Celasevich, Larry Cook, One of the most famous anti-vaccine influencers in the US. Cook and his “Stop Mandatory Vaccination” group were banned from Facebook in 2020, after amassing about 200,000 followers. Cook now sells Pure Body Extra as a treatment for autism through the Detox for Autism website.
Pure Body Extra is manufactured by a company called Touchstone Essentials, founded in 2012 by Eddie Stone and based in Raleigh, North Carolina.
The company also sells a variety of other health products. On the product page for Pure Body Extra on the Touchstone Essentials website, the company states that the product is safe “for all ages,” and in the section labeled “Science,” the company states that the product’s ” Its ability to scavenge toxins, heavy metals and environmental pollutants has been proven by over 300 studies listed on PubMed. ”
However, a WIRED analysis of 300 studies found that many were non-human tests, including numerous tests on animals. In fact, in the past decade, only seven human medical trials have been conducted on clinoptilolite, a specific type of zeolite used in PBX, all of which were conducted on adults. Some of them were not related to detoxification. .
“This is a broader metaphor in alternative medicine. [anti-vaxxers] They criticize the medical establishment, saying that they don’t have people’s interests at heart, that they can’t trust ordinary doctors and conventional medicine, but they criticize the research that seems to show results in favor of a treatment. I love to choose carefully. They are delivering,” said Callum Hood, head of research at the Center to Counter Digital Hate. “They’re trying to exploit that science and try to sell people the idea that if you take a little bit of zeolite, you can cure autism in children.”
When asked to provide evidence that clinoptilolite is safe for use in children, Touchstone Essentials did not respond, but the company’s chief marketing officer, Sonia O’Farrell, He told WIRED that the company “does not claim that Pure Body Extra (PBX) is safe.” Autism, or any condition related to it, can be cured or treated. Pure Body Extra is a nutritional supplement featuring natural zeolites that support the body’s detoxification system. By definition, dietary supplements cannot claim to cure, cure, diagnose, or prevent any disease. ”
O’Farrell added that the company does not endorse the individuals who sell their products or how they promote them. “If we become aware that an affiliate is making medical claims, our compliance team will advise the affiliate to remove such material,” O’Farrell added.
A statement written in small print at the bottom of the Touchstone Essentials website reads: “These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Our products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.”
The FDA did not respond to requests for comment about how Pure Body Extra is being advertised online.
