Natural Causes book by Dan Hurley - Thoughts on this book and the author by Ray Sahelian, M.D.

In my opinion, Dan Hurley, the author of Natural Causes, is a quack. Not only is he a quack, but he is biased and lacks even the fundamental knowledge required to even write an article in tabloid magazine on the topic of nutritional supplements. There is no doubt that there are hucksters in the nutritional supplement field (as there are in the traditional medical and pharmaceutical fields), but to dismiss the whole field of nutritional supplement therapy shows lack of understanding and basic nutritional knowledge.

Dan Hurley and Natural Causes interview on CBS News, January 2007
In his interview on CBS Evening News to promote his book Natural Causes, Dan Hurley claims that there is no good evidence for the safety and efficacy of most herbal supplements and vitamins. However, he does not say which supplements or vitamins he has called into question and I felt the 2 segments done by CBS News were shoddy and did not provide any specific helpful information to the consumer except perpetuate confusion.

Dan Hurley is a quack
Dictionaries define quack as "a pretender to medical skill; a charlatan" and "one who talks pretentiously without sound knowledge of the subject discussed."
   Dan Hurley. does not have a degree in nutrition science, nor is he a medical doctor. When it comes to the field of nutritional supplements, Dan Hurley can be easily defined as a Quack since he pretends to "have skills or knowledge in supplements and talks pretentiously" without actually having clinical expertise or sound knowledge of herbal and nutritional medicine. A person can't be an expert at a topic if they have not had hands-on experience. Would you feel comfortable having your diabetes treated by a layman who has read medical books on diabetes treatment but has never actually managed a diabetic on insulin? Would you feel comfortable relying on nutritional advice from a layman, Dan Hurley, even though he has not had hands-on experience using supplements with patients and does not have a degree in nutrition science? Dan Hurley owes a big apology to the American consumer, and media outlets who promote his book should do a better job presenting alternative viewpoints and should point out Dan Hurlye's lack of adequate scientific training and experience.

Industry Group Pans Book on Dietary Supplements
2007-01-16 - Council for Responsible Nutrition ( CRN )
Anecdotes, Absence of Science Make Natural Causes ‘Not Credible’
WASHINGTON, D.C., January 16, 2007 – A newly released book on dietary supplements was dismissed today by a leading authority on dietary supplements as “not credible,” because of its lack of science, historical inaccuracies and emphasis on anecdotal evidence and opinion. “The book Natural Causes cannot be considered a credible, scientific work,” said Steve Mister, president and CEO of the Council for Responsible Nutrition CRN, a national trade association for the supplement industry. “This is an assortment of extreme anecdotes that exploit rare and tragic misfortunes in an agenda-driven attempt to sell books.” Mr. Mister described Natural Causes as one in which science is “largely absent,” and noted that author Dan Hurley relies primarily on “personal opinion and isolated incidents to falsely imply that these cases represent the experience of the more than 150 million Americans who take safe, beneficial dietary supplements as part of their healthy lifestyle choices.” According to Mr. Mister, Dan Hurley demonstrates a lack of knowledge about dietary supplements that is reflected in the book’s opening chapter, in which he examines the use of bloodroot as a topical ointment for treating cancer. Bloodroot, when used as a salve, is not a dietary supplement. “He either has an appalling lack of understanding about even the most fundamental aspects of dietary supplements, or purposely chooses to mislead consumers in order to draw his conclusions,” said Mr. Mister.
Footnotes in the book further demonstrate the volume’s absence of science in drawing flawed conclusions. “The book includes more than 200 footnotes, but a cursory examination shows Dan Hurley repeatedly footnotes his own inquiries, other people’s opinions and people who spoke anonymously,” said Mr. Mister. “This is not the bibliography of a serious piece of work.” Mr. Mister also questioned the propriety of advocating censorship, noting that Dan Hurley claims it is “inexcusable,” for news reporters and editors to quote CRN on matters of science. “Our organization is predicated on science,” said Mr. Mister. “It’s just wrong to try to censor fact-based viewpoints in an effort to push an unfounded regulatory agenda.”
   The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), founded in 1973, is a Washington, D.C.-based trade association representing dietary supplement industry ingredient suppliers and manufacturers. CRN members voluntarily adhere to a strong code of ethics, comply with dosage limits and manufacture dietary supplements to high quality standards under good manufacturing practices.