Preying Upon a Celiac's Fears

gluten-sensitivity-scam

Note: As of August 17, 2012, I have been legally required to change all references of Gluten Relief to Gluten Sensitivity since it turns out Jason violated a trademark by using that name. You can read about it here. They were also forced to take the above video down. Idiots.

I hate this. I really, really HATE this.

What’s that phrase…”If it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck and swims like a duck, then it probably is a duck.”

Well, if it looks like a scam, smells like a scam…you get my drift.

celiac scamThe guy above is peddling a product called Gluten Sensitivity. It was created by him and another “doctor” (who actually isn’t a doctor in the medical sense).

For $149 per month (for 1-3 months), you can now eat gluten if you have celiac disease without all those nasty, burdensome side affects. And then BOOM, after three months, you’re cured. No more celiac disease.

Is it FDA approved? Of course not.

Is it supported one iota by the medical community? Of course not.

Now look…I am all for alternative solutions to any problem…even medical problems. And just because a “cure” isn’t FDA approved does not mean it doesn’t work. Heck, I had warts when I was a kid and nothing the doctors prescribed worked. Then I tried a natural cure of castor oil and baking soda (seriously) and it worked like a charm.

Don’t fall for this celiac scam

I implore you to watch the video above and tell me what your first gut reaction is.

I gotta admit…he lost me when he says “there was no grain in the Garden of Eden.” Ummm…ok. And he knows this how? Was he there?

And listen to what he says at the 3:10 mark. He basically says that when you take his product, you can consume gluten. Celiac disease be damned.

It’s quite an effective marketing scam ploy. He is telling celiacs who have trouble staying gluten-free exactly what they want to hear.

“It’s ok to have that piece of cake. It’s ok to have that slice of bread. It’s ok to have that bottle of beer. Gluten Gluten Sensitivity to the rescue.”

Have I tried this product? I have not.

And you can certainly judge me for browbeating something I haven’t tried. I’m fair game.

But in order for me to know if it works, I need to try at least three month’s worth and ingest gluten.

So if it works, I’m cured of celiac disease (for which there is no cure.) And if it doesn’t work, I’m sick for the next six months and do untold damage to my intestines.

Ya know what…I think I’ll pass, thanks.

And I don’t want to hear about their damn double blind study. You need to take them at their word. I choose not to.

And just to be clear, they are not saying to take a pill to help with your symptoms. They are saying it’s a cure for celiac disease. Two totally different things.

“But Gluten Dude, they have a money-back guarantee?”

The guarantee is a joke.

You need to buy a minimum of three bottles of the product. With taxes, that comes to about $500.

Then, you need to wait six months.

Then, you need to spend another $99 for a fecal IgA test at EnteroLab (who they seem to have quite a warm and fuzzy relationship with…just saying) and if those tests come back and show you “still have celiac” (their words…not mine), THEN you get your money back.

Please. They know the majority of people will not go through the hassle and the expense.

Again, they are preying upon people’s weaknesses…the lowest species of mankind.

So I beg of you…if you have celiac disease and come across this product, please think twice about taking it and eating gluten. You have no idea of the damage you could be doing to your body and your soul.

Celiac is a serious autoimmune disease and should not be put in the hands of a miracle in a pill.

One last note…here’s the Disclaimer on their own website: “Information and statements regarding dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.”

Total scammers…man I hate them.

Remember…if it sounds too good to be true…it usually is.

Would love to hear your thoughts…

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54 thoughts on “Preying Upon a Celiac's Fears”

    1. The Gluten Dude

      I just contacted the company on Twitter and asked them to respond. We’ll see what they come back with.

  1. The world widw web is full of scammers Dude. People don’t want to hear that you believe they’ve been scammed. Celiac and ncgs are the biggest scams going right now.

    If a website wants money for anything at all…..it’s a pretty good indication they aren’t really interested in anything else. I was reading one a few days ago. This guy has quite a cult following on facebook. He tells you to consult his e-clinic…..of course if you read all the small print on his website, you will see that you are NOT his patient…Never were….and If you have a real problem…go see your own physician as he is not responsibile for anything that happens to you if you buy his products or follow his advice.

    C’mom people! Wise up! Any idiot can own a website and profess to have knowledge about any subject. If you want the best research…go to dot edu or dot gov sites. DON”T buy bogus tests and supplements from the internet!

    Great article Dude!!!!

    1. I meant world wide web….my mind and fingers just don’t seem to be able to stay in sync….must be old age LOL!

  2. Wow. WOW. This is the most ridiculous thing I have seen in a while. This is exactly my frustration, people like this praying on those who only want to live normally. I just wish that people would learn more about their own health to be able to spot shysters like this guy!

    1. The Gluten Dude

      Lots of people are always looking for the easy way. Unfortunately, it’s usually not the right way.

  3. that “doctor” gave me the creeps. Unfortunately, I had a somewhat similar experience. I was not getting better from the GF diet and was very sick. My doctors were riding it off as “psychological” and bs like that. I got so desperate that I went to an alternative medicine clinic. They pretty much convinced me that I was dying and that I had to buy all these “suppliments.” Yet they wouldn’t tell me what was in the “suppliments” and they were very expensive. I didn’t buy them and never returned to their “clinic.” They did all sorts of bogus tests on me as well. Yet they called several times and told me that my health was in grave danger and that I needed to go back to see the “doctor” immediately. I still didn’t go back. I was also getting berated and bullied by a GI doctor at the Chicago Celiac Center for having “gone behind their backs” and seeing a quack. But I was desperate. And this GI doctor just made the situation much worse. Fortunately, I found another GI doctor at the Chicago Celiac Center who was much better and wasn’t a bully. I was still very sick but was even more careful to cut gluten out of my diet. I had to get a repeat endoscopy last November, which turned out to show that I was improving greatly. In the last few months I’ve felt much better. It took me nearly 1 1/2 years on the GF diet to start feeling better. Therefore, I must have been extremely ill when diagnosed. I’m continuing to make progress. On the diet and no bogus pills. I have other horror stories, too, but mine pale compared to those of many Celiacs. The bottom line is, “doctors” like the one above pray on desperate people who may have gotten dismissed by regular doctors and are at the last resort. I really hope that Celiacs don’t fall for this BS.

  4. As my husband says there is a special place in hell for these people. I do smell scam. He struggles with the language is clue number one. I will be sharing your blog with everyone I know so that no one succumbs to his trickery. What evil!

  5. “Information and statements regarding dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.”???

    Fools and their money, is there a complaints council people can contact? Surely if people take this and then become ill or even worse there are repercussions for the company selling this?

    This is just so wrong………….

  6. This guy looks like “Dr. Evil” from the “Austin Powers” movie! Seriously and all kidding aside, this is the 21st century version of “Snake Oil” for Celiacs and an awesome forked-tongue (oops: marketing)! Celiacs keep your clear-thinking cap on and do not succumb to such nonsense. 🙂

    Yours,

    GFDougie

  7. I just read the the write-up of their study in “The Original Internist”. Unlike any medical journal article I’ve ever read. The fact that the publication itself doesn’t appear to be a reputable journal is telling.

    (As an aside, I’m absolutely not against alternative medicine or naturopathic medicine. I regularly see a naturopathic doctor. Just not for Celiac.)

  8. I had a huge level of skepticism when I first watched the video. In the end I decided to give them the benefit of the doubt but will be documenting my journey with it in order to help others.

            1. The Gluten Dude

              I LOVE the fact you included a link to the definition of “shill”. Too cool.

              I know he/she is, but let’s see how it plays out.

  9. As a medical student with coeliac disease I was enraged when I first found out about this a few months ago. Through a long long email exchange I tried to argue with the science behind this trash, but the bastards refused to budge an inch. In the end I gave up, because I have more important things to do with my life than bang my head against a wall of stupid, but it does worry me that other people may think this company offer a genuine cure – so it’s great to see you raising awareness about this horrendous scam. You’re totally right when you say it preys on coeliacs who have trouble sticking to the diet, people who are already looking for another option and are therefore more likely to “give it a go”. If you find out any way that this can be reported as dangerous, please let me know – a product like this could end up literally killing people.

  10. IM; I think you are playing Russian roulette with your health. I would highly reconsider…that guy is just trying to scam you! Don’t fall for his BS! (just my humble opinion)

  11. This rly isn’t a game… Celiac isn’t something that a person should “test” things like this with. IF this Miracle Pill dznt work, and odds r it will not” there will b damage dun to ur intestines or even worse… THIS IS ONE OF THE PRIME REASONS SOCIETY DOESN’T TAKE CELIAC SERIOUS! If the ppl that suffer with r willing to “experiment” with ingesting gluten then obviously…. must nt b a “serious” illness. That is how society views this! Fellow suffers… PLEASE PLEASE BE REALISTIC!!

  12. First off the bat, did you know that in most states, anyone can call themselves a “Doctor of Naturopathy,” regardless of education level? This “Dr. Wise” in particular has no medical degree (and possibly not even a naturopathic degree)!

    Apart from being potentially totally untruthful, the video itself is a contradiction at best.

    First up, Dr. Jerry Block starts off by saying that man was not meant to eat grain (which, of course, includes wheat, barley, rye and oats (which of course contain gluten)). Then he talks about gluten intolerance (i.e. celiac disease and gluten sensitivity) and how the diagnostic process is flawed (encouraging people to self-diagnose, which (as any sensible MD knows) is dangerous). Immediately after this, he blatantly “encourages” people on a gluten free diet to safely “consume gluten throughout”, even though he initially said that grain was not meant to be consumed by us in the first place.
    Isn’t this enough of a clue to tell you that something is clearly ‘very wrong’?

    Everyone here should review Health Canada’s stance on miracle cures for diabetes (which apply to any condition IMO – Especially Celiac Disease, where temptation can so easily get in the way of those of us afflicted with this potentially LIFE-THREATENING AUTOIMMUNE CONDITION).

    ———-

    Here are some tips on spotting scams:

    1. Beware of ads that promise too much! Think twice before buying a product that claims it can do it all – stabilize blood sugar, end the need for insulin, regenerate the pancreas, reduce cholesterol, and cause easy weight loss.

    The same concept here can be applied to those of us with celiac disease. Although Jason at J&L Health – The (not so) Wise Alternative says these tips don’t apply because they’re not making ‘diabetes claims’ as such, he and his “doctors” are using exactly this same approach – just with a different condition which, by the way, is often related to diabetes as well! So, there you go.

    2. Steer completely clear of a product that claims to be a “scientific breakthrough”. Researchers around the world are racing to find better treatments for diabetes, so genuine scientific discoveries make frontpage news. If the first or only place you learn about a new treatment is through an advertisement on the Internet, be suspicious.

    Well, I have to say that had it not been for the video above that was featured on YouTube a couple of months back I don’t think I would have known of it either!

    3. Keep your guard up when ads mention scientific evidence. Ads that are long on technical jargon may be short on proof. The presence of a doctor in an ad is no guarantee the product works. Scam artists have been known to dress models to look like experts.

    This is clearly the case here, where they keep mentioning “studies” and “trials” that are about as tiny and insignificant as you could get!

    4. Don’t be swayed by a questionable “success story” or so-called “patient testimonial”. Despite what the company claims, there’s no guarantee that “John Doe of Hometown, Canada” has achieved the advertised results – or is even a real person.

    The J&L Health website contains a page of these! Are they genuine? Where are their details? Email, IP Address, etc.? How can we know that

    And, of course (let’s not forget)…

    5. A money-back guarantee is no proof that a product works. Scam artists who offer a guarantee have been known to take the money and run.

    J&L Health may well turn out to be the perfect example of this down the track.

    ———-

    So I’d say that, based on the above criteria, these guys have scored a good 5/5! Each criterion has been met, indicating that this product (indeed) is almost certainly a scam.

    Additionally, on researching some background information behind the company, this “Dr. Jack Wesley Wise” (the so-called “creator and maker” of this supposed “cure for gluten homeopathic”) also sounds like a bit of a quack to me (and it seems I’m not the first to state that). Here’s a link to a complaint about him from back in 2003:

    www (dot) complaints (dot) com (slash) december2003 (slash) complaintoftheday.december18.29.htm

    In addition, there is a very negative review about the owners of J&L Health’s physical location, Herbs and More, that I recently found on Google:

    www (dot) onelocal (dot) com (slash) business (dot) cfm?business=18548039

    ——–
    Jack and Linda Wise are evil incarnate. They rip people off with their fake testing so you will buy more of their products. They have people that support their products and skills but they are on their payroll too or family members with different last names. Stay away from Jack and Linda and their fake bulls**t unless you want to lose your bank account quick. Hold onto your wallet as you back up when leaving the store.
    ——–

    Based on the above evidence that I’ve (thankfully) managed to compile with little time, I can justifiably agree 100% with the author of this post (and most of his commenters above, too!) that this product is indeed a scam. It has also become very clear to me that capitalism is likely the main and primary focus of J&L Health and this is pretty blatantly reflected in the high price they set on this wretched product that is likely to be endangering the lives of many people who are naive enough to suck up to this marketing ploy.

    Should I have expected anything more?

    I look forward to seeing what Jason has to say. I suspect it will be the usual ‘weak defense’, as always. 😕

    Stay Safe and stick to your Gluten Free Diets, people!! Maybe someday we’ll be able to use something else to maintain a healthy lifestyle but for now I’m right in line with what’s mainstream. I truly believe that there will be repercussions for this company down the track if they continue to capitalize in this manner – for sure!

    1. The Gluten Dude

      Holy Sh*t…the best comment EVER.

      I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your research and input.

      Let’s take these scammers down!!

  13. @GlutenDude Thanks for the invitation, post and comments

    My name is Jason and I am the CEO of The Wise Alternative, our online sales company.

    I received a Twitter message from you on Wednesday I believe and have now had a few moments to read the above post.

    I’ll be happy to reply as time allows. It may be that I can reply shortly to questions /comments or it may take a few days depending on my schedule.

    I’d hope that we can have an open and honest discussion although the tone of the article and comments seem to be anything but.

    I’ll address some points in your post to start things off.

    J.E. Block MD FACP is a noted author, former professor, and medical professional with nearly 50 years of experience. He is not selling the product. He is the physician that conducted our first study.

    Dr. Wise the creator of our product is a Naturopathic Endocrinologist who has been in business for over 14 years and sees patients from every state and several countries.

    Enterolab is an independent laboratory and is not affiliated with our company or product. They simply conduct the testing.

    Study participants were required to consume gluten as part of their participation to determine proof of effect. The results are nothing short of incredible.

    We as a natural health company cannot use the word “cure” and have not done so. Dr. Block uses the word and is within his right as a medical professional of 50 years to do so.

    The FDA disclaimer on our website is the same one that you will find on any natural health website as well as the websites of every major corporation in the world selling over the counter products.

    FDA approval is cost prohibitive for all but a few…costing in excess of 100 million dollars per product submitted. I don’t have the exact numbers in front of me but approximately 50 million Non-FDA prescriptions were written by doctors, paid for by insurance and sold in pharmacies every year. There are more than 100 thousand products on the shelf of your big box stores and in your medicine cabinets that are not FDA approved and they are purchased every single day.

    We take our work and our product seriously and offer the only guarantee in the world of its kind.

    Further testing is ongoing…including colonoscopy, genetic, serological and more. Results will be published when available.

    It’s easy to be doubtful of something as everyone in the Celiac community was of the various digestive enzymes. I recall the comments in the same tone as above and worse. It is now widely accepted of course.

    Going gluten free is helpful but by no means a cure for those afflicted. The body is always in a constant state of inflammation and is also deficient of vital nutrients as a result of villi truncation. Contaminations are often worse when they happen as is well known.

    Looking at the length of this reply to get discussion started I will have to schedule follow ups for as soon as possible next week. I’ll also be posting this comment on our Facebook page so others may join in.

    I’m available for open, honest questions and discussion GlutenDude…Are you??

    Thanks again.

  14. Jason, no one could have possibly done a better job of convincing me to NEVER ever even remotely consider touching your product. In fact, a nice, false advertising charge may soon be in the works. Celiac disease destroys the villi, not the gray cells.

  15. Well… Jason… I would think anyone who knows anything about Celiac would understand that it is an autoimmune disease… that the consumption of gluten causes damage. To ask ones w this disease to consume gluten is like asking someone to try n drink poison…to see if it kills. There is no cure for Celiac… u may b able suppress the symptoms w ur product giving illusion of cure….but the damage is still being dun in the villi AND possibly compromising other systems in the body.

  16. Please, please everyone bombard his facebook page with comments. Report him to every source you can. He must be shut down. There are laws, and disclaimers can only help to a small extent. A class action law suit would be helpful!! Anyone?

    And to IM…why would you try this?! It’s risking your health! It’s not even risking, it’s ruining your health, not to mention your intestines!! Why would you consider it?

  17. I was wondering if anyone could help me,I have this thing that happens to me sometimes ! I break out in a cold sweat and than I start to feel very dizzy and feel like I was going to pass out ! My hand get all shaky ! I have test my sugar and blood presser while its happening and ever thing is normal.
    I just happen to notice that last time it happen, which was Monday I had coffee and oatmeal for breakfast ! This morning when I woke up I have a really itchy rash on my hand! The rash on my hand is nothing new I have been using a prescribition cream for it for years.. I don’t have insurance so my Doctor doesn’t really want to do anything about any of my complailnts. Although I wouldn’t mind getting some answers. Thanks

    1. Trying to diagnose online is a dangerous game Kimmer. It totally sucks that lack of insurance means lack of healthcare. Try to find a clinic or go to an emergency room and find some healing.

  18. I agree with The Gluten Dude trying to diagnose online is d*a*n*g*e*r*o*u*s

    You might want to change the link to the video at the top of this post, GD, as the old one has expired. Just a thought. 🙂

  19. Thanks so much for calling out these people. I will begin by saying that I come from Tulsa. Two years ago, I had a lump on my breast that was growing very rapidly. When I told my friend about it, along with my plan to have a mammogram ASAP, she told me to see this Dr. J.E. Block, MD, FACP (the man who advertises gluten sensitivity) before doing anything, since he is *the* expert in breast screening and his Integrations Health Center will have all the right equipment to do the job properly.

    It took 8 weeks to get an appointment, and the waiting time was 4.5 hours. He emailed me lab request forms so that I could get my blood tested BEFORE HE EVEN SAW ME! I have no idea how a doc like this can practice.

    When I eventually saw him I told him my concerns and he gave me the blood test results. I asked him about having a mammogram, and he implored me to not even think about it. Instead he used thermography to scan my breasts and charged me a shitload of money for it! He also was extremely ill-mannered, laying his hand on my upper legs while he talked, swiftly stroking them. I asked him to stop touching me inappropriately.

    He also told me not to go to just any hospital but specifically to the one which he has a strong connection with, since the thermogram showed the presence of breast cancer and most places don’t endorse his testing. Again, he emphasised that a mammogram would be useless. He also said that I was gluten intolerant and maybe celiac and instructed me that if I take the mentioned product, I should be able to eat gluten. I told him NO, and then he told me I’ll need to quit gluten if I wasn’t going to cooperate. Again, no tests, no diagnosis for this. By this time I politely left and never came back.

    When I visited another doctor, and was immediately referred for a mammogram, it turned out that I DID have breast cancer. Treatment is ongoing and the doctor says the prognosis is promising.

    Just thought I would chime in on this one, due to my experience with this whack job.

  20. Thanks so much for calling out these people. I will begin by saying that I come from Tulsa. Six months ago, I had a lump on my breast that was growing very rapidly. When I told my friend about it, along with my plan to have a mammogram ASAP, she told me to see this Dr. J.E. Block, MD, FACP (the man who advertises gluten sensitivity) before doing anything, since he is *the* expert in breast screening and his Integrations Health Center will have all the right equipment to do the job properly.

    It took 3 weeks to get an appointment, and the waiting time was 4.5 hours. He emailed me lab request forms so that I could get my blood tested BEFORE HE EVEN SAW ME! I have no idea how a doc like this can practice.

    When I eventually saw him I told him my concerns and he gave me the blood test results. I asked him about having a mammogram, and he implored me to not even think about it. Instead he used thermography to scan my breasts and charged me a shitload of money for it! He also was extremely ill-mannered, laying his hand on my upper legs while he talked, swiftly stroking them. I asked him to stop touching me inappropriately.

    He also told me not to go to just any hospital but specifically to the one which he has a strong connection with, since the thermogram showed the presence of breast cancer and most places don’t endorse his testing. Again, he emphasised that a mammogram would be useless. He also said that I was gluten intolerant and maybe celiac and instructed me that if I take the mentioned product, I should be able to eat gluten. I told him NO, and then he told me I’ll need to quit gluten if I wasn’t going to cooperate. Again, no tests, no diagnosis for this. By this time I politely left and never came back.

    Finally I visited another doctor, and was immediately referred for a mammogram, it turned out that I DID have breast cancer. Treatment is ongoing and the doctor says the prognosis is promising.

    Just thought I would chime in on this one, due to my experience with this whack job.

  21. i trust NO ONE claiming “there is no cure” and trying to tell us all not even to Look. this means the OP as well. this could very well be a person interested in the pharma company.or someone that is so brainwashed, that he is unwilling to think beyond logic. Illnesses just dont SUDDENLY hit an entire country. ESPECIALLY a country that sets laws to hide the behaviors of its meat, veggie, and seed industries. and makes it illegal to badmouth them in a large fashion.

    I use the “jews in israel” test. If something is so natural and sudden? then is it a problem for the jews in israel?

    In other words, some isolated area, far from the usa food industry, where they also have diet restrictions anyhow.

    heart illnesses, high blood pressure, strokes, etc. Does it pass the “jews in israel” test?

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I AM someone who's been gluten-free since 2007 due to a diagnosis of severe celiac disease. I'm someone who can steer you in the right direction when it comes to going gluten-free. And I'm someone who will always give you the naked truth about going gluten free.

I AM NOT someone who embraces this gluten-free craziness. I didn’t find freedom, a better life or any of that other crap when I got diagnosed. With all due respect to Hunter S. Thompson, I found fear and loathing of an unknown world. But if I can share my wisdom, tell my stories and make the transition easier on you, I’ve done my job.

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