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Joseph
M.
Mercola
(born 1954)
is
a web entrepreneur and
alternative medicine guru
who markets a variety
of
controversial dietary supplements
and medical
devices as part of his diet-
and
lifestyle
-
based approach to health
. Mercola,
an
osteopathic physician, also
operates the
"Dr. Mercola Natural Health Center"
(formerly
the "
Optimal Wellness Center")
in
Schaumburg
,
Illinois
.
He wrote
the
best
-
selling books
The
No-Grain Diet (with Alison Rose Levy)
and The Great Bird Flu Hoax.
Mercola criticizes many aspects of standard medical practice
,
such as vaccination
and the
use of prescription drugs
and
surgery
to
treat diseases
.
He is
a
member
of the
politically conservative Association
of
American Physicians
and
Surgeons as well as several alternative
medicine
organizations
. The medical watchdog site Quackwatch has criticized Mercola for making "unsubstantiated claims and clash with those of leading medical and public health organizations [and making] many unsubstantiated recommendations for dietary supplements." [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Mercola wiki]
+
Dr.
Joseph Mercola is
an
alternative medicine guru
, New York Times best selling author, and founder
of
the natural health website Mercola.com. Dr. Mercola's provocative work elicits controversy
and
debate from the
medical and
non
-
medical community alike.
+
+
Dr
. Mercola
completed his family practice residency at Chicago Osteopathic Hospital 1985.<ref>[http://www.mercola.com/forms/background.htm Mercola]
,
accessed October 6, 2014</ref> After acquiring his Illinois state
osteopathic physician
's license
,
Mercola practiced conventional medicine during his initial years, a time during which he
also
worked as a paid speaker for a drug company.<ref>[http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/February-2012/Dr-Joseph-Mercola-Visionary-or-Quack/], Bryan Smith.
"Dr. Mercola
: visionairy or quack?" Chicago Magazine. January 31, 2012</ref> During his first decade as a physician, however, Dr. Mercola's shifted his practices towards natural medicine, founded The
Natural Health Center
and eventually launched his website Mercola.com in 1997.<ref>[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mercola/], Huffington Post, accessed October 6, 2014</ref>
+
+
Through his website and work, Dr. Mercola aims to transform the
"
fatally flawed health care system in
the
United States
"
and empower people to put health
in
their own hands.<ref>[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mercola/]
,
Huffington Post, accessed October 6, 2014</ref> Mercola
.
com is currently
the
world's most visited natural health website, attracting 14 million visitors each month.<ref>[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr
-
mercola/], Huffington Post, accessed October 6, 2014</ref> With 951,277 likes, Dr. Joseph Mercola's Facebook page attracts more traffic than that of WebMd.
+
+
Dr. Joseph M. Mercola has appeared on
The
Today Show, CNN, ABC's World News Tonight, The Dr. Oz Show, The Doctors, CBS, NBC
and
ABC local news shows, Time Magazine, Forbes Magazine, and dozens of nationally broadcast radio shows. Dr. Mercola is also the author of two New York Times Bestsellers,
The Great Bird Flu Hoax
and The No-Grain Diet
.
He has authored over 30 publications on topics ranging from HIV and AIDS to aspartame
,
omega-3's
and
calcium. He is also a conributor to Huffington Post. <ref>[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mercola/], Huffington Post, accessed October 6, 2014</ref>
+
+
Dr. Mercola's work, however, does not come without controversy. In March 2011,
the
[[U.S. Food
and
Drug Administration]] issued a third warning
to
Dr
.
Mercola to stop making "unfounded claims." The warning specifically demanded that Mercola "cease touting
a
thermographic screening he offers - which uses a special camera to capture digital images
of
skin temperatures - as a better and safer breast cancer diagnostic tool than mammograms." Mercola described
the
FDA's claims as "without merit."<ref>[http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/February-2012/Dr-Joseph-Mercola-Visionary-or-Quack/], Bryan Smith. "Dr. Mercola: visionairy or quack?" Chicago Magazine. January 31, 2012</ref> The website www.sciencebasedmedicine.org has accused Mercola
of
"tabloid journalism, late-night infomercials,
and
amateur pre-scientific
medicine.
"<ref>[http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/9-reasons-to-completely-ignore-joseph-mercola-and-natural-news/], Joseph Albietz. "9 reasons to completely ignore Joseph Mercola." Science-Based Medicine. October 16, 2009</ref>
The medical watchdog site Quackwatch has criticized Mercola for making "unsubstantiated claims and clash with those of leading medical and public health organizations [and making] many unsubstantiated recommendations for dietary supplements." [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Mercola wiki]
Mercola.com is a member of the [[Health Liberty]] coalition.
Mercola.com is a member of the [[Health Liberty]] coalition.