Joseph Mercola, Date of Birth

Joseph Mercola

American alternative medicine proponent and purveyor of anti-vaccination misinformation

Date of Birth: 08-Jul-1954

Profession: writer, Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, alternative therapist, anti-vaccine activist

Nationality: United States

Zodiac Sign: Cancer

Joseph Michael Mercola (born 1954) is an alternative medicine proponent, osteopathic physician, and Internet businessman, who markets dietary supplements and medical devices, some of which are controversial.
Until 2013, Mercola operated the "Dr.
Mercola Natural Health Center" (formerly the "Optimal Wellness Center") in Schaumburg, Illinois.
He wrote the books The No-Grain Diet (with Alison Rose Levy) and The Great Bird Flu Hoax.
On his website, Mercola and colleagues advocate a number of unproven alternative health notions including homeopathy, and anti-vaccine positions.
Mercola is a member of the political advocacy group Association of American Physicians and Surgeons as well as several alternative medicine organizations.Mercola's medical claims have been criticized by the medical, scientific, regulatory and business communities.
A 2006 BusinessWeek editorial stated his marketing practices relied on "slick promotion, clever use of information, and scare tactics." In 2005, 2006, and 2011, the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration warned Mercola and his company that they were making illegal claims of their products' ability to detect, prevent, and treat disease.
The medical watchdog site Quackwatch has criticized Mercola for making "unsubstantiated claims [that] clash with those of leading medical and public health organizations and many unsubstantiated recommendations for dietary supplements."