Holford Watch: Patrick Holford, nutritionism and bad science

Ben Goldacre’s Bad Science column today offers a biting critique of the ’science’ behind the QLink pendants advertised in Holford’s Health Products for Life catalogue. The QLink is sold as protecting against EMR – if you’re worried about EMR, read what Le Canard Noir has to say about it. Focusing on the QLink, though, Goldacre finds that they don’t do anything useful: they don’t emit any interesting ‘frequencies’, and they contain a “coil connected to nothing. And a zero-ohm resistor, which costs half a penny, and is connected to nothing.” This was advertised for £69.99; well, some people think they look nice…

On top of advertising QLink in the Health Products for Life catalogue, Holford gives a glowing testimonial [1] for the pendant:

There are many gadgets out there promising to protect you from electromagnetic radiation and give your energy a boost. I’ve investigated many and didn’t find any stacked up. The one exception is QLink. The scientific proof is deeply impressive.

OK, so Holford finds the ’scientific proof’ that a ‘coil connected to nothing…And a zero-ohm resistor” can boost energy and protect against EMR ‘deeply impressive’. Oh well. What I’ve quoted above might be embarrassing – but the testimonial from Holford gets more toe-curling as it goes on:

After researching all the products available that claim to combat EMR, I’ve finally found one where the science stacks up: QLink. This revolutionary pendant provides continuous support against EMR via a microchip which resonates at the same frequencies as the body’s own energetic field. This so-called Sympathetic Resonance Technology works along the same principles as acupuncture – but
without the needles!

Firstly, Goldacre found that the QLink does not contain a microchip. Apparently, finding “deeply impressive…scientific proof” for a product’s efficacy doesn’t include making that the product contains what you say it does. And I’m not sure how having a copper coil and disconnected 0ohm resistor hanging from your neck works on the same principle as having needles stuck in you during a course of acupuncture. I’d like to know, though! – I’m due to give blood sometime soon, and strapping a copper coil to my wrist sounds much more fun than having a needle inserted in to drain the blood out [2].

Anyway, I really ought to think of a witty way to end this post, but I don’t think I can be bothered. It’s late, and I’m knackered; now if only I could find something to resonate sufficiently sympathetically…

[1] UPDATE: I’ve linked to the google cache of this page because, within minutes of me posting this, the original page was no longer available. Almost enough to make you paranoid…

[2] Seriously, though, if you haven’t given blood before, don’t let me whining about a little needle put you off. It really isn’t particularly painful, and I’m a wimp…