"miracle" products — are they worth the money?

“MIRACLE” PRODUCTS –ARE THEY WORTH THE MONEY?byBob SchultheisNatural Resource Engineering Specialist

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EVER HEAR OF SNAKE OIL SALESMEN?

Snake oil and other quack products were real and such products are still with us today

2Hepatic douche or hydrotherapy

1902Snake oil linimentMid- to late-1800s

Presenter

Presentation Notes

Many people do not believe that snake oil really existed but it did along with thousands of other quack medical products. There really were snake oil salesmen, too. The images above present some of the products promoted from the mid- to late 1800s. People are still purchasing products today that make about as much sense as some of these remedies. As stupid as it may sound today, people once paid good money to be sprayed by water through a variety of hoses with different nozzle shapes and sizes for supposedly health benefits. A Dr. Kellogg popularized this treatment technique called hepatic douche or hydrotherapy. This picture was taken from a journal published in 1902.

WHY SCAMS WORK

Survival is more important to us than truth, logic and reasonWe are prone to be superstitious and use irrational thinkingMany people are scientifically illiterate andcannot tell the difference between science and pseudoscienceScience education does not equilibrate to logical and critical thinkingTestimonials pull on people’s emotions and can overrule rational thinking

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WHAT IS PSEUDOSCIENCE?

Pseudoscience is a methodology, belief, or practice that is claimed to be scientific, or that is made to appear to be scientific, but which…..

does not adhere to an appropriate scientific methodologylacks carefully controlled & thoughtfully interpreted experimentslacks repeatability, testability & independent confirmationlacks supporting evidence or plausibilityotherwise lacks scientific status

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CAN YOU TRUST THE INFORMATION?

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• Death due to accidental inhalation• Prolonged exposure to solid DHMO causes

severe tissue damage • DHMO is a major component of acid rain • Gaseous DHMO can cause severe burns• Contributes to global warming; is one of the

so-called "greenhouse gasses” • Contributes to soil erosion • Leads to corrosion and oxidation of many metals • Contaminates electrical systems, causing short-circuits• Found in biopsies of pre-cancerous tumors and lesions• Widely used in the dairy industry

BE SKEPTICAL – QUESTION EVERYTHING

Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)www.nrdc.orgEnvironmental Working Group (EWG)www.ewg.orgUnion of Concerned Scientists (UCS)www.ucsusa.orgEnvironmental Defense Fund (EDF)www.edf.orgHumane Society of the United States (HSUS)www.humanesociety.orgPeople for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)www.peta.org

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Presenter

Presentation Notes

These are some of the special-interest groups that have mainstreamed themselves with the media for regular consultation, but have specific goals that are often detrimental to society.

http://www.nrdc.org/

http://www.ewg.org/

http://www.ucsusa.org/

http://www.edf.org/

http://www.humanesociety.org/

http://www.peta.org/

A LOOK AT SOME COMMON PRODUCTS

Magnetic water conditioningBottled waterSeptic tank additivesInfrared electric heatersTelephone sales of herbicidesSea minerals for pasturesContractor’s mix grass seed

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MAGNETIC WATER CONDITIONINGFOR TREATING SCALE & HARD WATER

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Presenter

Presentation Notes

The most common nuisance treatment scam is water conditioning to eliminate hard water problems. Most water conditioners make use of either permanent or electrical magnets. A variety of examples are shown in this slide. The real fact is that these devices may have some minimal impact on pipe scaling, and even that is questionable, but they do not reduce water hardness one iota. Changing the size of water clusters is one of the main claims as to how these devices work. These devices are popular because they are relatively cheap and easy to install (Most just clamp around a water pipe.), so many companies that sell water softeners also sell a variety of water conditioners.

MAGNETIC WATER CONDITIONING - CLAIMS

“Changes the size of water clusters or aligns water molecules” “Very low running costs”“No wasted water”“Silent & unobtrusive”“Calcium is retained in the water”“Reduces acidity”“Extends life of appliances & clothes”“Increases the lathering & effectiveness of soaps”“Cleans lime scale effectively from pipes”

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MAGNETIC WATER CONDITIONING - REALITY

System must be matched to the water temperature, flow rate & chemical compositionMay have some minimal impact on pipe scaling?Water returns to original state when it leaves the magnetic areaDoes not reduce water hardness one iotaPopular because they are relatively cheap & easy to installMO attorney general wants to know about companies selling these units

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ONE OF EARLIEST BOTTLED WATER SCAMS

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Radol (“radium impregnated” water) was sold as cure for cancer1905-1910

Presenter

Presentation Notes

One of the earliest known bottled water scams, from about 1905 to 1910 was associated with radon water, but not in the way that you might think. Entrepreneurs started bottling radon water from naturally radioactive hot springs and selling it as radon water. The brand of water in the bottle shown here was called radol. Radol was promoted by its creator, Dr. Rupert Wells (real name of Dennis Dupuis), as “radium impregnated” water that was a cure for cancer. Rival companies soon pointed out that radon’s half-life is just 3.82 days, so by the time bottled radon water reached a customer, most of the radiation would be gone. Therefore, this type of radon water was labeled a scam because it often had no more radiation than dishwater. The American Medical Association (AMA) was concerned that the public was being fleeced by charlatans, so they established guidelines and a certification program for radon water generators that stayed in effect from 1916 to 1929. To receive AMA approval a device had to generate more than 2 micro-curries of radon per liter of water in a 24-hour period. This is several thousand times the level of radon considered safe in drinking water today. Bottled radium water suspensions or radon emanators became more popular than bottled radon water that lost its potency within a few days. One of the more potent radium water concentrates was bottled by a New Jersey company, Radiothor shown in the previous slide, and promoted by a Dr. Bailey. This was the medicine that killed Eben Byers in 1932. Byers was a star athlete who had won the U.S. amateur golf championship in 1906. Byers also owned one of the world’s biggest steel companies in Pittsburg. He started taking Radithor at the recommendation of Dr. Bailey in 1928 when he was injured on a train following a Harvard-Yale football game. He consumed three bottles of Radithor per day until 1930, when he stopped because his teeth started falling out and holes appeared in his skull. His skeleton was still extremely radioactive when his body was exhumed in the mid-1960s for further study. There are other horror stories about high exposure to radium.

BOTTLED WATER - THE GOOD

It is convenient and portableIt is a good diet drinkCan be flavored to improve tasteHealthier than many drinks containing sugar, caffeine and other additives

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Presenter

Presentation Notes

There are many things good about bottled water and that is part of the reason the industry has grown into a multibillion dollar industry. Worldwide market value of bottled water is expected to reach $100 billion by 2010. Bottled water is regulated by the FDA and most bottled water is comparable in quality and safety to tap water in the United States. Bottled water does have certain advantages over tap water. It is convenient and portable. It can be flavored to improve taste, and its consumption is considered more healthy than many of the other high sugar and often caffeinated drinks we frequently consume.

BOTTLED WATER - THE BAD

Expensive in comparison to tap water (or even gasoline!)Not necessarily better taste than most tap waterNot necessarily safer than most tap waterSome niche uses are scamsAssociated with many health quackery scamsAssociated with push for global privatization

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Presenter

Presentation Notes

Some specially waters come in very elegant containers and may cost up to 7500 times that of tap water. Some special waters cost more than 100 times as much per gallon as gasoline, and this is not the health quackery stuff. Numerous studies have shown that, in general, bottled water does not taste any better than most public tap water, nor is it safer to drink. In fact, most bottled waters have a greater risk for certain types of problems, like microbial contamination for example, than public tap water that carries a residual disinfectant. Bottling companies take advantage of any niche market to add to their profits. In doing so, some unethical companies or sales reps stretch the truth as to the benefits of their bottled water versus tap water. There are numerous health quackery scams that make use of products packaged as some form of bottled water.

BOTTLED WATER HEALTH QUACKERY SCAMS

Oxygenated water

Clustered water found in nature

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Super-oxygenated water

Presenter

Presentation Notes

There are a number of oxygenated bottled water scams that range from use of pseudoscience to pure nonsense. They are based on the premise that you can increase oxygen content in drinking water and that this will lead to an increased oxygen uptake in blood to promote all sorts of special benefits. Some companies claim to have found special clustered forms of water somewhere in nature, most likely a remote mountain stream, that can carry a high level of oxygen. This water is touted to give you a special boost too. And then there is the super-oxygenated bottled water or even oxy drops you can purchase to produce special clustered water that can supposedly carry more oxygen to your cells. Super-oxygenated water is one of the latest bottled water sports scams. This oxygen enhanced sports drink that contains up to seven times the oxygen as normal tap water is supposed to boost athletic performance. There is no credible evidence that it does. Your lungs are designed to get oxygen into your bloodstream, not your digestive system. Unless you have gills there is little reason to believe that water with a high level of oxygen does anything except provide an expensive burp. If this same principle applied to highly carbonated drinks, they would probably kill you by allowing C02 to seep into your blood. A number of major university football programs have tested these super-oxygenated waters. The Federal Trade Commission has fined at least one company for false advertising in relation to this type of scam.

SEPTIC TANK ADDITIVES

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“Isn’t there somethingI can put in the septic tank to make the bacteria work better?”

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SEPTIC TANK ADDITIVES - CLAIMS

“Helps prevent septic system backup”“Eliminates need for pumping septic tank”“Safe for all pipes & plumbing”“Digests grease & paper”“Keeps septic tank from exploding”

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SEPTIC TANK ADDITIVES - REALITY

Yeasts & sugars as “starters”Unlikely to pollute groundwaterYeasts ferment simple sugars, not complex proteins & organic matterSugar quantity not enough to produce fermentationNormal toilet use provides enough bacteria

Organic solvents (“superbugs”)Effective in degreasing internal house pipingDischarged suspended matter blocks soil pores Strongly linked to groundwater contamination from absorption field

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Enzymes, bacteria & fungal culturesClaim to reduce solids to liquid & gasesUnlikely to pollute groundwaterMay enhance digestive processInterfere with settling of solidsDischarged suspended matterblocks soil poresAdditives likely to be killed,too, if tank is toxic.Tank will recover on its ownin 30-60 hours.

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If they are safe to use,they are probably not effective; and if they are effective, they are probably not safe to use.

INFRARED ELECTRIC HEATERS - CLAIMS

“Slash your heat bill up to 50%”“Heat up to 1000 sq.ft. for pennies a day”“Will not remove oxygen or humidity from the air”“Safe, soft, comfortable, healthy heat”“Pays for itself in one heating season” “Safe for children and pets”“Cannot start a fire”“Portable, 110-volt”Price = $297-$479

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INFRARED ELECTRIC HEATERS - REALITY

Ohm’s Law: Watts = Volts x Amps1 watt = 3.413 BTU/hour5,412 BTU/hr = 1,585 watts = (110 volts x 14.4 amps) 1,585 watts = 1.585 Kw x $0.08/KwH = 13 cents/hour to run

1500 sq. ft. home requires 70,000 BTU/hour to heat Assumes you shut off heat to rest of house & wheel heater from room to room you’re inRelatively safe due to housing that surrounds heating unitWon’t remove oxygen because there is no combustionNot enough heat produced to affect humidityUnit is 100% efficient—just like all other electric heatersCan buy safe, equivalent-output electric heaterfor 1/10th the cost

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TELEPHONE SALES OF HERBICIDES

Marketed by out-of-state companies touting wild claims or promising unrealistic results

“Controls [weed name] for 5 years”

Vendor’s only address is a post office boxProduct has high priceContains low concentration of active ingredient

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TELEPHONE SALES OF HERBICIDES

Protect yourselfCalculate cost per acre based on percentage of active ingredient & compare prices with those of local dealer

2% of 2,4-D/bromacil (Hyvar)/diuron (Karmex)/prometon (Pramitol) = $2500 to $4000 per gallon of full-strength

Examine herbicide label to determine that it is suitable for the intended useProduct may not be registered for use in state Note date & time of the callGet name/address/phone no. of company & origin of call Get name of product & EPA registration numberPay for any purchase with a credit card

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SEA MINERALS - CLAIMS

Two companiesSEA 90 (Georgia): http://www.seaagri.com/Sea Minerals FA (Arkansas): http://seamineralsfa.com/

Cost is $6.00 per acre ($1.50 per pound x 4 lb./acre rate)Can be stored indefinitely in a dry placeDissolve in water & apply as foliar spray

Dilute 4 lbs./20 gallons water/acre3 applications - 4 or more weeks apart per yearNeed minimum of 4-6 inches of plant growth

To increase effectivenessAdd 2 drops of dish soap (surfactant)/gallon or1 tablespoon/200 gallons of water

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http://www.seaagri.com/

http://seamineralsfa.com/

SEA MINERALS – REALITY

Neither company makes specific claims about what these products do.Neither company has research data to show the effect of the product -- only testimonials are offered. Both refer interested people to books or websites.They offer recommended rates for forages, although there are no data to support the recommendations.AR State Plant Board denied approval of both products for sale in Arkansas as feed, fertilizer or soil amendment.

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SEA MINERALS – REALITY

Sea salt, like table salt, is primarily sodium chloride

Typically contains 2% other minerals, including potassium, calcium, magnesium + some micro-nutrients with the exact content varying from source to source

Based on the high salt analysis, these products have a high potential to damage pasture and hayland

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SEA MINERALS – REALITYPotential negative effects of applying sea salt to crops

The concentration of beneficial nutrients is so low in sea salt it would take high rates to apply an agronomically significant amount of a beneficial nutrientToo much salt near germinating seeds can hurt germinationToo much sodium can disperse soil structure and reduce yields in many crops

Do we recommend them? – NOThere are much more concentrated & desirable sources of these nutrients that have less potential for harm to growing crops

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CONTRACTOR’S MIX GRASS SEED - CLAIMS

Greens up quicklyInexpensive

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CONTRACTOR’S MIX GRASS SEED - REALITY

Quick germination/establishment (5-10 days)Annual grass; dies out after one yearPoor stress toleranceA better approach

Soil test to know what nutrients are neededOptimum pH = 6 to 7 for lawnsPhosphorus, potassium, etc.Sample every two or three years

Amend soil to add organic matterPlant multi-variety, turf-type fescues in Sept./Oct.Mow no shorter than 3”-4” tall

Remove no more than 1/3rd of leaf at a time with sharp blade 29

WHO CAN YOU TRUST?

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www.extension.org

HELPFUL RESOURCES

MU Extension guidesheetshttp://extension.missouri.edu/publicationsEvaluating Internet Resourceshttp://library.albany.edu/usered/eval/index.htmlCritical Thinking on the Webhttp://austhink.com/critical/Urban Legends Reference Pageshttp://snopes.comMissouri Attorney General’s Officehttp://ago.mo.gov/ or call 1-800-392-8222Federal Trade Commissionhttp://www.ftc.gov/ or call 1-877-382-4357

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http://extension.missouri.edu/publications

http://library.albany.edu/usered/eval/index.html

http://austhink.com/critical/

http://snopes.com/

QUESTIONS???

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Robert A. (Bob) SchultheisNatural Resource Engineering Specialist

Webster County Extension Center800 S. Marshall St.

Marshfield, MO 65706Voice: 417-859-2044

Fax: 417-468-2086E-mail: [email protected]

Web: extension.missouri.edu/webster

Program Complaint InformationTo file a program complaint you may contactany of the following:

University of MissouriMU Extension AA/EEO Office109 F. Whitten Hall, Columbia, MO 65211MU Human Resources Office130 Heinkel Bldg, Columbia, MO 65211

USDAOffice of Civil Rights, DirectorRoom 326-W, Whitten Building14th and Independence Ave., SWWashington, DC 20250-9410

"Equal opportunity is and shall be provided to all participants in Extension programs and activities, and for all employees and applicants for employment on the basis of their demonstrated ability and competence without discrimination on the basis of their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, or status as a Vietnam-era veteran. This policy shall not be interpreted in such a manner as to violate the legal rights of religious organizations or military organizations associated with the armed forces of the United States of America."

"miracle" products — are they worth the money?

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