Comments on: Patrick Holford and More Oddities in the Biography and CV?

By: Patrick Holford Annotated CV for the Visiting Professorship at Teesside University « Holford Myths: what is the problem with Nutritionist Patrick Holford?

Mon, 25 Feb 2008 16:54:44 +0000

[...] Patrick Holford and Some Interesting Errors on His CV and Profile [2] Comment on Patrick Holford and More Oddities in the Biography and CV [3] Brain Bio Centre Info Pack (pdf) [4] Patrick Holford, Professor Andre Tylee and the [...]

By: dvnutrix

dvnutrix — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 20:18:44 +0000

Maybe it is free with magazine, but not otherwise, in which case the people in Reading should be thrilled – if they don’t mind the train fare to Richmond.

Will be interested to see scan if you can manage it…

By: LeeT

LeeT — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 20:12:31 +0000

The magazine I have next to me offers a free nutrition consultation, but when you go to the website it becomes £30. Sneaky ehh?

I went for a nutrition consultation once. Vitamin and fish pills were prescribed, but there was no hard sell of tests. Possibly if you can’t afford Holford-branded products they refer you to Holland & Barrett with its periodic 75% off deals.

On the subject of tests there is another article in ON magazine which appears to agree that there is little evidence for hair mineral analysis. If they are convinced why should we be? As soon as I can get to a scanner I’ll email it to you.

By: dvnutrix

dvnutrix — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 11:32:26 +0000

OK, that’s a fairly non-mainstream venue (no offence intended to The Reading International Solidarity Centre).

You are right – it would be an interesting dilemma. If someone turns up to the student clinic because they want the cheap package-deal but you think that they need a referral to the Brain Bio Centre and they can’t afford it, what do you do? I would imagine that a lot of people would find it tricky to go from the £30 all-in-deal to the £1600 for the tests etc. Offhand, it would be good to know what they can recommend on the student deal if the client can not afford the ‘necessary’ tests for deficiencies, allergies etc.

Without the tests, wouldn’t it be like a dietitian’s advice about following a standard elimination diet and keeping a food diary? Beyond that, isn’t it all, Pollan’s “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants”?

By: LeeT

LeeT — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 23:29:33 +0000

The only place I have seen the magazine on sale is, rather bizarrely, The Reading Internationalal Solidarity Centre.

ION and the Brain Bio Centre share premises. Thus, if some one with a severe mental health problem turned up it would be irresponsible for the tutor supervising the consultation not to refer the person to the BrBC wouldn’t it?

By: dvnutrix

dvnutrix — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 21:15:32 +0000

That is interesting, Lee. I have never seen a copy of that magazine so I shall look out for it. As far as I can tell – it is clinical practice for ION students rather than Brain Bio Centre itself but certainly interesting.

By: LeeT

LeeT — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 22:30:42 +0000

I picked up “Optimum Magazine” today. At the back there is an advertisement for a free nutrition consulation at the ION with a student practitioner. See http://www.ion.ac.uk/teaching_clinic.htm

Possibly this is another way of finding people to refer to the Brain Bio Centre?

Just a thought and a question. Must stress I do not know the answer ….

By: dvnutrix

dvnutrix — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 18:06:31 +0000

Why, Lee – I do believe that we supply a free-of-charge fact checking service for them and yet, inexplicably, they fail to be appreciative.

As Profs Smith and Cowen are now adjacent to being the Scientific Advisory Board for the BrBC, I would very much appreciate some guidance from them as to the scientific credibility and relevance of some of the tests that the BrBC promotes: IgG food intolerance; pyroluria etc. etc.

By: LeeT

LeeT — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 22:54:35 +0000

Here is what the Brain Bio Centre might consider putting on its website and literature. Perhaps we could check up in a month’s time to see whether they have taken up our advice?

Registration Details:
The Brain Bio Centre Ltd T/A The Brain Bio Centre
Carters Yard
Wandsworth High Street
London
SW18 4JR
Company No: 05443609
Place of Registration: England and Wales
The Brain Bio Centre is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Food for the Brain Foundation, charity no 05885305 whose registered office is as above

One more rule: “Every company shall paint or affix, and keep painted or affixed, its name on the outside of every office or place in which its business is carried on, in a conspicuous position and in letters easily legible.” (Companies Act 1985 s.358 (1)) Does anyone live in the Richmond area? Perhaps they could go to Avalon House. Either outside the building or in the main reception area it should state clearly that “The Brain Bio Centre” and “The Institute for Optimum Nutrition” are carrying out business there and also given their registered addresses.

This all reminds me of the controversy on the BMJ online response forum last year …..

By: dvnutrix

dvnutrix — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 15:43:14 +0000

Thank you , Lee. Thorough, detailed, and, as you say, possibly raising more questions as one goes through.

I’m familiar with charities having trading arms – that is how Oxfam has shops and it allows RNIB and similar to run training days. I’m failing to get my head around this set-up and who is supposed to be able to refer there. It looks like self-referral.

Possibly that information pack needs yets another update?