Autism and Nutrition scam alert

This conversation was made on twitter a while back, and thought to share it. It takes place on twitter between myself and @anthonycotton, who runs this site: http://anthonycotton.wordpress.com/

Anthony approached me, trying to sell me a supplement from a company called Reliv http://www.reliv.com/CA/EN/home.html (I'm in Canada, so I click “Canada” when the “where are you” screen came up. Http://www.reliv.com

Anthony: @CorinaBecker just posted a tweet offering 5 more people results with Autism. Will you b one of those people?

Me: @anthonycotton I'm not entirely sure I understood that; could you explain?

Anthony: @CorinaBecker I posted a tweet looking for 5 people who really wanted to c results with Autism within 90 days. I can't take 2 many people...

Me: @anthonycotton don't need to see results, as I'm not suffering or need help with being autistic

also, I don't see anything on your website to explain how anything you do helps autism, so I think you're endorsing a scam

Anthony: @CorinaBecker Not trying to be rude or anything.... Then why are you in an autism twitter group?

Well for starters my site is new, I wanted to be sure this actually worked before I started telling a bunch of people .

I don't know why you think I am endorsing a scam, and why u think I would miss lead people when it comes 2 a persons health.

Me: @anthonycotton autism isn't a health issue; it's the way that I think, the way that I am. I'm part of an autism group to help and support

as well as to get news

I am, after all, a Neurodiversity activist

Anthony: @CorinaBecker My family comes from a lot of health issues, and I we have finally been able to get a lot of health issues in general unde ...

Me: @anthonycotton I'll repeat. autism isn't a health issue. you can't cure it, so why are you treating it like it is?

my family has a lot of health issues 2, yet we do not consider autism to be a health issue, rather a neurological difference

Anthony: [@CorinaBecker] Besides if I was trying to scam people than there would not be a patten on the product, nor the health stories to back it up.

You may return to the site to study more information on our company, and what we have done for people.

Me: @anthonycotton oh, so you've updated the site in the past few hours?

Anthony: @CorinaBecker Ps I can be very defensive when it comes to a persons health, expessaly when they are suffering from the same thing I am.

Me: @anthonycotton so you're autistic too? I find I suffer more from a lack of understanding and support from the world than from being autistic

you haven't explained how anything you're offering helps autistic people, and the way you're promoting it tells me ur a scam

I'm very defensive about autism, since autism is the gift and blessing that God gave me and made me to be

Anthony: @CorinaBecker Than how do you want me to present it to you? If you heard if from someone else you listen?

Me: @anthonycotton what exactly are you trying to present? that's the first thing

Anthony: @CorinaBecker Ok .... Would you take 5 minutes out of your day to connect with me so I can properly explain this to you.

For some reason you are not getting what I am trying to tell you. When the body is given the proper nutrition it knows what 2

It knows what to do with it. Would you trust me If you herd it from a mother who actually took the time to listen.

Me: @anthonycotton hon, my mother teaches nutrition. Getting proper nutrition is important to everyone, but that's treating malnutrition

Anthony: @CorinaBecker Like I said before I am NOT trying to scam you, If I were I would not be replying to your messages. Honestly if you don't ....

If you don't take the time to listen than this is not going 2 work for u but before u say this is a scam u need correct info.

Anthony: @CorinaBecker Not is todays world...u should also know that nutrition in someones life is very important 2 maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Me: @anthonycotton sure, but it's not treating autism, since autism isn't a part of malnutrition or nutrition deprivation

you might want to educate yourself about autism more: http://bit.ly/TeLxS

Anthony: @CorinaBecker Yes, I understand that!! All I am saying it that many people have gotten fantastic results with autism on the cellular level.

That my friend is a fact, if it wasn't there would not be a FOOD PATENT ON R PRODUCTS! & we wouldn't have such a clean record.

Me: @anthonycotton explain "autism on the cellular level

cause that's kind of like saying ppl with brown hair have gotten fantastic results using a brand of shampoo

u still haven't explained what exactly your product is or how it's suppose to be beneficial to autistic people in particular

Anthony: @CorinaBecker Like I said before... when the human body is given the proper nutrition it knows what to do with it.

Once the human body has the proper "fuel" it can go to work and on cells that need it most. Listen Im not saying that you are wrong

Me: @anthonycotton I think you are a scam, not because you aren't responding, but because you aren't answering my questions

which means, your product is what? multi-vitamins? and this is particularly beneficial to autistics why?

Anthony: @CorinaBecker But I am not the Microbiologist that created the product. I am not nearly that smart, and I am not trying to hide that!!

Than ask me your question again, because by now I don't remember what it was. I understand I am going around in circles....

Me: @anthonycotton okay, what is the product? and why are you targeting autistics with it?

Anthony: @CorinaBecker The product is called Reliv, and it's a simple shake pills are not good for the body. I am targeting autism because I have....

Me: @anthonycotton soooo, if pills aren't good for the body, why are most of our prescriptions in pill format?

and a supplement is a supplement, no matter the form

you have what?

Anthony: @CorinaBecker I will have to disagree with you on that one. With Vitamins in the form of pills, sit in your stomach

Good question... well for one a lot of medicine can only be made in pill form, second 98% of doctors are not nutritional dor.

Most doctors are trained to treat symptoms for a certain condition.

Me: @anthonycotton doctors? no, specialists are trained in one certain area, family doctors are trained in family medicine

and any nutritionist worth anything will tell u that it's better to eat real food than to take supplements

the science of nutrition is still in its infancy, scientists are continually identifying new chemical molecules which our...

...our bodies need. No pill or shake could have all of these, plus ones not yet discovered. Also, nutritions work ...

...nutrients work in partnership. You need all the nutrients of a partnership to be present for these nutrients to work

ironically, REAL foods have these partnerships in the portions humans need

so what you are doing, really, is preying upon people's insecurities

(20+ hours later)

Anthony: @CorinaBecker Well I can agree with you on that.... This simply is food, but people like yourself don't take the time out to realize that.

That is where I disagree.... If a microbiologist has Isolated a human cell, he can create a product for the body

Well sense you have more knowledge on my company you go ahead & tell me what I am doing. But until u have all of the facts...

.... straight and the only way that will happen is if you are open to try other things. Untill that time don't accuse me of...

.... being a scam, or leading people on, or any other false accusations against our company. There are tons of people who....

... have taken, and still take our product because they have seen results with ADHD, autism, eczema, diabetes, & many other...

..... things which you will never know because you don't take the time to listen to people who would like to help.....

..... Now don't get me wrong... if thats how you want things 2 be than that is your decision! All I know is that...

... the lifesyle that we are able to provide 4 people is far grater than you will ever know. Quite frankly I don't want....

... someone like youself in my circle of help anyway. Reason being... you are very negative and 2 quick 2 point fingers wi ...

...without having the proper information. Listen sorry4wasting ur time & mine this will never work 4 u!Doesn't work 4 every1 =D

Me: @anthonycotton it won't work, because there's no way that any of your scientists have found a way to put all nutrients that a human needs

into a powder or pill. What you're doing is leading people on. I have a nutritional textbook from a university here

and my mother TEACHES nutrition. science has yet to find all the vitamins, minerals and nutrients that we need, therefore...

therefore it is SCIENCE that says your product is a SCAM!

I'm not negative, I'm critical because I have a good basis for the science behind nutrition.

and don't give me your "people have tried this and it works" ancedote stories.

anecdotes are not data; show me the peer-reviewed studies that show that your product works

while I'm certain that it works like ANY OTHER supplement, REAL FOOD is still better than any supplement, and to claim that

that supplements will help with neurological disorders such as Autism and ADHD is dishonest, esp without the science

Anthony: @CorinaBecker How exactly would you know that, if you have no information about our company?

Yes it can be done, and it finally has been done. It has recently become public knowledge because it has finally been patented

.... health doesen't mean that she knows everything about it, and can tell me everything I need to know about a medicine.

Humm books r great, but a book can't isolate a human cell break it down, figure out what it needs exactly. Just cuz ur mom

If she did, than she would know about our product...and about our company. If we were a fake do u think we would be in

If you think we were a fake do u thingk we houlod have pattens on our products, or have maintained a clean recored 4 21 years?

are not understanding is that.... Food doesn't have all the nutrients in it anymore! http://bit.ly/Nror9

Visit the company website if you want gonna to tell u "when the body is give the proper nutrition".... http://bit.ly/16SJ3B

Me: @anthonycotton no. you are the one who's spreading this information, give me the science-based peer-reviewed studies that show that your...

...your company has found all the nutrients that humans need. I would think that it would be a major breakthough and other

...other scientists would be able to replicate the studies. This is how SCIENCE works

besides, it's scientific fact that EVERYONE does better when they get the proper nutrition, not just people w autism & ADHD

I visited the website and the "research" leads to magazine articles. where are the scientific studies?

Anthony: @CorinaBecker I have provided you with all the information I can while chatting, if if you want to take it a step further you may do so.

Me: @anthonycotton sure, that I will. I'll be search pubmed for studies that have found all the nutrients a human needs, plus other databases

I'll tell you the results, okay?

because surely you would like to know whether or not what you're doing is fraud

Googled “reliv” and other than business reports and magazine articles, found these:

http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,6510,0.htm

http://uk.video.yahoo.com/watch/4707391

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080930133313AArFv7o

(yeah, there's some guy who goes on about how Reliv is a scam, and then goes and sells his own site... sigh)

On the Reliv site, under research and articles are links to “science and health today” “nutrition news” and “life supplemented”.

This is their advisory board: http://www.reliv.com/CA/EN/Scientific%20Advisory%20Board.html

I have been unable to find anything on the PubMed database supplied by my school about anything regarding scientists finding all the nutrients a human needs by breaking down a human cell. (if anyone does find related articles that are easily and freely available, please don't hesitate to comment)

One would think that such a thing would be MAJOR big news in the science community and that the trials of such miracle supplement would be highly regarded by health departments. But no, in every health and nutrition textbook, guide and handout given by the Ministry of Health (Canada) gives a food guide and recommends eating fresh foods, mostly fruits and vegetables, and cut out as much fats and oils as possible. You know, moderation of the yummy sweets in favour of REAL food. Standard stuff.

To claim that a supplement is better than proper nutrition and to hail it as a treatment for disorders such as autism and ADHD is ignorance at best and a preying scam at worst.