King Charles
Dame Shirley Porter died on May 2. She passed away in Herzliya, Israel, where she had spent much of her time since the early 2000s. Dame Shirley had been the former leader of Westminster City Council and a dominant figure in 1980s UK municipal politics. Once hailed as the “Iron Lady of the town halls,” her career was ultimately defined by the “homes for votes” scandal, which led to her being labeled by the district auditor as the “most corrupt” politician of her era.
The daughter of Tesco founder Sir Jack Cohen, Porter used her wealth to influence both politics and public policy. Beyond the well-documented legal battles over her misuse of council powers – which eventually saw her pay a £12.3m settlement in 2004 – Porter was a prolific, if often controversial, philanthropist. Notably, she was the primary financial backer of the Smallwood Report (2005). Entitled The Role of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in the NHS, the report was commissioned by the then Prince of Wales and written by economist Christopher Smallwood. The study was heavily criticized by myself and several others for advocating that so-called alternative medicine (SCAM) to be funded by the UK taxpayer. The editor of The Lancet, dismissed the findings as “dangerous nonsense” and I suggested the report’s pro-SCAM conclusions were written befor anyone had even looked at the evidence.
Dame Shirely was also a trustee of the London Institute for Mathematical Sciences and as a co-founder of the Porter Foundation. Through these organizations, she funded major capital projects including the Porter School of Environmental Studies at Tel Aviv University and various galleries at the V&A and the National Portrait Gallery.
She is survived by her daughter, Linda.
Might this be a fitting task for AI?
Let’s see; I gave ‘Gemini’ the following task: “Give me a list of the 10 biggest charlatans in the field of alternative medicine + a short explanation why they are generally considered to be charlatans”
Here is the response:
The term “charlatan” is highly subjective and often used by critics to describe individuals who promote medical treatments that lack scientific evidence or conflict with established biology. While many practitioners in alternative medicine are viewed by their followers as pioneers, they are often labeled charlatans by the scientific community due to claims of “miracle cures,” the rejection of conventional data, or the sale of unproven products.
The following list includes ten figures who are frequently cited in skeptical and medical literature as major examples of this phenomenon:
1. Kevin Trudeau
Trudeau is perhaps the most famous modern example of a medical “hawker.” He authored Natural Cures “They” Don’t Want You to Know About, a book that alleged a massive conspiracy between the FDA and pharmaceutical companies to hide cures for cancer and other diseases.
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Why labeled a charlatan: He was repeatedly sued by the FTC for making false claims and was eventually sentenced to 10 years in prison for criminal contempt related to his deceptive infomercials.
2. “Dr. Sebi” (Alfredo Bowman)
Despite not being a medical doctor, Bowman gained a massive following by claiming he could cure AIDS, cancer, and diabetes through a strictly alkaline diet and herbal supplements.
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Why labeled a charlatan: He claimed that all disease is caused by “mucus” and that his “African Bio-Mineral Balance” could eliminate it—a claim with no basis in human physiology. He was successfully sued by the New York Attorney General for practicing medicine without a license.
3. Andrew Wakefield
A former physician, Wakefield is the primary source of the modern anti-vaccine movement. In 1998, he published a fraudulent study in The Lancet suggesting a link between the MMR vaccine and autism.
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Why labeled a charlatan: His study was found to be based on manipulated data and unethical treatment of children. He was subsequently stripped of his medical license, but he continues to profit from anti-vaccine activism.
4. Belle Gibson
An Australian wellness influencer, Gibson built a massive brand claiming she had cured her terminal brain cancer through diet, exercise, and alternative therapies.
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Why labeled a charlatan: It was eventually revealed that she never had cancer. She also admitted to withholding thousands of dollars in promised donations to various charities.
5. Joseph Mercola
Mercola is an osteopathic physician who runs one of the most profitable “alternative health” websites in the world. He has frequently promoted homeopathic remedies and criticized standard medical practices like vitamin K shots for newborns.
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Why labeled a charlatan: He has received multiple warning letters from the FDA for selling unapproved and misbranded products, such as “thermography” as a superior replacement for mammograms (which it is not).
6. Stanislaw Burzynski
A physician in Texas, Burzynski has spent decades selling “antineoplastons” as a cure for various cancers at his private clinic.
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Why labeled a charlatan: Despite over 40 years of operation, he has never produced a peer-reviewed, Phase III clinical trial proving his treatments work. Critics argue he exploits desperate patients, charging them hundreds of thousands of dollars for unproven therapy.
7. Robert O. Young
The author of The pH Miracle, Young popularized the idea that “acidosis” is the cause of all disease and that an “alkaline diet” can cure everything from obesity to Stage IV cancer.
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Why labeled a charlatan: In 2016, he was convicted of practicing medicine without a license. It was revealed that one of his “patients,” a woman with breast cancer, paid him thousands for intravenous baking soda treatments before she ultimately died.
8. Hulda Clark
Clark was a naturopath who claimed that all diseases (including cancer and HIV) were caused by parasites and could be cured by a device she invented called the “Zapper,” which used low-voltage electricity.
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Why labeled a charlatan: Her claims were entirely unscientific; she believed “electronic frequencies” could kill parasites instantly. She eventually died of multiple myeloma (a blood cancer), a disease her own device supposedly could have cured.
9. Matthias Rath
A German physician, Rath has aggressively promoted high-dose vitamin therapy as a cure for HIV/AIDS and heart disease.
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Why labeled a charlatan: He ran advertisements in South Africa discouraging people from using antiretroviral drugs, claiming vitamins were a safer alternative. This campaign is estimated to have led to thousands of unnecessary deaths.
10. Gwyneth Paltrow (Goop)
While Paltrow is an actress, her lifestyle brand Goop has become a central hub for “luxury” alternative medicine, selling items like “Jade Eggs” for vaginal health and “Body Vibes” stickers.
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Why labeled a charlatan: Goop has been forced to pay settlements for making unsubstantiated medical claims. Critics argue the brand uses “wellness” as a shield to sell pseudo-scientific products to wealthy, health-conscious consumers.
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I have to say, this list disappoints me: hardly any of the above individuals would have appeared on my personal list of the 10 biggest charlatans!
Will I disclose my personal list?
No, I don’t think so.
The ‘Smallwood Report‘, entitled “The Role of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in the NHS” was published in October 2005. It recommended greater integration of so-called alternative medicine (SCAM) into the UK’s National Health Service and to address “effectiveness gaps” in treating chronic and psychosocial conditions, claiming potential cost savings.
Its core recommendations were:
- NICE assessment: Urged Health Ministers to task the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) with a full review of the cost-effectiveness of therapies like acupuncture, chiropractic, osteopathy, herbal medicine, and homeopathy.
- Targeted applications: Suggested these SCAM options for lower back pain (manipulative therapies over conventional), asthma (homeopathy), common colds (echinacea), and other chronic issues where orthodox medicine falls short, potentially reducing absenteeism and NHS costs by hundreds of millions.
- Implementation steps: Promote GP referrals to SCAM, target deprived communities, prioritize research on cost-effectiveness/safety, address regulatory barriers, and use case studies showing reduced GP visits and secondary care savings.
At the time, I called its evidence “grossly misleading,” citing ignored Cochrane reviews showing no superiority for most of the claims. Many critics agreed with me, and the Lancet editor Richard Horton famoulsy called it “dangerous nonsense”.
As the recommendations were pure BS, it is comforting to note that – 20 years later – they have been largely ignored.
NICE assessments:
NICE has issued selective endorsements—e.g., acupuncture and manipulative therapies for low back pain—but stopped short of broad SCAM evaluations, often citing “insufficient evidence” or requiring further trials, directly countering the report’s call for comprehensive cost-effectiveness reviews. No large-scale NICE program emerged to validate the report’s claimed savings (hundreds of millions annually), and guidelines frequently dismiss or deprioritize unproven modalities like homeopathy.
NHS integration status:
- Limited GP referrals: Sporadic pilots exist (e.g., acupuncture in some pain clinics, osteopathy/chiropractic for musculoskeletal issues), often GP-led and adjunctive, but not systematic; social prescribing now favors mindfulness over traditional SCAM.
- Funding barriers: Most Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) classify SCAM as “low priority” absent robust evidence, funding only exceptional cases in palliative or pain management pathways; many services closed due to austerity post-2010.
- No deprived-community focus: The report’s equity push for high-need areas saw negligible uptake, with barriers like clinician resistance and regulatory hurdles persisting.
The report’s optimistic case studies (e.g., Glastonbury) proved anecdotal and unscaled, undermined by critiques highlighting flawed evidence (e.g., ignored Cochrane reviews). Today, NHS policy emphasizes evidence-based conventional care, with SCAM relegated to private or niche settings – realization sits at ~10-20% for endorsed therapies, 0% for broader vision.
In other words, ignoring the report has saved the NHS many millions. More importantly, it has prevented UK evidence-based healthcare from getting watered down by ineffective therapies.
Could that also have happened without my loud protests (e.g. here and here) at the time?
Nobody can know for sure?
But when I feel a little bit down, I tell myself that I had an important role in saving the UK millions!
The news was hard to miss: the (s)ex-prince Andrew was arrested and questioned for 11 hours! At the heart of this story is, of couse, Andrew’s friendship with Epstein. While the royal family and their PR-teams are frantically busy in ‘damage limitation’, it might be worth remembering that Epstein was by no means their only ill-judged friendship. In fact, the list of individuals who were once close to the royal family – people they might now prefer us to forget about – is uncomfortably long. Here is a (probably incomplete) list in alphabetical order.
Bishop Peter Ball
Peter Ball, once a popular Anglican bishop, was later convicted of sexually abusing 18 young men. The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) revealed that Charles maintained a friendly correspondence with Ball even after Ball accepted a police caution in 1993. Charles, the then-Prince of Wales, told a subsequent inquiry that he had been “deceived” into believing the allegations were minor “indiscretions.” However, critics point to letters in which Charles referred to Ball’s accuser as a “ghastly man.”
Bin Laden Family
In 2022, The Sunday Times revealed that Charles had accepted a £1 million donation for his charitable fund from Bakr and Shafiq bin Laden, half-brothers of Osama bin Laden. The meeting took place in 2013 at Clarence House. Although the bin Laden family had disowned Osama decades earlier, the optics of the heir to the throne accepting money associated with that name were widely criticized. Clarence House said that all due diligence had been carried out and that the funds were used entirely for charitable purposes.
Jeffrey Epstein
Ex-prince Andrew’s close friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein remains the most damaging of all the recent scandals for the monarchy. Introduced in 1999 by Ghislaine Maxwell, the two men stayed in contact even after Epstein’s 2008 conviction. Epstein used his royal ties to project an image of respectability, while Andrew relied on him for social and business connections in the US.
According to Andrew, the friendship ended after Epstein’s 2019 arrest. The fallout continues to be immense even afrer Epstein’s death. Andrew’s disastrous Newsnight interview that same year exposed both his arrogance and lack of empathy for victims. In 2022, he was stripped of his military affiliations and the use of his “HRH” style, effectively reduced to private life as Andrew, Duke of York. More recently, Andrew lost the rest of his privileges and is now even under investigation for passing trade secrets to Epstein.
Gary Goldsmith
Gary Goldsmith, the Princess of Wales’s maternal uncle, has often proved a public relations headache for both the Middleton and Windsor families. Convicted in 2017 for assaulting his wife, Goldsmith has repeatedly courted media attention about his royal connections. His appearance on Celebrity Big Brother in 2024, where he discussed his royal ties, was widely seen as indiscreet and damaging to the Palace’s preference for privacy.
Mahfouz Marei Mubarak bin Mahfouz
Saudi businessman Mahfouz bin Mahfouz was at the centre of the 2021 “cash-for-honours” controversy involving the then-Prince of Wales’s charitable foundation. Mahfouz donated more than £1.5 million to royal charities, including the restoration of Dumfries House. It was alleged that Charles’s aide Michael Fawcett offered to help secure a knighthood and British citizenship in return. The Metropolitan Police investigated but brought no charges; Fawcett resigned from his post as the foundation’s chief executive.
Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani (HBJ)
Between 2011 and 2015, Hamad bin Jassim, the former Prime Minister of Qatar, handed over €3 million in cash to the Prince of Wales’s Charitable Fund – reportedly in suitcases and Fortnum & Mason carrier bags. Though officials confirmed the money was immediately deposited and properly accounted for, the secretive nature of the exchanges sparked outrage and plenty of ridicule.
Tarek Obaid
Saudi businessman Tarek Obaid, co-founder of PetroSaudi, was implicated in the 1MDB corruption scandal, one of the largest financial fraud cases in history. Prince Andrew reportedly facilitated business introductions for Obaid while serving as the UK’s Special Representative for Trade and Investment (2001–2011). After details of the 1MDB scandal became public, Andrew’s involvement raised questions about the level of scrutiny applied to his overseas associations.
Jimmy Savile
Jimmy Savile’s connection with the Royal Family began in the late 1960s and expanded throughout the 1970s and 1980s. Far from being a casual acquaintance, Savile became a confidant and informal adviser to Charles who often consulted him on public relations, social issues, and even institutional management. Between 1986 and 1989, he reportedly shared draft speeches with Savile and sought his input on how to respond to crises. Savile was a frequent guest at royal residences and spent several Christmases at Sandringham. His 1990 knighthood, awarded for charitable fundraising, further entrenched his elite status. After his death in 2011, revelations about his serial sexual abuse of children led to intense public scrutiny of his royal access and prompted the Palace to overhaul its vetting process for celebrity advisers (see also my previous post on this subject).
Yang Tengbo (Chris Yang)
Yang Tengbo, also known as Chris Yang, was a businessman and director of the Hampton Group who played a key role in Prince Andrew’s “Pitch@Palace” enterprise initiative, particularly in China. He was treated as a close associate and attended Andrew’s 60th birthday celebration at Royal Lodge in 2020. In 2023, the Home Office barred Yang from entering the UK, citing evidence that he had engaged in “covert influence activity” on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party’s United Front Work Department. Prince Andrew’s office stated he had severed contact with Yang following official advice.
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Will the frantic ‘damage limitation’ operation of the ‘firm’ be enough to save the crown?
Watch this space.
Prince William’s Earthshot Prize claims to find, support and celebrate those who turn bold ideas into solutions for our planet. In early February 2026, Prince the Earthshot Prize charity was reported to the UK’s Charity Commission. This followed the release of millions of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein. The complaint centers on a “founding partner” of the charity and their alleged communications with Epstein. The controversy stems from the multiple and at times salacious inclusions of Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, DP World chairman, in the latest release of “Epstein files” from the U.S. Department of Justice.
- Financial Link: DP World is a “Global Alliance Founding Partner” of the Earthshot Prize and has reportedly donated at least £1 million to the charity
- The Emails: Documents suggest that in April 2009, while Jeffrey Epstein was serving a jail sentence in Florida, he emailed bin Sulayem with the message: “Where are you? are you ok, I loved the torture video.” Other files reportedly contain sexist jokes sent from bin Sulayem to Epstein.
- Royal Connection: Prince William has been photographed with bin Sulayem on several occasions, including during a high-profile tour of the UAE in 2022 to promote Earthshot finalists.
The complaint was formally lodged on February 11, 2026, by Graham Smith, CEO of the anti-monarchy group Republic. The primary arguments are:
- Due Diligence: The complaint questions whether Earthshot performed adequate background checks on its major donors and partners.
- Official Misuse: Critics argue that Prince William used government-funded overseas visits (specifically to the Middle East) to promote what is essentially his private charitable project, drawing parallels to previous criticisms of Andrew’s conduct as a trade envoy.
- Transparency: Republic is calling for a “full and comprehensive investigation” into what the charity—and Prince William personally—knew about the donor’s associations.
A Charity Commission spokesperson confirmed they are aware of the concerns regarding the sources of funding for Earthshot and are assessing the information to determine if a formal investigation is required. While the Palace has not commented specifically on the Earthshot funding, a spokesperson stated that the Prince and Princess of Wales are “deeply concerned” by the broader Epstein revelations and that their thoughts remain with the victims. The charity has thus far declined to provide a formal comment on the specific complaint.
This development occurs at a sensitive time for the Royal Family, as fresh allegations also suggest Andrew may have shared confidential government trade reports with Epstein during his time as a UK trade envoy.
The WHO says it is sifting the wheat from the chaff in order to save lives – but critics fear it is pandering to India and China; this TELEGRAPH article is worth reading in full; here I will merely quote a few passages from it.
Mongolian shamans beat wicker drums to summon ancestral spirits. A Peruvian man in a headdress unleashes a piercing ululation. And a man from Kentucky tells me the body can rid itself of cancer if you eat the right shrubs. It is a line-up one might expect at the healing field at Glastonbury but this is a conference centre in New Delhi and the event has been organised by the World Health Organization; the WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine. It’s the second gathering of its kind, following an inaugural meeting in Gujarat in 2023, and the three-day event has drawn hundreds of delegates from around the world. Alongside yoga instructors, aromatherapists, Chinese herbal practitioners and a small army of homeopaths, sit senior WHO officials, leading scientists and health ministers from across Africa, Asia and Latin America. Only Gwyneth Paltrow and her wellness website Goop is missing. They are here to “harness the potential” of traditional medicine, a catch-all term for practices that pre-date, and sit outside, modern evidence-based healthcare; therapies that for the most part have long been dismissed as quackery by mainstream science. What counts as “traditional medicine” ranges from drinking herbal teas to Indian Ayurveda, a holistic “wellness system” combining oils, herbs, homeopathy, yoga and meditation to “balance” and “heal” the body. To critics – and there are many – the scene is absurd.
So why is the WHO – a global authority on evidence-based health – giving a platform to this stuff? Has it fallen victim to the seductive power of TikTok-based wellness like so many of the west’s middle classes? Or has it – as some critics allege – been bought off by the traditional medicine super powers of India and China? …
The WHO says its Summit on Traditional Medicine is essentially about repeating this sifting process for traditional remedies used in other parts of the world. It aims to apply rigorous scientific analysis to all them in order to properly assess their claimed benefits and potential harms. By 2034, it says, it will publish a definitive list of which traditional treatments work – and which don’t. “Working on traditional medicine doesn’t mean we will use shortcuts or endorse things that are unproven,” Dr Sylvie Briand, the WHO’s Chief Scientist, told The Telegraph at the conference in New Delhi. The aim was first to document what traditional treatments existed around the world “and then see what could be more useful to address the disease of this century”.
One idea is that some traditional practices like yoga and meditation, while perhaps not offering direct curative benefits, could play an important role in preventative medicine. After all, so-called non-communicable diseases, often caused by lifestyle factors such as poor diet, chronic stress and a lack of exercise are now by far the biggest killers across the globe. “Many traditional systems of medicine take a holistic view and focus on strengthening the person as a whole, not just treating isolated symptoms,” Dr Sung Chol Kim, Unit Head for Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine at the WHO told The Telegraph in Delhi. But others are sceptical. They fear the WHO, which is struggling for funding in the wake of the US leaving the organisation and widespread aid cuts, is simply pandering to India and China where traditional medicine is big business. Even if well intentioned, they worry that the discovery process the WHO has set in motion will end up promoting and legitimising quackery. “I think highly of the WHO. However, by giving a platform to traditional medicine practitioners who promote treatments that are unproven – or even disproven – such as homeopathy, the organisation risks legitimising quackery. That, in my view, is both unethical and irresponsible,” said Dr Edzard Ernst, a British-German academic who specialises in the study of complementary and alternative medicine…
Even within the WHO, there is tension over what is being platformed at the summit. One senior official, speaking on condition of anonymity, described homeopathy … as “complete nonsense”. “There is not one shred of evidence anywhere, absolutely anywhere, that suggests it works,” the official said, while acknowledging pressure to engage rather than alienate powerful member states. Dr Ernst, the British-German academic, said: “Many experts are puzzled by this attitude. The most likely explanation is that the WHO is bowing to political will instead of science.” ….
Globally, an estimated 4.6 billion people already use some form of traditional medicine. In sub-Saharan Africa, millions rely on traditional healers as their first – and sometimes only – point of care. Its use can delay access to appropriate treatment, and some practices have been linked to the spread of disease. This week, 41 people were reported to have died after undergoing rituals to initiate them into manhood in South Africa, a central part of which involves unsafe and brutal circumcisions. Another example, common in places like Uganda, Benin, and Burkina Faso, includes small skin incisions into which herbs are rubbed – sometimes referred to as “vaccinations” – increasing the risk of HIV transmission through the reuse of razors and knives. Efforts to regulate practitioners are underway, but progress remains slow. Malawi’s Minister for Health and Sanitation, Madalitso Baloyi, said her government wants clear guidance from the WHO. “As a Ministry, we want to ensure [traditional remedies] are tested and quality checked,” she told The Telegraph. She added that, at the moment, traditional medicine is being done “behind closed doors”, and that the WHO process would help bring it into the open where it can be better monitored.
Yet the WHO seems undeterred. “Some traditional remedies will probably be found to be really active and really useful. Others will just be a placebo – for example, you feel better when you drink tea,” said Dr Reeder. The WHO argues that investing in traditional medicine could also help tackle the leading killers of the 21st century: non-communicable diseases such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and mental illness. Holistic approaches to wellness incorporating exercise, a more considered diet and stress reduction could complement conventional treatments, placing “an emphasis on prevention over cure,” said Dr Tedros…
In the UK, honours for so-called alternative medicine (SCAM) are relatively rare and unsurprisingly controversial. Recently, I reported that Robin Daly, has been awarded an MBE in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the field of integrative cancer care and his tireless work through ‘Yes to Life’.
Since the 2026 New Year’s honours list is just out, I thought it would be interesting to see who else has been given a ‘gong’.
There seems to be nobody in the current list – so, let’s see who in the realm of SCAM has been honoured previously. Here is what I found:
Christina Cunliffe received an OBE in the 2025 ‘King’s Birthday Honours List’ for her 25-year career in developing chiropractic education in the UK and internationally.
Richard Brown got an MBE in 2021 for services to disability and a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2025 for his global impact on the chiropractic profession.
The late George Lewith was given a CBE in 2017 for “Services to Health Research and Complementary Medicine.”
Michael Dixon was honoured twice (2015 and 2024) for his personal service to the Royal Family and his work with the College of Medicine promoting holistic care.
Peter Fisher received an CVO in 2018 for personal service to the Queen as her homeopathic physician.
Christopher Hedley received an MBE in 2015 for services to the profession of herbalists and herbal education.
Simon Fielding was awarded his OBE in the 1998 for his services to osteopathy.
As we see several of these people have also received another honour: they are in my ‘ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE HALL OF FAME’!
Coincidence?
Who knows?!
The above list is surprisingly short, and I am almost certain that it is woefully incomplete. Since it would be nice to have a more complete list, I ask my readers to name other SCAM professionals who have received a gong in the past.
As I am not an avid reader of the UK honours lists, I totally missed the fact that Robin Daly has been awarded an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) in the 2025 New Year Honours list. The honour was for his outstanding contributions to the field of integrative cancer care as the founder of the charity, “Yes to Life”. The “Yes to Life” website reported the event as follows:
We are thrilled to announce that our Chairman and Founder, Robin Daly, has been awarded an MBE in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the field of integrative cancer care and his tireless work through Yes to Life. This prestigious honour celebrates Robin’s unwavering dedication to supporting those affected by cancer and promoting holistic approaches to well-being. Congratulations, Robin, on this well-deserved accolade! …
On this blog, we have encountered “Yes to Life” before, e.g.:
- The ‘Yes to Life Show’ is outright dangerous, if you ask me
- Uncharitable charities? The example of ‘YES TO LIFE’
I had again a good look at what “Yes to Life” is currently offering and am glad to report that they clearly cleaned up their act. The charity used to promote outright dangerous quackery to desperate cancer patients. Today they still do this but they do it less overtly, e.g.:
- “Whether you’re seeking improved mental clarity, glowing skin, weight loss, detoxification, or support in battling diseases like cancer, juicing offers a customisable approach to achieving your wellness goals. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore how to adapt your juicing routine to address specific health needs, from overall well-being to targeted concerns like skin health, mental well-being, weight loss, detoxification, menopause, heart health and cancer support.”
- “From the moment of diagnosis through treatment and beyond, cancer patients face plenty of challenges that extend far beyond the physical symptoms. Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), also known as tapping, have emerged as a promising support offering a gentle yet profound approach to addressing emotional and psychological well-being. At its core, EFT is a modality that combines elements of ancient Chinese acupressure with modern psychology. The technique involves gently tapping on specific acupressure points on the body while focusing on and verbalizing emotional issues, negative thoughts, or physical symptoms. By stimulating these energy meridian points and addressing emotional blockages, EFT aims to restore balance to the body’s energy system and promote healing on a holistic level.”
- “Turmeric, often referred to as the “golden spice,” contains curcumin, a compound with powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Curcumin has been linked to enhanced immune function and may help the body defend against infections. You can incorporate turmeric into your diet by adding it to curries, soups, or even warm turmeric milk for a comforting and immune-boosting treat.”
- “Stress, anxiety, and emotional distress as well as physical pain and discomfort may be present along the entire cancer care pathway. These factors may impact treatment outcomes and recovery time. Most importantly, they present a significant burden of suffering to those affected by cancer and their loved ones. EFT is an effective, efficient management tool that can meet these needs and can be self- administered as well as used in a therapeutic relationship. The physical and emotional need for support can vary timewise along the cancer pathway and sometimes surprisingly patients can have significant mental and emotional needs as they recover, so well beyond their treatment phase (see the accompanying graph). Meeting these needs can contribute to long term well-being.”
- “The slightly strange sounding ‘Essiac’ tea is, in fact, simply a reversal of the surname of the woman who made it famous. In 1922, a young Canadian nurse, Rene Caisse, was given certain herbs by an old woman who had cured herself of breast cancer and had been handed down the recipe by the Ojibawa Native Americans who had used it for generations.”
Are we sure that the promotion of a whole lot of caner quackery merits a gong?
No!
Oddly, as I was writing this, I came across this on social media:
Ken Loach refused one of Betty’s gongs, in 1977, saying: ‘I turned down the OBE because its not a club you want to join when you look at the villains who’ve got it. It’s all the things I think are despicable: patronage, deferring to the monarchy and the name of the British Empire, which is a monument of exploitation and conquest’.
Perhaps we should add QUACKERY to Ken Loach’s list?
While still Prince of Wales, Charles was once asked if his campaigning for so-called alternative medicine (SCAM) would continue once he became king. His answer was unusually clear: “No, it won’t. I’m not that stupid.” Now that he has been king for three years, it seems reasonable to review his activities in SCAM during this period. Here is a brief summary:
- In 2023, Charles appointed Dr. Michael Dixon (yes, you may have met him several times before, e.g. here, here, or here) as the Head of the Royal Medical Household.
- Charles retained his role as Royal Patron of the Faculty of Homeopathy, an organisation dedicated to supporting registered health professionals who practice homeopathy.
- Charles and Camilla have continued their practice of visiting the Soukya International Holistic Health Centre in India, which employs treatments like Ayurveda, homeopathy, and yoga.
- In 2023, in THE TIMES reported that Charles has decided to use one particularly implausible form of SCAM, reflexology, for helping women who have difficulties getting pregnant.
- One of Charles’ charities had to return £110,000 to the Indian government in 2023. The funds had been earmarked for an NHS SCAM clinic championed by Charles. Yet, the clinic never materialised. The ‘Ayurvedic Centres of Excellence’ was to open in 2018 in London. Funding was to come from the Indian government and from private donors. At the time, Dr Michael Dixon commented enthusiastically: “This is going to be the first Ayurvedic centre of excellence in the UK. We will be providing, on the NHS, patients with yoga, with demonstrations and education on healthy eating, Ayurvedic diets, and massage including reflexology and Indian head massage. And all this will be subject to a research project led by Westminster University, to find out whether the English population will take to yoga and these sorts of treatments. Whether they will be helped by it and finally whether it will reduce the call on NHS resources leading to less GP consultations, hospital admissions and operations.”
- In 2024, Charles has personally honoured Dr Michael Dixon, head of the Royal Medical Household, by making him a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO).
While less outspoken on the topic of SCAM since his accession than he was as the Prince of Wales, these published activities (it seems safe to assume that thaere are many more the public does not learn about) clearly are a royal endorsement for SCAM. In other words, when Charles predicted “I’m not that stupid”, he may not have been entirely correct.
I recently asked ‘GOOGLE GEMINI’ about my problems with King Charles. The reply was concise, to the point and roughly correct:
Edzard Ernst’s “problem” with King Charles (then Prince Charles) stemmed from a fundamental disagreement over the promotion and integration of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) within mainstream healthcare, particularly the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK.
Here’s a breakdown of the key issues:
- King Charles’s Advocacy for CAM: King Charles has been a long-time, vocal proponent of various alternative therapies, including homeopathy, and has actively lobbied for their greater inclusion in the NHS. He established and supported organizations like The Prince’s Foundation for Integrated Health to promote these views.
- Ernst’s Evidence-Based Approach: Edzard Ernst, as the world’s first professor of complementary medicine, took a strictly evidence-based approach. His research consistently aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of CAM treatments through rigorous scientific methods (like systematic reviews and meta-analyses). He concluded that the vast majority of alternative therapies lacked scientific evidence of effectiveness beyond a placebo, and some were even potentially harmful.
- Clash over the Smallwood Report (2005): A major point of contention was a report commissioned by Prince Charles in 2005, written by economist Christopher Smallwood, which claimed CAM was cost-effective and should be available on the NHS. Ernst was initially involved in this report but withdrew his name and publicly denounced it as “complete misleading rubbish,” stating that the conclusions were written before the evidence was properly reviewed. He argued the report failed to address whether CAM treatments were actually effective.
- Lobbying and “Black Spider Letters”: Ernst criticized King Charles for “relentlessly meddling” in UK health politics and for using his influence to push for unproven treatments. This included Charles’s infamous “black spider letters” (so-called due to his distinctive handwriting) to government officials, lobbying for the inclusion of alternative therapies, such as homeopathy, in the NHS.
- “Duchy Originals” Products: Ernst also criticized products sold by Duchy Originals (a company founded by Prince Charles) that made unproven health claims, such as “Detox Tincture,” calling them “outright quackery” and “financially exploiting the vulnerable.”
- Impact on Ernst’s Career: The dispute had personal repercussions for Ernst. Prince Charles’s private secretary, Sir Michael Peat, filed a complaint with Exeter University, alleging that Ernst had breached confidentiality regarding the Smallwood report. Although Ernst was eventually “cleared of wrongdoing,” he stated that the ensuing 13-month university investigation was “very unpleasant” and led to the cessation of funding for his research unit, ultimately contributing to his early retirement. He felt that the university, despite clearing him, treated him as “persona non grata.”
In essence, the “problem” was a clash between the King’s personal conviction and advocacy for alternative medicine, and Ernst’s unwavering commitment to scientific rigor and evidence-based healthcare. Ernst believed that the King’s promotion of unproven therapies was irresponsible, potentially harmful to public health, and undermined scientific progress in medicine.
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