Nexus Magazine's Misleading Health Claims

That crazy Nexus Magazine - a journal of conspiracy theories, pseudoscience and possibly fictional accounts of alien kidnappings - is genuinely one of my favourite publications.

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Many of the articles they publish are dangerously misinformed. You'll hear no complaints from me - freedom of expression, and all that.

However, the magazine has a profitable sideline in the form of a mail-order service. The service sells a range of books, films and info packs likely to appeal to the rag's credulous readers.

A handful of the books are sold using false and misleading health claims, a practice which simply has to stop. Regular readers will recognise this bullshit synopsis of a book by vaccine denialist Wendy Lydall.

"Since its inception in 1795 by Edward Jenner, vaccination has been an unscientific, commercially-based procedure..."

Worse still are these claims of a cure for cancer, breast cancer multiple sclerosis.

"ESSIAC FOR CANCER... Includes reprints of articles describing the properties of ESSIAC (a Canadian Indian remedy for cancer) with details on how to make the recipe..."

"WHAT REALLY CAUSES MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS by Harold D. Foster... The causes of MS are generally known. The prevention and treatment of MS is not. This well referenced [sic] book presents new conclusions about this baffling condition: how diet is implicated, what deficiencies contribute to it and the treatment to reverse it"

"IODINE - Why you need it - Why you can't live without it... See how iodine can help: breast cancer, fibrocystic breast disease, detoxification... Grave's disease and Hashimoto's disease... Find out why iodine deficiency may be the root cause of thyroid problems including...thyroid cancer... "

It's a breach of the advertising regulations to exaggerate the scientific validity of a book. Here are four ASA complaints detailing what I suspect are Nexus Magazine's numerous breaches of the CAP Code.

WENDY LYDALL (advert available here)

"I'm writing to complain about an advert in the UK edition of Nexus magazine (Apr-May 2011, p81).

The advert promotes the book "RAISING A VACCINE FREE CHILD" by Wendy Lydall, which is available through the magazine's own mail-order service.

1. "Vaccination is presented to parents as a safe, scientific procedure, which no responsible parent would query. But an increasing number of parents are questioning the validity of this 200 year old ritual. The vaccine industry has responded to this skepticism [sic] by introducing coercive measures in many countries in order to achieve compliance. Since its inception in 1795 by Edward Jenner, vaccination has been an unscientific, commercially-based procedure, which is aligned with powerful pharmaceutical interests... In this book Wendy Lydall presents a comprehensive, scientifically-base guide to the myths, facts, problems and solutions associated with raising a vaccine free child."

I'd like to challenge whether the claim "The vaccine industry has responded to this skepticism [sic] by introducing coercive measures in many countries in order to achieve compliance" is misleading and whether it can be substantiated.

I'd also like to challenge whether the claims "Since its inception in 1795 by Edward Jenner, vaccination has been an unscientific... procedure" and "In this book, Wendy Lydall presents a comprehensive, scientifically-based guide to the myths, facts, problems and solutions associated with raising a vaccine free child" exaggerate the scientific accuracy of the book.

I can confirm that I have no connections with the advertiser or with the alternative medicine industry in general."

DAVID BROWNSTEIN M.D. (advert available here)

"I'm writing to complain about an advert in the UK edition of Nexus magazine (Apr-May 2011, p66).

The advert promotes a book available through the magazine's own mail-order service.

1. "IODINE - Why you need it - Why you can't live without it... See how iodine can help: breast cancer, fibrocystic breast disease, detoxification... Grave's disease and Hashimoto's disease... Find out why iodine deficiency may be the root cause of thyroid problems including...thyroid cancer... 'I have yet to see any item that is more important to [sic] promoting health or optimizing the function of the immune system than iodine' - the author"

I'd like to challenge whether the claims of treatment for various cancers and other named diseases exaggerate the accuray of the book.

I can confirm that I have no connections with the advertiser."

HAROLD D FOSTER (advert available here)

"I'm writing to complain about an advert in the UK edition of Nexus magazine (Apr-May 2011, p82).

The advert promotes a book available through the magazine's own mail-order service.

1. "WHAT REALLY CAUSES MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS by Harold D. Foster... The causes of MS are generally known. The prevention and treatment of MS is not. This well referenced [sic] book presents new conclusions about this baffling condition: how diet is implicated, what deficiencies contribute to it and the treatment to reverse it"

I'd like to challenge whether the claim "the treatment to reverse [Multiple Sclerosis]" exaggerates the scientific accuracy of the book.

I can confirm that I have no connections with the advertiser or with the alternative medicine industry in general."

RENE CAISEE (advert available here)

"I'm writing to complain about an advert in the UK edition of Nexus magazine (Apr-May 2011, p84).

The advert promotes an "INFOPACK" available through the magazine's own mail-order service.

1. "ESSIAC FOR CANCER - Numerous articles, newspaper clippings and letters on the work and developments of Rene Caisee R.N. Includes reprints of articles describing the properties of ESSIAC (a Canadian Indian remedy for cancer) with details on how to make the recipe..."

I'd like to challenge whether the claim that the book contains "details on how to make the recipe" for a "Canadian Indian remedy for cancer" exaggerates the scientific accuracy of the book.

I can confirm that I have no connections with the advertiser or with the alternative medicine industry in general."