The intersection of live blood analysis, pH quackery, cancer cures, fraud and criminal convictions

I've just been reading one of Orac's recent blog posts on the fate of American naturopath Robert O Young (ROY), currently awaiting trial for more charges of fraud relating to medical quackery.

Bad news continues to accumulate for “pH Miracle Living” quack Robert O. Young (16 March 2016) Respectful Insolence blog

Orac mentioned he'd been aware of ROY for about nine years and I realise I've probably been aware of him for a few years less, but still a good long time. He first came to my attention while a science information officer at Diabetes UK as someone who was making claims to cure diabetes (and all sorts of other conditions) by advising people to follow his pH miracle diet plan. We got a few enquiries from people wondering if it was something they should try and, having never heard of it, I investigated. I couldn't quite believe that his stuff had been printed and advised anyone who asked to (a) get proper advice from a doctor or proper dietitan and (b) to save their money on Young's books and related supplements.

He is probably the main proponent of the idea that the acidity ('pH') of your blood is related to your health. That in itself is uncontroversial - your body regulates blood pH extremely tightly and you'd be spectacularly ill if it wasn't able to. But eating particular foods doesn't make any difference to your blood's pH, in the same way that eating sugar or drinking water (both contain oxygen) don't help you breathe any better.

Live blood analysis (LBA) / nutritional microscopy

I've pinched the text below from ROY's Wikipedia page and pruned out some of the links and references -

"Young bases some of his theories, research, and written works on the alternative medical approach of live blood analysis. Young teaches microscopy courses in which he trains people to perform live blood analysis as well as dry blood analysis. Young has stated that he teaches live blood analysis solely for research and educational purposes, and not for use in diagnosing medical conditions, which the San Diego Union-Tribune characterizes as "a legal distinction that some might find elusive in practice".

Live blood analysis is used by alternative medical practitioners, who claim it to be a valuable qualitative assessment of a person's state of health. Live blood analysis lacks scientific foundation, and has been described as a fraudulent means of convincing patients to buy dietary supplements and as a medically useless "money-making scheme". Live blood analysis has been described by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as an "unestablished laboratory test", or test that is not generally accepted in laboratory medicine."

He's apparently taught live blood analysis to a number of people who've since tried to practice it in the UK, hopefully with decreasing success.

Live blood analysis is utter nonsense but we've recently had some success with (a) convictions (particularly in the UK relating to the Cancer Act 1939) and (b) regulatory action from the Advertising Standards Authority and the Committee for Advertising Practice who produced a specific guidance document relating to the way it's advertised to consumers.

The best bit about that document is that it's not permitted for someone to advertise that live blood analysis or nutritional microscopy can DO anything, they can only mention that they offer it without saying what it's for (it's not for anything).

"...CAP is yet to see any evidence for the efficacy of live blood analysis as a diagnostic tool or treatment therapy and so without rigorous evidence to support it, it should be advertised on an availability-only platform."

This is a very good thing, but we've not wiped LBA from the UK, but one can dream.

---

Further reading (and listening)

1. The recent regulatory action 
Harley Street practitioner claimed he could cure cancer and HIV with lifestyle changes and herbs, court hears The Telegraph (11 December 2013)

'Cancer cure' alternative health practitioner appears in court Trading Standards Institute news (~December 2013)
• "Westminster Trading Standards has instigated legal proceedings against an alternative health practitioner who uses a room in London’s Harley Street, for making various claims contrary to the Cancer Act 1939. "

2. Audio clips on some of the ASA's adjudications
Blood tests BBC You and Yours (11 March 2013)
• The ASA upholds more complaints against a man offering ‘live’ blood tests.

Live Blood Tests BBC You and Yours (15 March 2012)
• "Why adverts for a test which lets you see your own 'live' blood cells on a computer screen have been criticised for failing to prove claims they have the potential to prevent illness or disease."

3. The ASA adjudications against claims made about live blood testing
• ASA (24 April 2013) ASA adjudication on Live Blood Test
• ASA (27 February 2013) ASA adjudication on Live Blood Test
• ASA (6 March 2013) ASA adjudication on Steps to Perfect Health
• ASA (16 January 2013) ASA adjudication on the Natural Health Clinic 
• ASA (2 November 2011) ASA adjudication on Fitalifestyle Ltd: Fitalifestyle Ltd
• ASA (19 October 2011) ASA adjudication on Optimum Health UK
• ASA (7 September 2011) ASA adjudication on MyCityDeal Ltd: MyCityDeal Ltd t/a GrouponUK
• ASA (1 June 2011) ASA adjudication on Fitalifestyle Ltd t/a seemycells.co.uk
• ASA (13 October 2010) ASA adjudication on Live Blood Test

4. ASA Non-compliant online advertisers offering live blood analysis
• ASA (12 March 2013) Live Blood Test - this person has since removed their misleading website claims and so has now been removed from the non-compliant list
• ASA (15 February 2013) The Natural Health Clinic - this person has since complied too
• ASA (26 June 2012) London Natural Therapies - this person has since complied too
• ASA (15 November 2011) Fitalifestyle (claims about blood-cleaning properties of chlorophyll) - this person has since complied too

5. Background reading on live blood analysis as a bogus test
• Edzard Ernst (2005) A new era of scientific discovery? The Guardian
• Mark Crislip (2009) Live Blood Analysis: The modern auguries Science Based Medicine blog 
• Wikipedia's article on Live blood analysis
• Thomas Patterson (2012) The Pseudoscience of Live Blood Cell Analysis Skeptical Inquirer
• Zachary Rubin (2009) Live Blood Analysis: New Diagnostic Method or Quackery? Case report and Review of the Literature UCLA Department of Medicine
• Posts tagged with Live Blood Analysis on Josephine Jones' blog 

ASA / CAP are taking positive action on live blood analysis advertising

by @jobrodie // http://brodiesnotes.blogspot.co.uk

CAP = Committee of Advertising Practice
ASA = Advertising Standards Authority - CAP develops the advertising code which the ASA upholds.

It's five and a half years since I first submitted a complaint about live blood analysis to the ASA. It took quite a few months for the adjudication to be completed but all points were upheld and, to the best of my knowledge, the leaflets were removed from circulation. Since then several complaints have been made by many other people and a few live blood practitioners are now on the ASA's non-compliant online advertisers list. Two live blood analysts have also been fined several thousand pounds and each has a criminal conviction after Trading Standards began legal proceedings against them under the Cancer Act 1939.

Let me be very clear. Live blood analysis is nonsense and utterly without merit. I'm sure commenters will come along and tell me their usual tropes about how I haven't tried it, how it worked for them, how it's helped umpteen thousand people etc.

Since nearly all live blood analysis experiences seem to involve some vague recommendations to eat more healthily I'm not that surprised that "it" has helped people. You might as well argue that this blog post has helped you - eat more vegetables, move about more - there you go ;)

My advice is free and so is the advice from an NHS dietitian or GP. Save your money, let's see an end to live blood analysts ripping people off and selling them unnecessary supplements while telling them that their blood is misbehaving. From looking at a lot of their material they haven't the faintest idea what they're talking about. Sadly they follow a programme of study that's wrong and confused from the outset - it doesn't matter how assiduously you read a book if the book is full of misinformation. I feel almost sorry for the people who've spent considerable sums getting trained and buying a microscope and learning the patter.

The Good Thinking Society has been actively monitoring live blood analysis websites, in particular those that have previously agreed to amend pages but where misleading claims may have kept back in. This week the CAP has written to a number of practitioners giving them a month to get their websites in order and, if not, a range of sanctions may be applied. The CAP sending a letter to an entire 'sector' of live blood analysts is relatively uncommon I think, they have previously done similar for homeopathy.

The worst potential sanction is obviously referral to Trading Standards, as they are able to begin criminal proceedings against a company, but it usually doesn't come to that. To be fair anyone can report to Trading Standards a company that's practising unfair trading, or breaking the Cancer Act, it doesn't have to be just the last step in an ASA investigation. I can't imagine that an ignored ASA recommendation or adjudication would look good should matters come to court.

Nearly all LBA advertising that I can think of breaks the regulations relating to medicinal claims, defined as "a claim that a product or its constituent(s) can be used with a view to making a medical diagnosis or can treat or prevent disease, including an injury, ailment or adverse condition, whether of body or mind, in human beings" and practitioners are not real healthcare practitioners: "Marketers who are not suitably qualified should not offer specific advice on, diagnosis of, or treatment for conditions for which medical supervision should be sought."

If we can't see an end to live blood analysis (no objection to anyone selling microscope photos of blood samples only to the unwarranted health claims) let's at least make it safer, where people aren't given misleading advertising or advice and then charged for it.


This is the letter that CAP / ASA have sent by email: Live blood letter for AOL (I think this means 'Advice Online') - 21 October 2015