Quack???
Actually we’ve discussed John B. Symes before except we called him Dogtor J and he was shown to be very wrong in his claims.
@epileric - I would honestly like to know what you have found to be wrong about my work. I have been researching the epilepsy-diet connection for over 12 years now and have been contacted by numerous people in the medical profession- MDs, RNs, dieticians, and the like - and have never had one correct anything that I have written.
Please list the things that you have found to be wrong so that I may address them.
If you remember, we should all be very skeptical of this person. First of all, he’s a veterinarian, not a human doctor. He tends to think that what is good for animals is good for humans. Even when scientists experiment with mice they don’t assume that.
First of all, dogs are not mice. The physiology of dogs and humans is very similar, which is why they use dogs in many medical studies. Both species have been shown to be gluten intolerant. Both species suffer from "idiopathic epilepsy". Both species suffer from hypothyroidism, liver disease, pituitary/hypothalamic/thalamic/hippocampal/blood brain barrier disorders and adrenal dysfunction, all of which contribute to the complicated nature of epilepsy.
Secondly, he makes claims about having done experiments but does not tell what those experiments are or advertise what was done so that people can try to duplicate them & prove him right to give him credibility. That alone is suspicious.
I have never claimed to have done experiments. I'm not sure where you got that notion. If I ever used the word "experiment" it would have been an informal use of the term, such as "I experimented with different dog foods to find which ones worked best", which means I suggested various brands to my clients to see which did the best job of halting their seizures.
My work is an open book to those who actually go on the site and read the material. My first paper "idiopathic Epilepsy - The Dietary Solution lays out EXACTLY what I did and how I learned what I did. My site tells the reader which foods I used/recommend so that they can do exactly what you say I have not done...enable the reader to duplicate ALL of my work for themselves. In addition, I have spoken at 4 major veterinary conferences and one human one on this subject, enabling veterinarians and MDs to duplicate my work.
The information is and has always been FREE to anyone who wants it. I sell nothing on my site. The only compensation I have received is for a handful of paid veterinary consultations (never charging for phone calls about human cases). Doesn't quackery usually involve the sale of items (e.g. supplements) or the use of questionable lab tests or machinery to promote an alternative method to conventional treatment? Are you equating the employment of proper nutrition with the use potions and gadgets?
Thirdly, of this list of 5 things that define a quack, Mr. Symes fits all but the first one (though he does sell consultations on his website instead of supplements).
If you don’t trust that list there are numerous lists that define quacks that will describe Mr. Symes so please be careful when considering this individuals advice
First of all, it's Dr. Symes. I did 3 years of undergraduate work, went to 4 years of veterinary school and followed that with exclusive 1.5 year internship at Angell Memorial Animal Hospital in Boston. I am now in my 33rd year of practice. I believe I've earned the title.
Secondly, if you are going to call someone a quack, you better be ready to back that up. I would like to know your real name and what you do for a living (other than moderating a forum) so that I can know that you are qualified to critique my work the way that you have. I would then like to have you lay out exactly why you believe I am a quack.
I'll give you a heads up, tho. Before you get started, you need to do some EXTENSIVE research on gluten intolerance, including reading countless PubMed articles on the subject. You then need to study neurophysiology, neuroanatomy, immunology (including vaccinosis), virology (e.g. How many viruses are KNOWN causes of seizures?), bacteriology (including the role of pleomorphic bacteria, cell-wall deficient bacteria, mollicutes in mitochondrial function), gastroenterology (especially the ramifications of the leaky gut syndrome), internal medicine, endocrinology, nutrition, and the seasonal nature of disease.
I'll be honest, you write like you don't believe that gluten intolerance is a real problem. Is that why EVERYONE is talking about this and that we have major food manufacturers offering gluten free products now? Did you know that the gluten-epilepsy connection was actually made in the late 1880s? Have you ever been on
www.gfcfdiet.com and read the Success Stories? Have you ever actually been on my Website or read the Testimonials section? Do you REALLY think I made all of that up??? If so, you are not only calling me a quack but also a liar. The quack part is subjective: If someone doesn't believe something because they don't know the truth, then they can say what they want. But to call someone a liar needs some serious backing. Is that what you are saying??
Once again, please tell me your name and occupation so that we will be on equal footing here. If it needs to remain confidential, feel free to PM or Email me that information. I will not divulge the information. It's only fair that I know who my accuser is and whether you are qualified to call me a quack and/or a liar.
BTW - I did not give myself the title of "GARD Diet Guru". I'm not sure who did. I have always been very open about the nature of my work, which started with ASTOUNDING results in K9 epilepsy and has gradually gained the attention of human epileptics, many of whom have done remarkably well on the diet.