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Vaccine sceptics want to be taken seriously, but they’re still wrong

By on 1 August, 2018 in Myths and Superstitions
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Posted 01 August 2018

Ivo Vegter has taken on the anti-vaxxer lobby in the Daily Maverick. Considering that some CAM marketers take a stance that vaccines are unsafe and not required, we reproduce his article here.

Vaccine sceptics want to be taken seriously, but they’re still wrong

By Ivo Vegter

People who oppose mandatory vaccination programmes do so on many grounds, and those grounds have shifted over the years. Many of their positions have become more nuanced and, they think, better informed. Here’s why they’re still wrong. 

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You can’t detox your body. It’s a myth.

By on 22 December, 2014 in Evaluating evidence, Myths and Superstitions, Pseudoscience
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Posted 22 December 2014

From the Guardian  5 December 2014

So how do you get healthy?
There’s no such thing as ‘detoxing’. In medical terms, it’s a nonsense. Diet and exercise is the only way to get healthy. But which of the latest fad regimes can really make a difference? We look at the facts.

Best to continue reading on the Guardian’s page, but if not accessible, continue below.

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Procydin

By on 30 January, 2009 in Myths and Superstitions
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This post refers to a claim made by Procydin in 2009, but only posted now for posterity.

This product claimed on its label: “Helps prevent your body from rusting away”

This is extremely misleading as there is no part of your body that can “rust”. When a metal is exposed to water and oxygen, a chemical reaction called  oxidation takes place which causes corrosion. When this takes place with iron, it results in a reddish-brown discolouration which may flake off and is known as rust.

Oxidation can also occur when a fruit such as apples or bananas are exposed to air, and they develop a brownish discolouration.

Inside the body “oxidation” is said to take place when a transfer of “free radicals” occurs. This is not the same thing as “rusting”. Normally the free radicals (another name for unstable electrons) attach themselves to any molecule nearby which is able to … Read the rest

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