Take a look at the following website: http://30daydiabetescure.com/
The first indication that this is an unreliable site, is the advertisement that pops up asking you to purchase a book.
The following is a list of other factors:
1. “Dr. Ripich” is not a medical doctor.
Stated clearly on the “About Dr. Ripich” tab, he is a nurse practitioner. Compared to a doctor’s many years of training, a nurse practitioner only has 24 months (Gupta, 2002). How can a registered nurse’s knowledge of health compete with that of a doctor’s? If nurses and doctors were exchangeable, “we would have stopped using doctors in primary care years ago; doctors would only be in specialty fields” (Gupta, 2002).
2. He does not take any responsibility for his patients and even admits that the information he provides on his site is not a substitute for professional advice. The disclaimer at the very bottom of his site says:
“The information on this site is intended solely for general educational purposes, and it is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or before making changes to your medication program, diet, or exercise regimen. Reliance on any information provided on this site is solely at your own risk.”
3. The evidence provided is all anecdotal. There are numerous videos that Dr. Ripich posted of his patients giving testimony to the wondrous results they gained from Dr. Ripich’s methods. Here is a screen-shot of one:
Plus, you get $20 back if you agree to a testimony, so there’s no way to tell if the testimonies are true or something book-buyers were forced to say.
4. A potential bias is that Dr. Ripich is selling his book for $49.95. As incentives, he offers eight free gifts for purchasing his book online. If you take a look at the Page Source of this website, you will see that he uses “marketing.yahoo.com” and “moonraymarketing.com.” These sites are clearly centered on marketing, and further prove the notion that Dr. Ripich’s priority is to sell his book. Here is a picture of the book that details his “ingenious 30-day plan.”
5. Dr. Ripich claims that the drug industry will “lose billions of dollars in profits if the truth gets out” – the truth being his “natural cure” for diabetes. However, the World Health Organization (WHO) says that there is a great economical impact on society caused by diabetes. For example, “in the period 2006-2015, China will lose $558 billion in foregone national income due to heart disease, stroke and diabetes alone” (2011).
6. Dr. Ripich offers “Diabetes Healing Superfoods that you’ll discover on Day 10 of The 30-Day Diabetes Cure.” However, the American Diabetes Association says that “diabetic and ‘dietetic’ foods generally offer no special benefit.” They still raise blood glucose levels, even though they are more expensive. If these “Superfoods” have sugar alcohols, they can also have a “laxative effect” (American Diabetes Association, 2011).
Dr. Rip, as his "patients" affectionately call him? More like Dr. Rip-off!
References
American Diabetes Association. (2011). Diabetes Myths. Retrieved from http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/diabetes-myths/
Gupta, Rahul. (2002). Nurse practitioners increase access to quality health care for many patients. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1123683/
World Health Organization. (2011). Diabetes. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs312/en/index.html
