From Abracadabra to Zombies

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reader comments: The Mineral Doctor

29 Apr 2007
I am just wondering how you explain the miraculous recovery and/or results so many of us have had because of Dr. Wallach's recommendations/advice. Too many to be classified as coincidental.

reply: There are two issues to explain here. First, there is the issue of customer satisfaction. Second, there is the issue of scientific evidence. The scientific evidence does not support the claim that mineral supplements, colloidal or not, can be beneficial to anyone unless they suffer from a mineral deficiency. Nor does the scientific evidence support the claim that colloidal minerals are more effective than solid mineral supplements.

If all those who give testimony to Dr. Wallach's recommendations have been ill due to a mineral deficiency, then there would be nothing to explain. The customers are satisfied because the cause of their illness was identified and they followed the recommended treatment.

On the other hand, it seems unlikely that more than a just few of Wallach's customers suffer mineral deficiencies. He sells his products in the industrialized world, where malnutrition is not a major problem. Bad nutrition would be the main cause of mineral deficiency worldwide, although there are specific situations where supplements of folic acid, iron, calcium, potassium, or other minerals are known to be called for. In the industrialized world, your medical doctor would know of these situations and would make appropriate recommendations. If you are malnourished in the industrialized world, my guess is that you don't attend health revival meetings or search the Internet for health gurus. My guess is that the kind of people who are attracted to Wallach are people who have a strong distrust of conventional medicine and Big Pharma, and who are more likely than not to think there is some sort of conspiracy that keeps the Wallachs of the world from their rightful place at the top of the list of benefactors to mankind.

In short, there's no good reason for thinking that the vast majority of people who follow Wallach's advice and buy his products are truly suffering from mineral deficiencies, especially the ones who claim that conventional medicine could do nothing for them. If they had a mineral deficiency, odds are that their doctor would have identified it. I grant that there could be some whose doctors misdiagnosed them and minerals are what they actually needed. I have no reason to believe that this number is very large, however.

There is a more reasonable explanation, but first you have to understand that there have been numerous scientific studies that have tried to find some great benefit to taking vitamin and mineral supplements. The studies haven't found compelling evidence that taking supplements has any general beneficial effect. Given that most of Wallach's success stories probably don't suffer from mineral deficiencies and that mineral supplements don't have a general beneficial effect, the more reasonable explanation for the so-called "miracles" is not coincidence, as you suggest, but rather a combination of the power of suggestion, the placebo effect, and the regressive fallacy. The success stories are helped by the fact that Wallach keeps no records and publishes no data on them and there is no follow-up. Those who feel like fools who have wasted their money on a charlatan do not usually post testimonials. The dead don't post testimonials, either. There are a few dissatisfied customers who have criticized Dr. Wallach. Some of them have even set up websites to post their criticisms. Lawyers have shut down some of them. Others, like Stuart Adams, have had to couch their criticisms in polite ways.

Perhaps if you would put that logical and critical thinking of yours to good use by putting some supplements where your mouth is, try them by scientifically testing the products that would be logical choices for any concerns you have, you might change your mind. If you do not have any health concerns, then why do you bash something that helps the rest of us? You have no knowledge here. Reminds me of a male doctor telling a woman what it feels like to birth! He can talk all he wants, but whether he really knows for sure will never be known!

reply: Testing of these products should not be the burden of the potential customer, but of the one marketing and selling them. My knowledge here consists of knowing that those who have done scientific testing of minerals on health have not found compelling evidence to support the kinds of curative claims made by Wallach. I don't need to jump out of an airplane without a parachute to know that the effects of such a procedure would be fatal in most cases. On the other hand, the assumption you make is faulty; if I did suffer from some ailment, took Wallach's minerals, and then found relief, it doesn't follow that I should change my mind about the effectiveness of his products. Just because one thing happens after another doesn't mean the first thing caused the second. People seek out the Wallachs of the world when they are in distress. Most people in distress will find that their distress fluctuates and that when it is at its worst, any change is likely to be for the better. If they use some intervention at their low point, as they improve they are likely to attribute the improvement to the intervention. They could be mistaken. A critical thinker knows that personal experience can be very convincing and that scientific testing is an effective way to avoid error and self-deception.

It is so easy to sit back and criticize, especially when one has a personal/business grudge against another. I can think of no other reason why you would waste so much of your precious time and energy on insulting this wonderful human being who has helped so many people! Maybe his books are selling more than yours? Just a guess.

reply: I'm not a competitor for Wallach's customers. The person you consider a wonderful human being seems like someone who says things that aren't supported by the evidence and who sells things that are not likely to work the way he says they will. I'm sure Peter Popoff and other faith healers seem like wonderful human beings to their customers, but to the objective observer they appear like scoundrels.

I have two sons. Both are critical and logical thinkers. One is quicker to judge than the other based on reasoning. The other takes his time and learns the FACTS and does his own TESTING before JUDGING! This younger son is the more successful in his judgement in my opinion. This is not to say my older son is always wrong, but he wastes a lot of time debating his perspective when he could put his time and efforts into more research before opening his mouth!

However, both boys know the value of Dr. Wallach's products, as they have watched most of the adults in my family recover from a number of ailments - ailments that the medical profession could not, or did not address to help us even though we gave them the 1st shot at it.

Please reconsider your opinion after you have actually tried the products responsibly yourself. God Speed and God Bless.

Sincerely,

Mary

reply: I'm glad to hear that your family members have recovered from whatever ailed them. You have put your faith in Wallach's products and believe they are what brought about the relief. This could be so, but your sons, being good critical and logical thinkers, should be able to explain to you why Wallach's products may have had nothing to do with the recoveries. They should also be able to explain to you why having one more satisfied customer would be irrelevant to the issue of whether these products are effective.

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9/7/2003
Dr. Carroll, I came to learn about Dr. Wallach after I had already cured myself--yes, cured myself, of a handful of conditions--some of them very ominous.

reply: I am curious. What conditions? You say you cured yourself. Did you also diagnose yourself? If not, who diagnosed you? A physician, naturopath, chiropractor?

I started on the road to healing at the age of 35, when I read about how the drug companies, the AMA, and the FDA conspire--intentionally and unintentionally--to keep us ignorant of the power of supplements.

reply: I am also curious as to where you read this and why you thought it was true.

At that time, I changed my diet, and began to take supplements.

reply: I'm also curious as to what changes in your diet you made. Did you stop eating or drinking particular things?

I cured myself through supplements, exclusively--without any pharmaceuticals.

reply: But you just told me you changed your diet. Is it possible that some of the changes in diet you made were important to your feeling better? Did you change anything else about your lifestyle? For example, did you quit smoking or start exercising?

When I head DDDL everything made sense because I had been hearing about every basic tenet Dr. Wallach holds for years. I just never head a voice as bold as his. And few, like him, were willing to be so frank. Around 1998, when Dr. Wallach came to Lakeland, I went to hear him in person.

reply: I understand. What he had to say fit with what you already had come to believe. We all tend to do this. It's called confirmation bias, but just because somebody says something that fits with what we believe does not mean that what he says is true.

Are the colloidal minerals working for me? I can't demonstrate that because my health was already very good when I started on Colloidal minerals.

reply: So, from your experience, there has been no noticeable change when you switched from solid supplements to the colloidal variety.

But, after all I have read, from many sources, absorbable minerals are critical for the health; therefore, I will continue to take them; and I will buy Dr. Wallach's minerals.

reply: There are other sources you should consider. We shouldn't be selective in our choice of sources. For example, the National Nutritional Foods Association (NNFA) says that "Colloidal minerals are basically clays dispersed in water. Such products differ greatly. Some contain aluminum or toxic minerals, others are high in sodium. Some do not contain detectable amounts of minerals listed on their labels. Finally, there is no evidence that colloidal minerals are more bioavailable than those found in other forms. [NNFA Today, 12/96]*

You might also read:

• Dr. Wallach exposed
• Colloidal Mineral Supplements: Unnecessary and Potentially Hazardous by James Pontolillo
• Quackwatch on "Dietary Supplements," Herbs, and Hormones

Why don't you attack the public's BLIND BELIEF in the forces that kept me ignorant so that, at the tender age of 30, my body began to degenerate? That is, the drug companies, the medical schools, the AMA, etc. Not brave enough, Dr. Carroll? Or maybe you are brainwashed by them yourself? (I understand; they have formidable tools of persuasion)

reply: I don't attack the public's blind belief in these forces, as you put it, because I think you are dead wrong. Supplements are not a major threat to the profits of drug companies. Medical schools may not be exclusively devoted to nutrition (nor should they be), but that subject is not ignored and I would be very surprised to find that physicians are not trained to identify mineral deficiencies in patients. The claim that the AMA is behind some conspiracy to keep people from taking supplements is simply without any merit. Where is the proof?

If it was not for the relatively few enlightened people that opened my eyes--I would probably be dead by now--or wishing I were.
Galya Campano

reply: Your belief in why you are well is not something I am likely to change. I hope you continue in good health for many years to come.

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30 Sep 2000
Wallach states that he did 17,500 autopsies, 3000 of which were on humans. He states at http://www.wellnesspublications.com/about.htm [dead link] that the autopsies were done between 1962 and 1967. That implies a rate of 2,500 to 4,300 autopsies per year or 8-12 autopsies per day, depending upon whether the period in question is from the beginning of 1962 through the end of 1967 (6 years) or from the end of 1962 through the beginning of 1967 (4 years).
David Feustel 

reply: Whatever he claims, it is probably a lie. He ought to call himself Dr. Pinocchio. 

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29 Aug 1998
Regarding your skepticism on Dr. Wallach, I was profoundly impressed with his tape "Dead Doctors Don't Lie."

reply: Good, but I must say I am not very impressed with the segue from my skepticism to your profound admiration for the Mineral Doctor.

So far, it has been the only source of material I've read from Dr. Wallach, but I have to say that when I read your Web Article regarding his claims, I noticed that there was very little on your part to support your skepticism.

reply: Are you trying to flatter me, or what?

There were 'numerous' references on his tape to studies that were done by both respected sources and organizations both private and governmental.

reply: Which study were you most impressed with? the Senate document (undated but probably 30 or 40 years old) or the AMA study done in 1939?

I have worked in the medical field for over 10 years and have seen these pitiful sick people taking grocery bags full of this medicine and that medicine, sometimes prescribed by a half dozen different doctors.

reply: Well, you certainly have the credentials to recognize a charlatan when you see one.

I can admit, unbiased, that the only way I would believe his claims 100% is if I lived to be over a hundred years, but at the same time, I see no reason to disprove him.

reply: Neither do I, but I have good reasons for doubting his claims that just about everyone dies from some sort of mineral deficiency and there are five cultures where people live over one hundred years on average.

Although, he says the only place in the U.S. to get these vitamins is in a pit in Utah, do you know of another U.S. location where someone has found a source?

reply: Someone with your experience in the medical field should know the difference between minerals and vitamins. Anyway, I see good reason to doubt that the only minerals that are any good are "colloidal" minerals. Furthermore, I have good reason to be skeptical that only colloidal minerals which come from a place that the good doctor has an economic interest in are going to do me any good. I don't doubt, by the way, that many people have very good reasons for taking vitamin and mineral supplements.

I know there are several in the world and Dr. Wallach states more than once in his tape that you can get these supplements at most health food stores. I also contend that Dr. Wallach doesn't state that all you have to do is drink the "magic elixir" and all will be well. He never states that exercise, good eating habits and non-smoking will not affect your longevity. He doesn't even imply that. He refers to the "supplement" as a "supplement." Remarking that it is to be added to your daily regimen and not the cure-all for everything that ails you.

reply: He never mentions that his audience ought to exercise, not smoke, and eat healthy foods. In fact, he implies that it is pointless to try to eat healthy foods because most of the minerals have been depleted from the soil. I guess he doesn't know anything about modern agriculture. As for calling a supplement a supplement, I assume he meant that a person still has to eat, but he seems clearly to imply that what you eat isn't all that important, as long as you are getting everything you need in your colloidal elixir.

We all have our own opinions and in mine, I believe that above all, "hope" is a very powerful tool. It makes you pay attention, feel good and have a positive outlook. Doctors tend to "be honest" with their patients and sometimes try not to give (false?) hopes. In fact, they try to not to give much hope at all. Some do though. Some give a great deal of hope. It helps promote better outcomes in the patient and those who are interested. I would be less likely to struggle through a bad illness if I thought there was no reason in trying.

reply: Hope is what Dr. Wallach and every other snake oil seller in the world is selling. It is a long way, however, from encouraging someone when they are facing a difficult obstacle, to defrauding and manipulating them with false hope.

I think Dr. Wallach deserves some credit. He was right on the money about many things. One of these was the study done with salt and HTN. People who took medicine for HTN and cut out the salt, had no clinically relevant change in blood pressure. Salt was not the thing that needed to be changed. Even today, doctors are suggesting people with HTN cut down on salt. Are doctors telling patients to stop taking homogenized dairy products and homogenized oils? Food products which are physically altered to the point where the microscopic particles are sharp and scar arteries? I bet not.

reply: I don't think he deserves much credit. You seem to think that if someone is right about one thing, we should trust him in all other things, even if the evidence is against him. I don't doubt that the medical establishment will be proved wrong about many things. However, no matter how many errors are made by medical doctors, the sum of those errors will never make a sufficient case to justify the Mineral Doctor's claims about colloidal minerals.

If you are really interested in salt, you might want to read Gary Taube's article, "The (Political) Science of Salt," in the August 14, 1998, issue of Science.

I believe that Dr. Wallach took a proactive role in health research. He left out medicine and other means and just concentrated on the mineral aspect. Of course, there wasn't enough room on the tape to cover "every" possible mention to health control and longevity -- he concentrated just on the mineral aspect. I believe he made his point. I believe he was credible and I believe that until someone can disprove him with more than conjecture and hearsay, I believe him and most people that see what he is trying to do, will believe him, too. In my humble opinion.

reply: Yes, he and every other quack and medical con man in the universe takes a proactive stance in health research, if by that you mean that they invent data at will to support their claims. I don't believe for a minute that the reason he focused only on minerals was because he was running out of tape. He spend a good deal of time ridiculing doctors, telling anecdotes about obituaries of medical doctors, etc. If he had anything else to say, he could have figured out a way to fit it on an hour-long tape.

The fact that you and others like you believe he is credible reflects your desire to believe him. He banks on your gullibility and desires. Literally.

Believe it or not, I am also an incredible skeptic.
Brian Olson

reply: You don't have to tell me. You are truly an incredible skeptic.

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16 Sep 1997
I found your OPINIONS to be very interesting on the subject of Dr. Wallach's tape and Colloidal minerals etc. But just as with Dr. Wallach's ideas, your rebuttal was nothing but opinion as well.

You're not implying that all opinions are equally reasonable, are you?

As for my reason to write you, I have been taking what you call the UNNECESSARY colloidal minerals for the last year. I am 32 years old and have, without fail, gotten a cold at least 3 times per year for the last 15 years of my life..sometimes 4. I am a teacher who works in enclosed rooms and buildings with hundreds of germ carrying kids 5 days a week. During the last year I have had no colds, flu, allergies, or any other health ailment that may be spread by a bug going around a school. You the eternal skeptic, may just call that a coincidence, I do not. And if you think that I may just be having a "Placebo effect" from the supplements I take, I say Who Cares? I'm not getting sick, I feel great and yes, even some of the premature gray hair on my head is going away.

Thanks for sharing the good news! I hope you haven't jinxed yourself by writing to me, the eternal skeptic. The last person who did so contracted yellow fever. Anyway, far be it from me to suggest you are having a placebo effect. You seem to be sure it is the colloidal minerals that is causing your change in health. Yet, you also suggest that you don't care if it is the minerals or not. Your cavalier attitude does not seem to me to be one I would want taught to my children. I would want my children to be curious as to whether it was the minerals that were making my hair change colors and making me feel so good. I'd want to encourage them to do a controlled study, to make sure it wasn't some other change I had made in lifestyle or diet, or that it wasn't a fluke, or that I wasn't self-deceived (if everyone else thinks your hair is as gray as ever, you need a reality check), etc. In short, I would care and I would want the teacher of my children to care. This will teach them the difference between unscientific/uncritical thinking and scientific/critical thinking. Or, perhaps you teach science from the Bible and do not wish to contaminate the minds of your young charges with such filth as science and critical thinking.

I don't know what kind of doctor you are, but even you must agree that you cannot receive the nutrition you need from just food alone. Have an open mind, and besides if you don't like what Dr. Wallach says....DON'T LISTEN (remember the 1st amendment)
Sincerely,
Paul C. Stensrud
Average Joe Teacher
Colloidal Mineral Taker

Well, I have to admit that I am not a real doctor like Dr. Wallach, the naturopath/veterinarian, but I do agree that you can't receive all the nutrition you need from food alone. That is why I firmly advocate at least one Sierra Nevada Pale Ale a day. It will help you deal with people who confuse the First Amendment with the attempt to stifle criticism.