Thoraiya DyerColon Cure Scam: The Best Cure Is A Cure For A Disease That Doesn’t Exist
June 5th 2008 01:42
Ladies and Gentlemen of the Jury, roll up for a Very Special (and vastly entertaining) product review.
Today, we’ll be looking at “Colon Cure”, spam for which arrived in my inbox about a month ago.
The prosecution will seek to demonstrate:
a) That the disease ostensibly cured by Colon Cure does not exist,
b) That the only weight loss likely to be caused by colon cleansing products is from diarrhoea-induced dehydration and
c) There are a lot of angry people out there who have fed their credit card numbers to the mysterious vanishing Colon Cure company who now regret it very, very much.
On Wednesday, 30th April, I received the following spam email:
“Flush up to 15lbs out of your body – click here!
Purify. Detoxify. Lose Weight. Energise yourself. Colon Cure.”
And here’s the website: http://www.colon-cure.com/
15lbs, or 6.75kgs – that’s pretty significant, isn’t it? How does Colon Cure suggest that I lose that much weight? Well, first by insulting my colon (and then by insulting my intelligence):
“Are you clean inside?
Of course you take care of the outside: You shower, brush your teeth and wash your hair, but do you clean yourself inside? In this modern, toxic world it is becoming a simple fact of life that our colon also requires refular cleaning.
The colon is susceptible to a continula build-up of toxic material found from the foods we eat on a daily basis. Processed foods such as pasteurized milk, processed sugar, food filled with preservatives contain toxic elements that slowly build up in the intestine. This slow build up of toxins casues a hardened impacted film to form within the intestines. This film decreases the ability to absorb nutrients and lowers metabolosm rates. The lowering of your metabolizm results in unhealthy weight gain.”
Just suppose I ignore all the spelling mistakes (no, no, I can’t ignore them… without refular cleaning, I may have lowered metabolosm… hahaha), and have a good, hard look at the so-called argument.
Toxins get caked onto the inside of my gut, it reckons. They stop me from absorbing nutrients and this causes weight gain, it reckons.
Sorry, uneducated trashy money-grubbers, but if you can’t absorb nutrients, you are going to LOSE weight.
Health A to Z ( Really Long Link ) explains:
“Protein, fats, and carbohydrates (macronutrients) normally are absorbed in the small intestine; the small bowel also absorbs about 80% of the eight to ten liters of fluid ingested daily.
There are many different conditions that affect fluid and nutrient absorption by the intestine.
A fault in the digestive process may result from failure of the body to produce the enzymes needed to digest certain foods.
Congenital structural defects or diseases of the pancreas, gall bladder, or liver may alter the digestive process.
Inflammation, infection, injury, or surgical removal of portions of the intestine may also result in absorption problems; reduced length or surface area of intestine available for fluid and nutrient absorption can result in malabsorption.
Radiation therapy may injure the mucosal lining of the intestine, resulting in diarrhea that may not become evident until several years later.
The use of some antibiotics can also affect the bacteria that normally live in the intestine and affect intestinal function.”
Hmm, no mention there of a toxic film of preservatives that causes malabsorption. But there IS a handy list of the real symptoms of the real disease. If you were having trouble absorbing nutrients, you would probably know about it:
“The most common symptoms of malabsorption include:
Anemia, with weakness and fatigue due to inadequate absorption of vitamin B12, iron, and folic acid
Diarrhea, steatorrhea (excessive amount of fat in the stool), and abdominal distention with cramps, bloating, and gas due to impaired water and carbohydrate absorption, and irritation from unabsorbed fatty acids. The individual may also report explosive diarrhea with greasy, foul-smelling stools.
Edema (fluid retention in the body's tissues) due to decreased protein absorption
Malnutrition and weight loss due to decreased fat, carbohydrate, and protein absorption. Weight may be 80-90% of usual weight despite increased oral intake of nutrients.
Muscle cramping due to decreased vitamin D, calcium, and potassium levels
Muscle wasting and atrophy due to decreased protein absorption and metabolism
Perianal skin burning, itching, or soreness due to frequent loose stools.”
If we all have this problem, why aren’t we all bloating like the Michelin man and feeling weak from iron deficiency, blowing explosive diarrhoea out of our cramped, bony buttocks while scratching our itchy anuses with both hands?
Sounds like loads of fun. The simple fact is, malabsorption is NOT a problem affecting everyone as a result of environmental toxins. It is a serious disease diagnosed only after extensive testing, it causes weight loss instead of weight gain, and it can’t be cured with Colon Cure.
The thing is, the colon, just like the rest of the intestine, regularly sheds its inner “skin”, or mucosa, like a snake. It is constantly renewing itself – it has to, because the rough faecal material that passes through it can’t help but cause damage. To reduce the number of mucosal cells that get swiped off, the colon makes its own slime:
“Its first line of defence against these agents is the protective mucus bilayer that lines the entire colonic mucosa. This bilayer acts as a physical barrier to mucosal aggressors and also reduces shear stress to the mucosa,” says Brownleee et al ( Really Long Link ) in the proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 2003.
Borrowing this histological slide from Southern Illinois University ( Really Long Link ):
…we see that the colon’s mucosa has lots of little valleys in it, called crypts. New mucosal cells are produced in the bottom of the crypts. They migrate up to the surface, do their job for a few days or weeks, then get scraped off by poo and are replaced by happy new cells.
These cells can be (water-)absorptive cells or goblet cells.
You can see that most of the cells in the crypts are light-coloured. That’s because they are goblet cells, or mucus-secreting cells, and the blobs of mucus inside them don’t take up the stain very well. As mentioned above, this slime helps protect the mucosa by lubricating the poo, which becomes harder and harder the more water is absorbed from it.
Where is the insidious toxin layer? I challenge Colon Cure to show some actual pathology preparations where the mucosa is smothered by an evil layer of Made Up Nastiness.
As stated succinctly by Jaybay from Texas:
“Colon cleanse products are the biggest snake oil scam ever perpetrated on a desperate public. Please don't waste your money. There is no such thing as built-up intestinal debris. If you are having regular bowel movements, everything is moving through just fine. The only time the colon isn't completely evacuated is in the case of an obstruction, which is a life-threatening emergency and extremely painfulHaving had a few myself, trust me: there is no doubt. But back to these cleanse products...
Cleansers rely on various fibres that make you have more frequent bowel movements. Some will give you serious diarrhea, which results in weight loss. Some manufacturers add a product called betonite to the mix, which results in some very spectacular, nasty, rubbery-looking bowel movements. The company will tell you this is the "built up debris" that has been in your colon for years that makes you sickWrong! All that goo is just the betonite passing through, further scaring the cr*p out of you so that you keep on buying the cleanse product.
Please don't fall for these quick weight loss schemes that promise cures for every ache and painknown to mankind. They exist only to separate you from your hard earned cash. Aside from the false claims, they can actually harm you if you have any other underlying medical condition in which dehydration could be an issue. There is a reason doctors don't recommend these products.”
Now, perhaps I am assuming too much. Colon Cure does not provide a list of its active ingredients on the website. Unless I sign up for the Free Trial, how can I be sure that Colon Cure isn’t a medical revolution?
Well, here’s a few comments that have put me off the "Free" Trial (not that I was ever interested):
This from Leila in California ( Really Long Link ) on Rip Off Report:
“Colon Cure is a Huge Rip Off.
I also saw the add about losing 20 lbs. in 3 days. I ordered the trial but did not plan on getting any more. I took the pills and they didn't help me lose weigh. I have tried calling them everyday and the line is always busy. They charged my credit card for $89.31 and my bank says I will have to go into the branch and file a claim. This is a pain in the rear. You can't call them because they have the phone off the hook.”
This from the Public Health forum:
“11 People said ColonCure has helped them.
140 People said ColonCure has not helped them.”
These two from another web site:
“Posted by Thomas Aldridge:
I ordered the sample bottle and was supposed to be given 14 days to cancel further shipment. In less than 14 days, my checking account was debited for an additional shipment which was supposed to be a 45 day supply. I then received another 30 day supply instead. After numerous attempts to talk to someone on the phone, I was allowed to leave a message. I asked them to cancel further shipments and either send the 15 day supply that I had payed for or refund the entire amount. Instead, my account has again been debited for another 45 day supply when I have just started on the second bottle.”
And
“ Posted 110 days ago by Dainah Kent:
I too have been scammed with this Nubodi company. First of all, I placed and order online on 1/24/08 and it stated that my free trial offer will be sent with just $3.95 for shipping and handling. That was the amount I was looking for to come out of my account. However, on 2/11/08 I saw a debit on my account in the amount of $89.31. I still have not received anything from this company. I have tried to call but like all the others I cannot reach a soul. I already closed my debit card and will be receiving a new number and i filed a fraudulent withdrawal complaint with my bank. It is so sad that there are so many scams out there that take advantage of so many people. I hope that all who have made this purchase take the same steps I did in getting this resolved. As I mentioned, I haven't received anything yet!”
(from The Complaints Board: Really Long Link )
Ladies and Gentlemen of the Jury, have you reached a verdict??
Today, we’ll be looking at “Colon Cure”, spam for which arrived in my inbox about a month ago.
The prosecution will seek to demonstrate:
a) That the disease ostensibly cured by Colon Cure does not exist,
b) That the only weight loss likely to be caused by colon cleansing products is from diarrhoea-induced dehydration and
c) There are a lot of angry people out there who have fed their credit card numbers to the mysterious vanishing Colon Cure company who now regret it very, very much.
On Wednesday, 30th April, I received the following spam email:
“Flush up to 15lbs out of your body – click here!
Purify. Detoxify. Lose Weight. Energise yourself. Colon Cure.”
And here’s the website: http://www.colon-cure.com/
15lbs, or 6.75kgs – that’s pretty significant, isn’t it? How does Colon Cure suggest that I lose that much weight? Well, first by insulting my colon (and then by insulting my intelligence):
“Are you clean inside?
Of course you take care of the outside: You shower, brush your teeth and wash your hair, but do you clean yourself inside? In this modern, toxic world it is becoming a simple fact of life that our colon also requires refular cleaning.
The colon is susceptible to a continula build-up of toxic material found from the foods we eat on a daily basis. Processed foods such as pasteurized milk, processed sugar, food filled with preservatives contain toxic elements that slowly build up in the intestine. This slow build up of toxins casues a hardened impacted film to form within the intestines. This film decreases the ability to absorb nutrients and lowers metabolosm rates. The lowering of your metabolizm results in unhealthy weight gain.”
Just suppose I ignore all the spelling mistakes (no, no, I can’t ignore them… without refular cleaning, I may have lowered metabolosm… hahaha), and have a good, hard look at the so-called argument.
Toxins get caked onto the inside of my gut, it reckons. They stop me from absorbing nutrients and this causes weight gain, it reckons.
Sorry, uneducated trashy money-grubbers, but if you can’t absorb nutrients, you are going to LOSE weight.
Health A to Z ( Really Long Link ) explains:
“Protein, fats, and carbohydrates (macronutrients) normally are absorbed in the small intestine; the small bowel also absorbs about 80% of the eight to ten liters of fluid ingested daily.
There are many different conditions that affect fluid and nutrient absorption by the intestine.
A fault in the digestive process may result from failure of the body to produce the enzymes needed to digest certain foods.
Congenital structural defects or diseases of the pancreas, gall bladder, or liver may alter the digestive process.
Inflammation, infection, injury, or surgical removal of portions of the intestine may also result in absorption problems; reduced length or surface area of intestine available for fluid and nutrient absorption can result in malabsorption.
Radiation therapy may injure the mucosal lining of the intestine, resulting in diarrhea that may not become evident until several years later.
The use of some antibiotics can also affect the bacteria that normally live in the intestine and affect intestinal function.”
Hmm, no mention there of a toxic film of preservatives that causes malabsorption. But there IS a handy list of the real symptoms of the real disease. If you were having trouble absorbing nutrients, you would probably know about it:
“The most common symptoms of malabsorption include:
Anemia, with weakness and fatigue due to inadequate absorption of vitamin B12, iron, and folic acid
Diarrhea, steatorrhea (excessive amount of fat in the stool), and abdominal distention with cramps, bloating, and gas due to impaired water and carbohydrate absorption, and irritation from unabsorbed fatty acids. The individual may also report explosive diarrhea with greasy, foul-smelling stools.
Edema (fluid retention in the body's tissues) due to decreased protein absorption
Malnutrition and weight loss due to decreased fat, carbohydrate, and protein absorption. Weight may be 80-90% of usual weight despite increased oral intake of nutrients.
Muscle cramping due to decreased vitamin D, calcium, and potassium levels
Muscle wasting and atrophy due to decreased protein absorption and metabolism
Perianal skin burning, itching, or soreness due to frequent loose stools.”
If we all have this problem, why aren’t we all bloating like the Michelin man and feeling weak from iron deficiency, blowing explosive diarrhoea out of our cramped, bony buttocks while scratching our itchy anuses with both hands?
Sounds like loads of fun. The simple fact is, malabsorption is NOT a problem affecting everyone as a result of environmental toxins. It is a serious disease diagnosed only after extensive testing, it causes weight loss instead of weight gain, and it can’t be cured with Colon Cure.
The thing is, the colon, just like the rest of the intestine, regularly sheds its inner “skin”, or mucosa, like a snake. It is constantly renewing itself – it has to, because the rough faecal material that passes through it can’t help but cause damage. To reduce the number of mucosal cells that get swiped off, the colon makes its own slime:
“Its first line of defence against these agents is the protective mucus bilayer that lines the entire colonic mucosa. This bilayer acts as a physical barrier to mucosal aggressors and also reduces shear stress to the mucosa,” says Brownleee et al ( Really Long Link ) in the proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 2003.
Borrowing this histological slide from Southern Illinois University ( Really Long Link ):
…we see that the colon’s mucosa has lots of little valleys in it, called crypts. New mucosal cells are produced in the bottom of the crypts. They migrate up to the surface, do their job for a few days or weeks, then get scraped off by poo and are replaced by happy new cells.
These cells can be (water-)absorptive cells or goblet cells.
You can see that most of the cells in the crypts are light-coloured. That’s because they are goblet cells, or mucus-secreting cells, and the blobs of mucus inside them don’t take up the stain very well. As mentioned above, this slime helps protect the mucosa by lubricating the poo, which becomes harder and harder the more water is absorbed from it.
Where is the insidious toxin layer? I challenge Colon Cure to show some actual pathology preparations where the mucosa is smothered by an evil layer of Made Up Nastiness.
As stated succinctly by Jaybay from Texas:
“Colon cleanse products are the biggest snake oil scam ever perpetrated on a desperate public. Please don't waste your money. There is no such thing as built-up intestinal debris. If you are having regular bowel movements, everything is moving through just fine. The only time the colon isn't completely evacuated is in the case of an obstruction, which is a life-threatening emergency and extremely painfulHaving had a few myself, trust me: there is no doubt. But back to these cleanse products...
Cleansers rely on various fibres that make you have more frequent bowel movements. Some will give you serious diarrhea, which results in weight loss. Some manufacturers add a product called betonite to the mix, which results in some very spectacular, nasty, rubbery-looking bowel movements. The company will tell you this is the "built up debris" that has been in your colon for years that makes you sickWrong! All that goo is just the betonite passing through, further scaring the cr*p out of you so that you keep on buying the cleanse product.
Please don't fall for these quick weight loss schemes that promise cures for every ache and painknown to mankind. They exist only to separate you from your hard earned cash. Aside from the false claims, they can actually harm you if you have any other underlying medical condition in which dehydration could be an issue. There is a reason doctors don't recommend these products.”
Now, perhaps I am assuming too much. Colon Cure does not provide a list of its active ingredients on the website. Unless I sign up for the Free Trial, how can I be sure that Colon Cure isn’t a medical revolution?
Well, here’s a few comments that have put me off the "Free" Trial (not that I was ever interested):
This from Leila in California ( Really Long Link ) on Rip Off Report:
“Colon Cure is a Huge Rip Off.
I also saw the add about losing 20 lbs. in 3 days. I ordered the trial but did not plan on getting any more. I took the pills and they didn't help me lose weigh. I have tried calling them everyday and the line is always busy. They charged my credit card for $89.31 and my bank says I will have to go into the branch and file a claim. This is a pain in the rear. You can't call them because they have the phone off the hook.”
This from the Public Health forum:
“11 People said ColonCure has helped them.
140 People said ColonCure has not helped them.”
These two from another web site:
“Posted by Thomas Aldridge:
I ordered the sample bottle and was supposed to be given 14 days to cancel further shipment. In less than 14 days, my checking account was debited for an additional shipment which was supposed to be a 45 day supply. I then received another 30 day supply instead. After numerous attempts to talk to someone on the phone, I was allowed to leave a message. I asked them to cancel further shipments and either send the 15 day supply that I had payed for or refund the entire amount. Instead, my account has again been debited for another 45 day supply when I have just started on the second bottle.”
And
“ Posted 110 days ago by Dainah Kent:
I too have been scammed with this Nubodi company. First of all, I placed and order online on 1/24/08 and it stated that my free trial offer will be sent with just $3.95 for shipping and handling. That was the amount I was looking for to come out of my account. However, on 2/11/08 I saw a debit on my account in the amount of $89.31. I still have not received anything from this company. I have tried to call but like all the others I cannot reach a soul. I already closed my debit card and will be receiving a new number and i filed a fraudulent withdrawal complaint with my bank. It is so sad that there are so many scams out there that take advantage of so many people. I hope that all who have made this purchase take the same steps I did in getting this resolved. As I mentioned, I haven't received anything yet!”
(from The Complaints Board: Really Long Link )
Ladies and Gentlemen of the Jury, have you reached a verdict??
| 85 |
| Vote |
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Comment by Louie
Climate Red
randomthoughts
Phil's Wellness Tips
Comment by Thoraiya Dyer
Demented World
Comment by Cheryl J
Rhythmatism
Zentertainment
Budget Centsability
I had a little fun outside a health food shop recently where they were advertising free iridology readings. Off I went and had the girl tell me that I was a very healthy girl (I'm slim therefore I'm healthy?!) but had a bit of toxin buid up which could easily be fixed by this colon cleanser - points to it. I asked if there was anything else to which she replied, "no, you're very healthy other than this, I'll bet you've been feeling tired lately". This she surmised from my tired ambling to get the train after work. I loved the look on her face, and a number of people eagerly awaiting their reading, when I told her that I had not one but two serious health conditions, took handfuls of medications every day, never exercise because it causes too much pain but I poo like a champion! 'twas a fun moment for me. I get my jollies easily.
Great post. Hopefully it will open people's eyes to not open their wallets just to open their bowels.
Comment by Thoraiya Dyer
Demented World
Sorry to hear about your friend!
And great story about the iridologist. There was one working at the centre where I used to visit my chiropracter, and he spent half an hour once telling me that I had yeast buildup in my gut because of beer and wine consumption. When I told him I didn't drink alcohol at all, ever, he still didn't give up. In the end, I changed chiros because I didn't want to put up with all the voodoo witch doctors that worked at the centre.