To: IAHF LIST
Subject: NAS Sued Over Outrageous Misinfo on Vitamins!
From: John Hammell jham@iahf.com
Date: Thu, 11 May 2000 17:17:15 -0400
All Webmasters: Please post!
Everyone: Please forward!
I just spoke with Jay Patrick, President of Alacer Corp which is suing the National Academy of Sciences due to the outrageous misinformation they're promulgating about vitamins, especially vitamin C! See their press release below. I apprised him of whats going on with CODEX and will be talking with him some more. I'll be talking with a lot of industry people to get more companies behind his lawsuit and perhaps we can all contribute to it. Its about time!!! This could be the spark that we need along with Emord's ongoing suit against FDA!
FOOTHILL RANCH, Calif.--(BW HealthWire)--
May 10, 2000
via NewsEdge Corporation -
Jay Patrick, 87-year-old president of Alacer Corp., announced today that a lawsuit is prepared and will be filed in about 10 days against the National Academy of Sciences, for "their absolute falsehoods in regard to the use of high levels of Vitamin C, E, Selenium, and Beta Carotene."
Alacer Corp. is the producer of Emer'gen-C(TM), an effervescent drink mix that, according to independent SPINS market research, holds a 45 percent market share of Vitamin C sold in health food outlets in the United States. When water is added to Emer'gen-C(TM), the ascorbic acid reacts with the mineral salts, creating mineral ascorbates like those produced naturally in the livers of more than 99.9% of all animals - except humans.
The Alacer suit will concentrate on alleged false statements made regarding Vitamin C, that contradict the Academy's own findings reported in their recently released Dietary Reference Intakes report, according to Patrick. "We regard our genetic inability to produce mineral ascorbates of Vitamin C in our own bodies as the major disease of the world. This ailment renders us unable to counter innumerable diseases which can never be cured by drug approaches and which greatly shorten our lives," Patrick said.
The suit will seek compensatory damages and ask the Court to declare that the "true Vitamin C" is mineral ascorbates, not ascorbic acid. Mineral ascorbates can be ingested at levels 20 or more times that of ascorbic acid without fear of diarrhea or other gastrointestinal disturbance. "We shall summon major scientists of the world in support of our charges," said Patrick. "We intend to show that the role of Vitamin C in life extension far exceeds the antioxidant capabilities which the National Academy of Sciences, in its public hearings, indicates is its sole function. Accordingly, we are prepared to prove that the Academy is actually lying in their remarks, which cover all diseases of humankind. Indeed, we feel that their statements constitute a crime against our society. Thus, we shall ask that the federal charter of the Institute be revoked."
About Jay Patrick
At age 59, Patrick was head of a chemical specialties corporation in northern New Jersey. He had developed in 1954 the outstanding replacement of the highly toxic carbon tetrachloride, stabilized 1-1-1 trichloroethane, and such products as IBM Tape Cleaner and Developer for use by IBM Computers throughout the world.
At the time, Patrick was not at all interested in nutritional supplements. However, he started to suffer from extreme pains of the TM joints and turned to dentists, without satisfaction, to help eliminate them. Looking for a solution, Patrick became a good friend of Dr. Irwin Stone, an enzyme chemist studying Vitamin C and its many benefits.
Among the things that Stone told him was that all humans suffer from a genetic disease, our inability to produce Vitamin C in our own bodies. On the contrary, 99.9% of all animals manufacture the neutral mineral ascorbates in their own livers.
Patrick tried five or six grams of ascorbic acid and quickly noted that about 95% of his TMJ pain went away. This immediately attracted his interest. He resolved that he would find some way to produce the same mineral ascorbates used so successfully by animals. Accordingly, he shut down his New Jersey plant and returned to his native California.
Within the coming years he set up a plant to produce timed-release mineral ascorbates and other food supplements, which proved quite successful. However, in 1978 he conceived the idea of making a product that would simulate the production of C by animals. It turned out to be Emer'gen-C(TM) effervescent drink mix which has become the outstanding source of Vitamin C in the United States, as sold through health food stores and, lately, in many grocery chains.
Patrick has written some 100 articles on health and his book "Staying Alive and Being Alive" will shortly be published. It includes articles such as "How to Get Out of the Hospital Alive", "Four Great Medical Hoaxes", "What Kills Most of Us", and "Specialized Woman".
Patrick's wife, Ymelda, has 16 grandchildren. They are all in excellent health and are outstanding students. The reason, he says, is that their mothers had 8 to 10 grams of Alacer's mineral ascorbates during each pregnancy.
CONTACT: Alacer | Jay Patrick, President | 800/854-0249 | or
Estey-Hoover Public Relations | Adam Fell, 949/756-8501 | adam@estey-hoover.com