Ben Carson caught on video claiming Mannatech supplement magically cured his prostate cancer

[timosman]

http://www.dailynewsbin.com/news/be...ncer-was-cured-by-tree-bark-supplement/22733/

Even as Dr. Ben Carson touts his medical expertise as a qualification in his candidacy for President, he’s stuck having to explain why he once claimed that his prostate cancer had been cured by a junk science supplement consisting of aloe vera and tree bark. Carson, who has rejected most modern scientific principles during his campaign as he’s rejected climate change and other basics, has been caught on video making the claims as part of a pyramid scheme promoting the supplement – even as he denied any connection during the third republican debate.

In what might be the strangest story yet about the seemingly strangest candidate in the 2016 race, YouTube footage has surfaced from 2004 in which Ben Carson tells a group of sales associates for a dietary supplement called Mannatech that after he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, he began taking the supplement and “within about three weeks my symptoms went away.” It must not have worked that well, as Carson later had surgery to remove the cancer.

It should be pointed out that Carson is a retired medical doctor and brain surgeon, and would seemingly be the last Presidential candidate to be willing to participate in such a junk-medicine pyramid scheme. However the video in question plays up his doctor credentials as a way of giving credence to the supplement in question. Watch the video of Ben Carson claiming that tree bark cured his cancer here:

 

[r3volution 3.0]

 

[Danke]

I watch the video, he didn't seem to come off as bad as the article implies.

 

[timosman]

I watch the video, he didn't seem to come off as bad as the article implies.

Disagree. He is pushing snake oil really hard. His manner of speaking is annoying. He sounds like a savant.

 

[Danke]

Disagree. He is pushing snake oil really hard. His manner of speaking is annoying. He sounds like a savant.

He said don't abandon tradition medicine.

 

[timosman]

He said don't abandon tradition medicine.

It is called covering one's ass. This statement does not offset the fact he was pimping a questionable supplement for a few minutes.

 

[eleganz]

Man, Carson's comments and past just gets weirder and weirder.

 

[AngryCanadian]

And American Alleged Voters Another Black African Because his a NeoCon? lol

 

[BrooklynZoo]

Article is exaggerating and exhibits obvious liberal bias, what with "rejecting climate change and other basics" etc. The kind of hit piece you can expect from a Rachel Maddow.

Dr. Carson stated in the video that the supplement relieved his symptoms, which if they were prostate related (as it sounds) may be true. Symptoms of an enlarged prostate (though not cancer itself) can be relieved temporarily through suppression of DHT. I'm not familiar with the product he used but if it contains ingredients such as beta sitosterol or other anti-DHT ingredients and other inflammation-soothing elements, his story is not so far fetched. One of the claimed ingredients, larch arabinogalactan, is listed by WebMD stating that it is used to boost the immune system and that there is evidence it may prevent cancer cells in the liver from growing. Still possibly a bit disingenuous but I'd worry more about Carson's naivete if he actually believed the supplement might cure him.

Time and again, Ben Carson has shown he is very adaptable to different ideas - possibly too adaptable at times when it comes to key philosophical ideas of liberty on topics such as gun control and general liberty ideology. Anyone who wants to "intensify" the War on Drugs and waffles so much on war overseas is not a suitable candidate for POTUS, no matter how calm and reasonable he sounds otherwise. I would not vote for him because of this. However, let's not jump so easily onto the same sort of smear campaigns that have so often been run against Ron and Rand Paul.

 

[erowe1]

Disagree. He is pushing snake oil really hard. His manner of speaking is annoying. He sounds like a savant.

savant
[sa-vahnt, sav-uh nt; French sa-vahn]
Spell Syllables
Examples Word Origin
noun, plural savants [sa-vahnts, sav-uh nts; French sa-vahn] (Show IPA)
1.
a person of profound or extensive learning; learned scholar.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/savant?s=t

 

[Ronin Truth]

Magic seems like a very strange claim for a distinguished neurosurgeon.

 

[timosman]

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/savant?s=t

Savants are worshipped in this country

 

[Sola_Fide]

Not defending his statements, but the sitosterols in pine bark have been a treatment for dealing with prostate symptoms for a long time.

 

[erowe1]

Article is exaggerating and exhibits obvious liberal bias

Timosman is the resident Bernie Sanders shill.

 

[Acala]

Magic seems like a very strange claim for a distinguished neurosurgeon.

He believes that modern astronomy is "a fairy tale" but also believes that the theory of natural selection is the work of a supernatural demon.

 

[wetroof]

If he wasn't a spokesman for them some other doctor would have been... So I don't see that he is doing any harm. just making money. The blame should be placed on the people that are convinced to by the product.

 

[Ronin Truth]

He believes that modern astronomy is "a fairy tale" but also believes that the theory of natural selection is the work of a supernatural demon.

Sounds like supremely POTUS qualified to me.

 

[jmdrake]

He believes that modern astronomy is "a fairy tale" but also believes that the theory of natural selection is the work of a supernatural demon.

Sounds a lot like Ron Paul.

 

[jmdrake]

It is called covering one's ass. This statement does not offset the fact he was pimping a questionable supplement for a few minutes.

Right. Because if a supplement is not FDA approved like the killer drug Vioxx it can't possibly work.

 

[jmdrake]

Not defending his statements, but the sitosterols in pine bark have been a treatment for dealing with prostate symptoms for a long time.

*gasp* Really? I bet you don't believe we should kill off most of the population to stop climate change either! Heretic!

/sarcasm

Seriously, tempest in a teapot.