An entertaining as well as informative series on the world of alternative health cures and anti-ageing trends. (Peacock Alley Entertainment)

The wonderful world of snake oil promoters and people who believe them

Claims vs science: New Canadian series explores miracle diets, anti-ageing cures, and other wellness fads

A Canadian researcher and specialist in health issues has travelled the world looking at all kinds of so-called health remedies.

It’s all explored in a new series available on Netflix, Vision TV, and on Sky Vision called “A User’s Guide to Cheating Death” by Peacock Alley Entertainment.  Each episode explores a different topic or alternative health trend.

Tim Caulfield (PhD) is the host of a new series. He is the Canada Research Chair in Health Law and Policy at the University of Alberta and author of several books on health related issues.

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Widely promoted through TV commercials, books, social media, and sometimes shilled by entertainment personalities, the list of “cures” for all kinds of health issues is mind boggling and world-wide.

Tim Caulfield (PhD) University of Alberta,, shown experiencing a cryospa- one of many health remedoes explored on the Canadian series, "A User's Guide to Cheating Death" (Peacock Alley Entertainment)

Tim Caulfield (PhD) University of Alberta,, shown experiencing a cryospa- one of many “wellness” remedies explored on the series, “A User’s Guide to Cheating Death” (Peacock Alley Entertainment)

Many are fads that come and go while underlying health myths hang on and continue to foster new fads

In an entertaining documentary style production, the series is called “A User’s Guide to Cheating Death”.

Professor Caulfield says there is an amazing amount of mis-information about health issues  and remedies. He says the point of the documentari is not to make fun of the promoters or those who believe in the various remedies or fads, but try to understand them and present actual science in comparison.

Also explored are “vampire facials” or PRP, claimed to rejuvenate the skin and remove wrinkles. (Peacock Alley Entertainment)

In the series Caulfield himself tries many of the remedies from eating snake bladder, to cupping., to crystal therapy.

He says while he can explain that there is no scientific basis for these “cures” and “remedies”, he says often they are often a pleasant and caring experience, and that may be what is missing in some measure from modern medicine and leading people to try these alternatives.

Host Tim Caulfield tries out “trampoline detox” (Peacock Alley Entertainment)

He says that is one of the major aspects is that the medical and scientific communities need to communicate that human element along with the data and also make an effort to listen more carefully and attentively to patients.

The other of course is to invite people to be more questioning about these various claims. He hopes viewers will take a more critical look such cures and remedies and compare them to actual science.

YouTube- Cheating Death- trailer (Peacock Alley Entertainment)

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