El Greco
Summer worshipper
- Joined
- Nov 11, 2003
- Messages
- 17,604
Recently a branch of Detoxification Academy opened in Athens and I decided to investigate things a little. It looks like Hubbard's method has also gained some fame after 9/11 because of their New York Rescue Workers Detoxification Project.
Some of the toxins they focus on are PCBs and dioxins. It looks like those substances may indeed pose a health risk to certain populations (relevant study). PCBs are lipophilic and they do accumulate in human fat tissue so chronic poisoning by repeated exposure to subtoxic doses is perfectly possible (I have a lot more details from my toxicology textbook).
Here's where the "method" comes in. From their sites they offer some review of scientific literature which forms the base for their claims. Basically the "method" does not include anything fancy: It's supplementation with niacin and PUFAs that reportedly either mobilize or increase the adipose tissue turnover (which in theory could release any lipophilic compounds stored in said tissue). Also the method includes sweating (sauna) and aerobic exercise for increasing sebum production and mobilizing fatty acids respectively. Finally, a diet rich in vegetables and fiber is prescribed and vitamins/minerals are being administered.
The pdf file linked above includes references to studies that seem to confirm its effectiveness, at least partially. Although some of these studies appear in journals that I'm not sure how trustworthy they are (like this one: Lipophil-mediated reduction of toxicants in humans: an evaluation of an ayurvedic detoxification procedure, which shows a reduction in PCB levels after "ayurvedic detoxification").
Anyway, it looks like the "Hubbard method" is actually a much overpriced introduction to a healthier lifestyle (better diet, better supplementation, exercise) and it looks possible that this healthier lifestyle could reduce concentrations of some lipophilic toxins like PCBs. I haven't looked into it in much detail yet, but my first impression is that I can't categorize it as an 100% fraud, although they do use the usual detestable hype of "pollutants", "chemicals in foods" and how "everyone would benefit from the detox method".
If anyone has searched this in more detail I'd like to read your input (and please, for Hubbard's sake, spare me the usual "there are no toxins" jargon - if that's what you believe read some toxicology first).
Some of the toxins they focus on are PCBs and dioxins. It looks like those substances may indeed pose a health risk to certain populations (relevant study). PCBs are lipophilic and they do accumulate in human fat tissue so chronic poisoning by repeated exposure to subtoxic doses is perfectly possible (I have a lot more details from my toxicology textbook).
Here's where the "method" comes in. From their sites they offer some review of scientific literature which forms the base for their claims. Basically the "method" does not include anything fancy: It's supplementation with niacin and PUFAs that reportedly either mobilize or increase the adipose tissue turnover (which in theory could release any lipophilic compounds stored in said tissue). Also the method includes sweating (sauna) and aerobic exercise for increasing sebum production and mobilizing fatty acids respectively. Finally, a diet rich in vegetables and fiber is prescribed and vitamins/minerals are being administered.
The pdf file linked above includes references to studies that seem to confirm its effectiveness, at least partially. Although some of these studies appear in journals that I'm not sure how trustworthy they are (like this one: Lipophil-mediated reduction of toxicants in humans: an evaluation of an ayurvedic detoxification procedure, which shows a reduction in PCB levels after "ayurvedic detoxification").
Anyway, it looks like the "Hubbard method" is actually a much overpriced introduction to a healthier lifestyle (better diet, better supplementation, exercise) and it looks possible that this healthier lifestyle could reduce concentrations of some lipophilic toxins like PCBs. I haven't looked into it in much detail yet, but my first impression is that I can't categorize it as an 100% fraud, although they do use the usual detestable hype of "pollutants", "chemicals in foods" and how "everyone would benefit from the detox method".
If anyone has searched this in more detail I'd like to read your input (and please, for Hubbard's sake, spare me the usual "there are no toxins" jargon - if that's what you believe read some toxicology first).
