Looking for info about dr. Matthias Rath

Delusions_O_Grandeur

Unwilling Skeptic
Delusions_O_Grandeur
Joined
Jan 1, 2007
Messages
236
I've been looking into natural cures for AIDS and HIV recently in order to understand what their effect on these diseases could possibly be. One guy called dr. Matthias Rath sells vitamins that are claimed to help cure HIV.

In Randi's commentary about a month ago it was noted that he's a 'vitamin billionaire'. I need to find something that supports this fact, because the 'Dr Rath Health Foundation' claims it's in fact a non-profit organization which supplies vitamins to 3rd world countries at break-even prices. Second, I can't find literal outrageous claims like "These vitamins cure HIV" on his website. I suspect these claims are only found in the countries where the stuff is sold.

Could somebody tell me where dr Rath sells his 'medicine', how much he charges and what claims can be found on the bottles?
 
Yes, it's a start... But allegations of criminal activities are things that are way over my head. My ability to find truth is limited to the world of scientific research, so I do have a head start: I know that vitamins only have a limited use for HIV patients and that replacing retroviral medication with them is leathal.

I've got to start mining research articles to be sure, but I only remember that vitamins can delay the moment retroviral medication is needed to keep the amount of HIV virus under control. My assumption is confirmed in the article as well:

"Multivitamin supplements are supplied to people with HIV in the public health sector for free. This is because there is some evidence that they delay the onset of AIDS. There is no reason for Rath to establish separate vitamin dispensing depots in townships in order to use poor people for his marketing campaign."

It also points out what the problem with dr. Rath is: he's selling multivitamins for too much money. This is detailed later in the article:

"Rath's strategy is to defame anyone who points out his marketing strategy and lies. Usually he accuses them of being a drug company front. Ironically, his multivitamin prices, as sold on the Internet, are extortionate. His basic vitamin tablets cost $29.95 (+/-R180) per month. The more expensive combinations of tablets can cost up to R3 500 per month. By comparison, local pharmacies sell an expensive brand-name multivitamin product at R62 per month."

Also, Rath claims his vitamins literally cure HIV and that retroviral meds are toxic. I need to get a scan/picture of one of the advertisements from a south african newspaper that the TAC refers to. It would allow me to show anyone that dr. Rath does make outrageous claims.
 
Last edited:
Rath had a working relationship with Linus Pauling, back in the day. They worked together on Vitamin C (paper).

It might be worth considering that scientific pedigree, when evaluating Rath's claims. Pauling is often seen as the final word on Vitamin C as the cure for colds (by my parents, for example), even though the evidence does not really support it. Nonetheless, having a Nobel prize gets doors opened for one, and having published with a Nobel prize winner can also lend an air of legitimacy.

Vitamins haven't proven to be the solution to humanity's diseases, but they have always served Rath well.

Other links:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/aids/story/0,7369,1483821,00.html
http://skepdic.com/rath.html
 
Remember that just because an organization uses the term non-profit does not mean they're not rolling in money. Yes, many non-profits do not pay "employees" as much as a for-profit companies do. Yes, much of the money goes to supporting whatever the cause of that non-profit is. But some people are making out pretty well from their non-profit organizations.
http://www.philanthropy.com/free/articles/v15/i24/24002701.htm
 
Thank you, my initial estimate is that I'm dealing with a salesman operating on the edge of what is legal. I think the best way to get lastig clarity is to go down the scientific route and find quality studies that refute (or pherhaps partially support) his 3 most important claims:

1) Multivitamins can cure HIV and cancer.
2) GlaxoSmithKleine's retroviral medicine AZT is toxic to a leathal degree.
3) The benefits of AZT are minimal.

I expect that claim one will be minimally supported (slight tendency to prevent cancer, slowing HIV for a while), claim two hold true for a very small group of patients and claim three will be refuted.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top Bottom