Dr. Mercola Angers Fans by Promoting Infant Formula

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By Lisa Russell
Published Oct 18, 2010
0diggsdigg Share Article Print Article Dr Mercola's natural-minded fan base is angry about his decision to market an artificial breastmilk product. His ethics are called into question.

Dr Joseph Mercola's Facebook Fan Page was buzzing with activity early on the morning of Monday, October 18, 2010. Some of his "fans," which (at 8am PST) number over 128,000, are angry with his decision to market a breastmilk substitute for infants.

The controversy has inspired women to speak out against his lack-of-a-position regarding male genital mutilation (routine infant circumcision) as well.

One former Mercola fan sums up the consensus of the objectors:

I have been a very vocal supporter of yours for YEARS. However, as a prominent lactivist & child health advocate with a large network here on Facebook, and having read this morning about your upcoming powdered infant formula to hit the market in a year's time, you should know that I will now be pulling my support for you entirely. That, coupled with your wishy-washy stance on infant genital cutting, makes it clear to all (or it should), that infant health is clearly NOT your concern; getting the lion's share of the formula market, however, is. If you truly cared about infant health, you'd inject some of your burgeoning fortune into *breastfeeding support* in your country, instead of adding to the detriment that ALL breastmilk substitutes have on infants who consume them. Disappointed beyond words in Montréal, -Emma KwasnicaDr Mercola's site has been publishing articles to educate his readers about the dangerous levels of Manganese in soy-based infant formula. In his article "Warning: Please Avoid Feeding This To Your Child" (10-18-10) he states that

children exposed to high concentrations of manganese in drinking water performed worse on tests of intellectual functioning than children with lower exposures.

and later, that:Studies on miners and steelworkers, for example, have shown that excessive exposure to manganese can cause manganese poisoning, Parkinson's disease, and Wilson's diseaseMercola points out that manganese exists in groundwater, and points out that some areas are now filtering manganese out of their water.

In third world countries, and areas where water contamination is likely, powdered infant formula can be deadly for babies. Polluted water, fed to infants, often results in deadly infections. The World Health organization works very hard to educate women in third world countries about the benefits of breastfeeding.

Mercola's article states that his company is "in the process of producing the finest infant formula on the market" Those 12 words were the impetus of outrage. Nakai Rupp, a former fan of Dr Mercola, questions his stance on male genital mutilation as well, stating:

I pulled my support of you earlier this year when I found out that you delete questions about circumcision from your page and you do not answer them. Which makes one think that you are possibly FOR infant genital mutilation. And now you are developing formula?! WOW! What a disgrace! If you can line your pockets at the expense of a baby's health, you do not deserve MY support. I will be spreading the word about you, so that others may see what you are truly about!! I am once again removing myself from ALL of your mailing lists.

Unable to find a specific statement regarding his stance on circumcision, an article from April of 2000 states that Mercola was "impressed with the evidence supporting circumcision" while another article on the site, written by Dietrich Klinghardt, MD, PhD, listed circumcision as an event that can "Leave Behind an Unresolved Psycho-Emotional Conflict" which, if left unresolved, can create a significant bioelectrical disturbance in conflict-specific areas of the brain. The abnormal signals produce abnormal neuropeptides and abnormal electrical currents that reach the hypothalamus. From here, the signals travel in the autonomic nervous system to distinct target organs, which are - again - conflict specific"In other articles on the site, Mercola's readers can be seen sharing their circumcision stance and encouraging Dr Mercola to speak out, though he has not.

References:

Warning: Please Avoid Feeding This to Your Child on Mercola.com

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/10/18/manganese-can-adversely-affect-childrens-intelligence.aspx?aid=CD945

Circumcision Facts on Mercola.com

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2000/04/09/circumcision.aspx

Applied Psycho-Neurobiology by Dr Dietrich Klinghardt on Mercola.com

http://www.mercola.com/article/applied_psycho_neurobiology/apn.htm



Read more at Suite101: Dr Mercola Angers Fans by Promoting Infant Formula http://www.suite101.com/content/dr-mercola-angers-fans-by-promoting-infant-formula-a298198#ixzz12jNPuSCg