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Clinically unproven |
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Potentially edible! Food woo |
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Frank Lipman (1954–)[1] is a South African-born celebrity doctor, alternative medicine practitioner, anti-flu vaxxer and cholesterol denialist.
Lipman is the founder of the Eleven Eleven Wellness Center in New York, which claims to "combine Western Medicine with Alternative Therapies, creating sustainable wellness through the marriage of mind, body, and soul."[2] Lipman is a fan of acupuncture, biofeedback, Chinese medicine, herbal medicine, meditation and yoga.[3] He is associated with the pseudoscientific Goop website.[3][note 1]
Lipman is a fan of pseudoscientific detox cleansing that is popular amongst celebrities.[7][8][9] He promotes a two-week detox program featuring his supplements and smoothies.[10] Unsurprisingly, Gwyneth Paltrow was one of his clients.[10]
Lipman has written about magnesium deficiency. Instead of recommending a balanced diet, he suggests that people soak in a bath of magnesium oil or Epsom salt and detox on green smoothies.[7]
Lipman has argued against swine flu vaccination.[11][12] He recommends exercise, washing hands, homeopathic medicine, and vitamin supplements.[12][13]
Physician Peter Lipson of Science-Based Medicine has commented that:
His self-declared status as an expert in prevention is irresponsible. He makes no evidence-based recommendations, and many that are downright dangerous. He illustrates one of the fundamental contradictions in the alternative medicine movement: the claim to be pro-prevention but actions that completely belie the claim. It would be sad if it weren’t dangerous and irresponsible.[12]
“”The research is clear – statins are being prescribed based on an incorrect hypothesis, and they are not harmless.
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—Frank Lipman[14] |
Lipman is a cholesterol and statin denialist. He argues against the scientific consensus by claiming that blood LDL cholesterol levels do not increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and advises people not to take statins.[14] He also argues against the scientific consensus by claiming, "long term studies have not shown a correlation between saturated fat intake and blood cholesterol."[15] In reality, saturated fat consumption is linked to the increase of blood LDL cholesterol levels.[16][17][18][19]
Alternative medicine guru Joseph Mercola has promoted Lipman's inaccurate statements on cholesterol and statins.[14]
Predictably, in the case of the fractally wrong, Lipman has also jumped on the GMO panic and anti-soy bandwagons.[20]