of line, you should really do your research and gain more knowledge in Alternative medicine. Dr. Mercola is a reputable alternative Dr. If you believe more in conventional medicine, you are surely mistaken and a bit blind I'd must say. Again, do your research but be careful of your resources.

Cheers!

[jdrush]

Rich,

Before speaking out of line, you should really do your research and gain more knowledge in Alternative medicine. Dr. Mercola is a reputable alternative Dr. If you believe more in conventional medicine, you are surely mistaken and a bit blind I'd must say. Again, do your research but be careful of your resources.

Cheers!

4 year old thread dude.