Doctor Mercola, you've lost it.

Joe Mercola is a likeable sort of a guy. He dispenses some good medical and natural health info to about six million people in his stream of health newsletters. 

But this time, Joe, you have really blown it. You brought in an 'expert' who quickly showed he knew basically nothing about water ionization who is in truth a water filter salesman, and told us he was believable. You blew your credibility right there.

Then followed a mishmash of old half truths, unverified statements.. and referenced studies that have nothing to do with alkaline balance; just an attempt to disprove alkalinity's effect on cancer, which really isn't in question in serious alkaline circles. Here it is.

Joe, what was really weird was that you accused the alkaline water ionizer dealers of not producing evidence for their claims, while producing no evidence yourself! 

Let's call a spade a spade here. Most of what Dr Joe referred to has nothing whatsoever to do with the health claims made by non-MLM vendors. The whole cancer claim subject has arisen because of the traditionally low level product knowledge exhibited by the MLM fraternity. 

As an aside, twenty five years ago a Japanese Quasi-Government report came to conclusions just like yours about the booming Japanese acceptance of water ionizers - and just like yours it based itself on old science and consumer complaints about multilevel health claims. 

MLM sells businesses, not health, and in their quest to expand their network, MLM distributors have always been loose with the facts. The comments on Dr Joe's site evidence this superbly; some of the unsubstantiated MLM'er's claims verge on the comic. 

But frankly, so does Dr Joe's interview. 

He completely ignores the increasing acidification of the American populace. 

He completely ignores the accumulated toxic acid waste problem. 

He accepts his expert's claim that water ionizers don't filter - although one website visit would have shown him this was wrong.. and he accepts his expert's clumsy attempts at some sort of academic status. 

Joe, he's a water filter salesman. He ISN'T an alkaline specialist. You met him at a trade expo! And it's obvious that he's losing market share to alkaline water systems! Give us a break!

This from a man who, in the face of increasing evidence of the deleterious role of salt in reduced health, recommended we filter our water then add salt. 

It's not the first time Dr Joe has dropped a blooper. The respected Weston A. Price Foundation (http://www.westonaprice.org/cod-liver-oil/1622-cod-liver-oil-setting-the-record-straight.html) has also given him a big serve about his online condemnation of cod liver oil. After convincing his six million subscribers of the terrible effect of this traditional staple health supplement, he recanted - changed his mind. So maybe there is hope for him yet.

Here's the Foundation's take on him.

"On December 23, 2008, Dr. Joseph Mercola, owner of the popular holistic websitemercola.com, issued a statement, “Important Cod Liver Oil Update,” in which he rescinded his long-standing recommendation to take cod liver oil. The Weston A. Price Foundation received dozens of inquiries about this statement and it is for this reason that we have devoted much of this issue to the subject of cod liver oil.

"Mercola’s official pronouncement is a strange mixture of true statements and illogical sequelae, conflicting reasoning and unexplained omissions. While it is unfortunate that Mercola has joined establishment voices against vitamin A, what concerns us most is not the fact that Dr. Mercola disagrees with us, but that he misrepresents the Weston A price Foundation message on the importance of vitamin A in the modern diet."

 Joe, you've done it again. And although I still believe that you are well-meaning, I would expect that many people would be questioning your condemnation of cod liver oil, given that you sell Krill Oil, one of the worst examples of environmentally inappropriate products in the world.

As to a point-by-point rebuttal of your latest effort.. I believe most readers will see for themselves how flawed this latest effort looks. Joe, we all know you make a pile of money from your recommended products. But we also like you. You seem like a nice guy. But hey, nice guys can make mistakes too. Just admit it.