UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION
In the Matter of
J & R RESEARCH CORPORATION, a corporation, and
GERALD G. MCCARTHY, individually and as an officer of the corporation.
DOCKET NO:
COMPLAINT
The Federal Trade Commission, having reason to believe that J & R Research
Corporation, a corporation, and Gerald G. McCarthy, individually and as an officer of the
corporation ("respondents"), have violated the provisions of the Federal Trade
Commission Act, and it appearing to the Commission that this proceeding is in the public
interest, alleges:
- 1. Respondent J & R Research Corporation is an Iowa corporation with its principal
office or place of business at 109 Main Street, Massena, Iowa 50853.
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- 2. Respondent Gerald G. McCarthy is an officer of J & R Research Corporation.
Individually or in concert with others, he formulates, directs, or controls the policies,
acts, or practices of J & R Research Corporation, including the acts or practices
alleged in this complaint. His principal office or place of business is the same as that
of J & R Research Corporation.
-
- 3. Respondents have been general partners in a distributorship that has promoted the
products of Kaire International, Inc., a multilevel marketing company. Kaire
International's marketing plan allows distributors to earn commissions by recruiting other
consumers both to purchase Kaire's products and to become distributors. The amount of
commission earned by a distributor is based on the total dollar amount of the products
purchased by those consumers and others whom they, in turn, recruit to be distributors.
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- 4. Respondents have profited from the sale of various Kaire International nutritional
supplement products containing pycnogenol, a substance derived from the bark of the
maritime pine tree. These products have been sold under the names UltraPrime, Maritime
Prime, Super Maritime Prime and Maritime Plus ("pycnogenol products").
Respondents' pycnogenol products are "foods" and/or "drugs," within
the meaning of sections 12 and 15 of the Federal Trade Commission Act.
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- 5. Respondents have sold and disseminated or caused to be disseminated promotional
materials to distributors of Kaire International. These promotional materials are intended
to be, and are, used by distributors in their efforts to sell Kaire International's
pycnogenol products and to recruit other distributors.
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- 6. The acts and practices of respondents alleged in this complaint have been in or
affecting commerce, as "commerce" is defined in Section 4 of the Federal Trade
Commission Act.
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- 7. The promotional materials sold and disseminated by respondents, including but not
necessarily limited to the attached Exhibits A through F, contain the following statements
and depictions:
A."THE FACTS ABOUT AN AMAZING, NEW HEALTH-BUILDING NUTRIENT
FROM FRANCE
DR. McCARTHY: Hello, I'm Dr. Gerald McCarthy and, in a few minutes I'll also introduce
to you Dr. W. Lamar Rosquist. This tape contains a candid report on a natural occurring
nutritional and health promoting new plant compound from France, one that has remarkable
healing qualities. Now used by millions in Europe, its relatively new to consumers in the
U.S. and Canada. However, there are already tens of thousands of health conscious North
Americans who have read the research data or the books that have been published about this
compound, who have begun using it, and with excellent health results.
Moreover, many doctors here who practice with holistic or nutritional therapy are
finding this to be the single most powerful nutritional healing compound that they've ever
used. This patented plant compound . . . has extremely potent health promoting qualities
that's been shown to dramatically help relieve the inflammation, pain and symptoms in many
cases of rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and rheumatism, that fights the effects of
diabetes, that helps prevent strokes and the recurrences of strokes. The compound
powerfully helps prostate problems and menstrual problems, that dramatically promotes
prevention of heart problems, circulatory problems and even tumor formation.
. . . .
I know, those are some pretty bold statements. But please bear with me because what
you're about to hear on this tape may have far reaching benefits to your health and well
being and that of those you love. . . .
. . . [W]hat you're about to hear are health benefits that are scientifically
documented within published articles by researchers from around the world and especially
within two recently published books authored by Dr. Richard A. Passwater, who is a Ph.D.
in biochemistry. Dr. Passwater is one of the nation's most respected biochemists and is
often cited as the most recognized scientific researcher and authority on the
health-restoring effectiveness of anti-oxidant vitamins and the benefits that other
natural anti-oxidant nutritional compounds have on one's health, well being and life span.
. . . .
This report is about one you've probably not heard of yet because its a newly patented
compound and is only available from a few sources, but has been hailed as the most
powerful anti-oxidant nutrient ever discovered, called pycnogenol. First, it is an
anti-oxidant compound just like vitamin C and E are anti-oxidants. But there the
similarity ends, because pycnogenol is actually 20 times more powerful an anti-oxidant per
milligram than vitamin C, and 50 times more powerful than vitamin E.
Next I'll introduce you to a respected colleague and friend, Dr. W. Lamar Rosquist,
N.D., D.C. . . . .
DR. ROSQUIST: This is Dr. Lamar Rosquist speaking. I'm making this tape in an effort to
acquaint you with an experience that I've had in using an extraordinary compound called
pycnogenol. I'm not going to mention any trade name, I'm just going to talk strictly about
a product that has been, I think, one of the greatest discoveries or re-discoveries of the
century. . . . Pycnogenol is a flavonoid that is proven to be 20 times more powerful as a
flavonoid per milligram than one milligram of vitamin C, and 50 times per milligram more
potent than a milligram of vitamin E. So you can see it's quite a powerful flavonoid. This
compound, pycnogenol . . . has produced a myriad of results which I've never seen with any
other nutritional approaches that I've used in the past.
. . . . In reading the literature that my friend brought me, I saw that this was a
compound was tremendous in helping to resolve phlebitis or inflammation of the vein,
thrombophlebitis and to help eliminate blood clots in the vein. To help reduce faracoscies
(phonetic), to increase circulation, to strengthen the vascular walls. . . . . [I] started
taking this because of all the things I found that it had possible healthful effects for
me. I read that it would help people who had previously suffered CVAs, Cerebral Vascular
Accidents, or we commonly call strokes, and it would help strengthen their vascular
systems so that it wouldn't be so easy for them to experience a second stroke.
It would also help people who had previous heart attacks. The reason it would help them
is because it would strengthen the vascular walls. The vessels would not be so permeable
and weak, which allows fluids to flow in and out of the blood vessel walls into the tissue
spaces. The linings of the vessels would be stronger, so when a person had too much stress
or too much pressure, their risk of a heart attack or a stroke would be greatly reduced.
Just the mere fact that I could take something that would help protect me so that I
would not have to have other problems or episodes with my veins such as I had had, I was
willing to take the pycnogenol. I was also willing to take pycnogenol because of my family
history. Some of my previous members had weak blood vessels and had strokes and heart
attacks. For these reasons I was willing to take pycnogenol as a preventative measure. For
sometime I had a prostate problem, and usually men in their 60's get prostate problems. I
would have to get up, as many men do, in the middle of the night to eliminate and void the
bladder. I read in the literature that this product helps inflammation and inflammatory
conditions and I realized that when a person has to void the bladder, there's usually an
inflammation of the prostate gland or prostatitis. So, if it will help eliminate
inflammatory conditions, it would help the prostate as well as any other type of
inflammatory illness that might exist in the body such as phlebitis, which is inflammation
of the vein, thrombophlebitis, which is inflammation of the vein with a blood clot, and
arthritis which is inflammation of the various articular joints of the body.
So, I started taking 11 of these a day. It was only a matter of a week when I noticed
that I didn't have to get up in the middle of the night to void my bladder. I also noticed
that the pain in both my thumbs, my fingers and the weakness in my knees while going
upstairs have all disappeared.
I had a man from Grand Forks, North Dakota sent to me by his daughter. He had been
diagnosed as having terminal lung cancer with tumors in both lungs and they were in areas
that were inoperable. Obviously they couldn't operate on the lung and remove the tumors
because then he wouldn't have enough lung left to receive oxygen to sustain life. So they
told him that he was too far gone for surgery. They thought chemotherapy and radiation
would be too rough on him. They just literally sent him home to die.
He came out to my office, I examined him. Here was a man who was in a very bad
condition. His nose was purple, his hands were purple, his face was purple, his lips were
purple. He was breathing in short pants, really struggling for oxygen and I didn't know
what I could do. But I knew I had been having success with pycnogenol. So I put him on
pycnogenol and gave him some other anti-oxidants, vitamin A, vitamin E, vitamin C and zinc
and sent him back to his home in Grand Forks, North Dakota.
I didn't know what was going to happen to him. I put him on the saturation dosage like
I take. . . . . In another 30 days he called me and said I've good news and I've got bad
news. And I said, well, give me the bad news first. He said they've discovered that I have
a heart problem besides my lung problems and so my doctors here in Grand Forks took all my
records, my x-rays, put them in a packet and sent me to Rochester, Minnesota to the Mayo
Clinic because my case was too complicated.
When I arrived there, they put me in the hospital, did all kinds of tests and x-rays
for a period of seven days. And at the end of seven days they called me into the
consultation room and told me that the tumors in my left lung had totally disappeared and
they wanted to know what I had done. So, I told them that I had been going to a doctor in
Salt Lake and he put me on this special compound that came from France. So they told me
whatever you do continue to take it. So I continued to take the product and they told me
to come back in 30 days, that now because one lung was better that they could possibly do
surgery and if my heart was okay, they were going to do an angiogram on the next visit.
And so I went back there in 30 days, they were going to do the angiogram and they put
me in the hospital again. Did the same procedures but this time it was only for three
days. And at the end of this time they took me aside and said, now tell us again, what
have you been doing? And he said, well, I told you I've been taking these vitamins from
this doctor and this compound from France. And, he said, why do you ask? And they said,
your tumors are gone in the right lung as well. Because the tumors are gone in the right
and the left lung and your breathing is so much better, we don't have to do the angiogram.
And he said, well, what do I do now? And they said, go home continue what you're doing and
don't stop. Come and see us in three months. I just received a call from him about two
weeks ago and he said that he plays golf now very regularly and so this is quite an
accomplishment for him to come back from where he was. So when people think according to
their condition, how long am I going to take it, well, you figure how long do you want to
have the relief from your symptoms? Because many of these symptoms just didn't start
building up and coming on all of a sudden. They've been building up and coming on
gradually for a long time.
. . . .
Any compound that will make this type of change is remarkable because it means that
it's possible to reverse severe medical conditions. It means that you are not just going
to take it to stop a situation but you are going to make the condition reversible. We are
talking here about the strengthening of the blood vessel walls and the linings of these
blood vessels to give us protection against heart attacks and strokes as well as many
vascular conditions.
. . . .
It also helps people with Parkinson's disease, and they have mentioned it with
Alzheimer's, as well as general senile dementia. A compound that has this many properties
is one that nearly everyone needs to take.
. . . .
I thought I might tell you about some case histories. All of these are on a first
person basis. These case histories refer to my patients in my practice. Patients that I've
put on this product. A doctor called me from Billings, Montana and he asked me if I had
anything which would help him with his prostate condition. I asked him to elaborate. He
told me that for nine months he had an inflammation of his prostate and he had gone to two
urologists, had taken antibiotics and other formulas that they had given him. None had
worked. Then I told him that there was a compound that had been helping some of my
patients and I was treating other prostate problems with it. He asked me to send him some
literature and so I sent him some literature about pycnogenol. The next thing I knew I
received a call from him about ten days later and he said, well, I read the literature and
decided I'd give this product a try. He said that he had started taking the product the
day before and that the pain in his prostate had left and it had not come back. I've
followed through with three phone calls since that happened and that was four months ago.
When I ask him how his prostate condition is he answers, "I don't have a prostate
problem."
I have a brother-in-law that came to me and also had a prostate problem but he is 83
and you could expect that he would have a prostate problem and he started taking
pycnogenol. He used to have to get up three to four times a night. He never gets up at
night anymore. He has noticed that his stream is full and he can evacuate his bladder
immediately and there is no pain. So, he started thinking well, if this will help my
prostate, it will help other things. So he started to put his wife on it and it has helped
her arthritis, and now her knees do not give out on her. She has been able to go places
this winter more than ever before.
But he has a younger daughter, I guess she is about 35, who has asthma very bad and has
had it all her life, and she has it so bad that they have a lung machine that helps her
when she gets in severe states of asthmatic attacks. Many times even when the lung machine
does not help, they have to take her to an emergency room to get adrenalin to help her
over the asthmatic attack. He had read the book written by Dr. Passwater who is a Ph.D. in
biochemistry about some of his experience and scientific results that had been
accomplished with pycnogenol. Dr. Passwater mentioned that you can take care of asthma and
so this brother-in-law had his daughter start taking pycnogenol. This has been six weeks
ago and after the first week, she never had to use the lung machine anymore. She is now,
as he says, totally free of asthma. And she is now able to walk, take afternoon and
evening walks with her friends around the block up to one to two miles with no effects at
all, whereas before she had trouble just walking out to her mailbox and back.
. . . .
In our church area, we had a young man, 35 years of age, that was a juvenile diabetic
and was losing his eyesight. He was suffering from a diabetic complication called
peripheral retinopathy. This means the blood vessels in the back of the iris are so
fragile as a result of years of taking insulin that his vessels had become very weak and
they could not withstand pressure. The slightest little pressure would cause these blood
vessels to break. Blood started filling into the vitreous humor of the eye. The blood in
front of the optic disk made it impossible to see through it, therefore he was going
blind. The young man came to my office and we started him on pycnogenol for seven months.
Three months ago his eyesight started coming back. The blood vessels in the back of the
eye were becoming stronger and because of this the bleeding slowed down to the point that
now the blood that was in the eye was being resolved and absorbed by the body. The
ophthalmologist was now able to go into his eye and by using lasers, zap some of these
vessels that were weak and which allowed blood to build up in the vitreous humor. He has
noticed that his level of blood insulin has dropped and that's also an interesting thing.
The other day a woman called at my office and told me about her young child who had
juvenile diabetes and that he was up to seven units a day. They were so depressed about it
and I told her about the story of this young gentleman who was losing his eyesight. She
started giving her son some pycnogenol and in less than two weeks his number of units of
insulin had dropped from seven down to three. Many people who have diabetes have other
problems especially circulatory problems, heart problems and have responded tremendously
to taking pycnogenol.
. . . .
I have MS patients taking pycnogenol now. I have one MS patient in Phoenix, Arizona
that is excited because she has been taking pycnogenol now for about four months. Her
daughter is getting married in a couple of months. She has been in a wheelchair for about
five years and she's excited because she's getting to the point where she's starting to
stand and to walk a little. She's very excited about walking down the aisle and standing
next to her daughter when she gets married. This didn't happen all at once. Many people
take their product and figure well, I'll take it for 30 days and in 30 days its either
going to work or I'll stop taking it. How long do you think free radicals have been
working on your body to tear it down and destroy it and limit its use? It has been
happening all your life. So don't think that in 30 days you're going to change something
that's been taking so long to develop. Fortunately, the exciting result about this product
is that so many people get overnight, instantaneous results. But given time, it will also
work on some of those slower developing conditions such as arthritis.
. . . . We were on a cruise ship and had 1500 people on it. . . . . We were sitting at
our dining room table on the first night out. The pharmacist and I were talking shop.
Naturally he's talking about the new kinds of drugs and other things that are on the
market and I'm talking about my office patients. I told him the story about this gentleman
from North Dakota and the results I had with him taking this pycnogenol and he had never
heard of this compound before. After we finished talking, the woman who was sitting to my
left with her husband, tugged on my coat and she said, we've been listening to your
conversation and I wanted to tell you that the very thing you've been talking about, the
lung cancer the man in North Dakota has, has been a problem with me. My husband and I are
on this cruise because I have lung cancer with an inoperable tumor that's wrapped itself
around my esophagus. I've gone through radiation and I've gone through chemotherapy and
this hair that I have is a wig. Then she introduced me to her husband, and her husband was
one of the top medical surgeons in the United States. So, her husband immediately asked
where they could get some pycnogenol. Well on this cruise I'd brought extra bottles with
me. Now I've stayed in touch with his woman and her husband and she's gone back for three
subsequent tests, back to the Western Division of the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona.
She's gone back there three times and the tumor has not grown. It started to get smaller.
This morning she called me from Arizona to tell me that she had just come out of Mayo
Clinic and they could not find any trace of the tumors in her lungs or around her
esophagus. She's feeling better and her husband, who is as I told you a surgeon, is
eternally grateful.
. . . .
I have another case that I want to talk about and this is a woman that called me one
day and said, "doctor, is there anything you can do to help me with my leg." I
said, "what's wrong?" She said, "you know I have diabetes and I have
developed a condition called osteomyelitis. With this osteomyelitis I developed an
infection in my right leg and it went into the bone marrow," and in osteomyelitis the
infection is usually from a staphylococcus organism, which is one of the most resistant
organisms to antibiotics there is. She said the antibiotics didn't kill the organisms and
she started getting decay of her bone and her legs started swelling up and she had
horrible pains. So they amputated her leg below the knee. She said it was now starting to
happen in the left leg and that they now wanted to amputate her left leg. She said that
she had become used to the prosthesis on her right leg and that she could get around but
that she didn't want to live if she had to wear two prosthesis. She asked me if I knew of
anything that might help her. I told her "I'll send you some literature on the pine
bark extract called pycnogenol. I think this might help you." She started taking
pycnogenol. . . . . In two weeks she called me, and all the pain was gone from her good
leg, and all the swelling was gone. The infection and the inflammation in the bone marrow,
which the antibiotics hadn't touched, was gone. The doctor did not have to amputate her
leg.
. . . .
I'm finding that people have results with pycnogenol. I have a patient who lives in
Malad, Idaho who had a severe cerebral vascular accident, a stroke, which left his whole
left side of his body paralyzed. He could hardly walk. He came to me for other treatments
and I told him about pycnogenol and he started taking it. Now he's walking almost
normally, his balance and equilibrium are perfect. His biggest fear and the biggest fear
of anyone that has had a stroke, is a second stroke. And he doesn't want that to happen.
I've heard of all types of cases and this is interesting because here in the United
States, every other week in the newspaper, there is always something new about products
like the u-tree which is a type of pine tree that also has a bark similar to the maritime
pine which pycnogenol comes from. Medical science is now using the extract from the bark
of the u-tree to treat ovary, breast and uterine cancers. The same type of compound that's
found in the u-tree is found in the bark of the maritime pine. I have three cases that I'm
monitoring right now that have the same condition that killed the actor, Michael Landon.
Cancer of the pancreas. They're desperate. That everyone of these cases have now lived
three times longer than they were supposed to. They were given months to live, now they
have lived much longer. They had jaundice, they are free of the jaundice. Their eyes
aren't yellow, their skin is not yellow. They have no idea how long they're going to live.
I have no idea how long they are going to live, but they're taking pycnogenol and they're
taking the other anti-oxidants A, C, E and zinc faithfully.
. . . .
What are the other conditions that they're using pycnogenol for? I'm using it for
arthritis, for bursitis, for diabetics, for people that have had strokes and heart attacks
or people who have had predispositions to strokes or heart attacks. I'm using it for skin
problems, for Parkinson's cases. . . .
I've found that this is a great product for people that have liver conditions from
let's say alcoholism. Let me make one statement here and you can take this for what it's
worth. Is it better, let's say if you're an alcoholic and you drink, or you're a smoker
and you smoke, and say that because you have this problem you're not going to take
pycnogenol and let your body deteriorate and wear down or is it better to add pycnogenol
and try to fight some of those free radicals that you're bringing into your body? It's my
estimation that everyone ought to be taking pycnogenol if they have one of these problems.
They should be taking pycnogenol just to stop the further deterioration of their
condition. Remember what I have talked about. Quality of life and quantity of life can be
expanded by the use of pycnogenol. . . .
Because I do not have case histories right now in front of me, I can not tell you all
the other results that I have had happen. And we're talking about gastrointestinal
problems straightening up, diarrhea straightening up, livers becoming decongested.
. . . .
I had someone take pycnogenol and all of a sudden they were able to sleep. And are able
to get better rest at night then they have achieved for many years. So, you're going to
find that this has a tranquilizing affect on the nervous system because it can cross the
blood brain barriers as I mentioned earlier.
It also works really well with people who have edema. They're able to reduce the
swelling that takes place in their legs. We have found that it will help the asthmatics,
the edemas, the vascular conditions and, another thing I've found that it helps, is jet
lag. So this would be an ideal product for people that are in the aircraft industry.
Pilots, stewardess and people that do a lot of traveling will find that they do not have
jet lag.
You will also find that pycnogenol helps nearly any kind of problem. . . . There are
going to be many doctors in this company that will have results similar to or even greater
than mine.
DR. McCARTHY: This is Dr. McCarthy again, and I hope that you were inspired by hearing
Dr. Rosquist's in practice results that confirm the information that I shared with you at
the beginning of this tape. So let me summarize some of the main points about pycnogenol
as scientifically documented within Dr. Passwater's two books on pycnogenol, that will
help confirm why Dr. Rosquist, who you've just heard was able to report the various
results that he has been seeing in his patients.
Pycnogenol literally helps to slow down the body's aging process. . . . . Dr. Passwater
and other researchers have found pycnogenol to be protective against hardening of the
arteries. It helps to prevent the biochemical mechanisms that cause the plaque build up
that often occurs within arteries, no matter what a person's age may be. Because of that,
it greatly helps to reduce the risk of heart problems, and very important, it's used to
help prevent recurrences of sudden acute heart problems. In fact, many people use
pycnogenol to protect and improve the health and elasticity of the heart's coronary
arteries and other blood vessels within the body. One famous British medical scholar has
referred to pycnogenol as the arterial sclerosis antidote. Because pycnogenol greatly
strengthens your body's blood vessels, the capillaries, arteries and veins, edema, -- or
swelling of the legs is greatly reduced. And because of the increased vessel walls
strength, it dramatically helps to prevent strokes and other circulatory problems within
the body are also helped, as are the symptoms of PMS, menstrual problems such as excessive
menstrual bleeding, water retention and so forth.
Pycnogenol is now used to greatly help prevent or actually reverse the circulatory and
nervous system complications of diabetes, such as easy bruising, fragile capillaries and
poor circulation. Pycnogenol is widely known to actually help repair and rebuild capillary
function when it's deficient. Scientific studies and gratifying healing results reported
by doctors show that pycnogenol can greatly help arthritis and rheumatism and severe
prostate problems. It's used to heal and reduce varicose veins, phlebitis and hemorrhoids.
It's dramatically effective against psoriasis and many other skin problems. It has a
calming affect on the nervous system and helps provide better and deeper sleep, plus more
pep and energy upon awakening. Pycnogenol is remarkably effective against asthma, hay
fever and other allergies. . . . .
As regards arthritis, the types where inflammation is involved, pycnogenol thus helps
to reduce the swelling, irritation and pain in the body's joints. In osteoarthritis where
wear and tear on joint cartilages is primary, understand that your joint cartilages are
mostly composed of collagen, and pycnogenol literally binds with, protects and helps
rebuild collagen wherever it occurs within the body. So, this anti-inflammatory and joint
rebuilding quality of pycnogenol can help all of the joints of the body including those in
the low back and neck, shoulders, elbows, hands, hips, knees and so forth. The same
anti-inflammatory affect and tissue collagen rebuilding affect of pycnogenol greatly helps
tendinitis, bursitis, muscle soreness and injuries. In fact, it greatly speeds up the
healing time of injured, damaged body tissues after accidents or surgery such as skin
damage, or trauma, bed sores, muscles that have been strained, joints that have been
sprained and so forth. Because of that, athletes of all types around the world are now
using pycnogenol on a daily basis to give them a definite competitive edge and to rapidly
heal athletic injuries to get back into competition in a fraction of the time that would
be required without using pycnogenol.
. . . . In fact, Dr. Passwater shows that it has such a powerful, but natural,
anti-viral affect, that it's been shown to inhibit herpes and even polio viruses.
Pycnogenol helps to boost a person's muscular stamina and agility of body movement at any
age, it sharpens memory and other mental processes. As I mentioned earlier, ponder again
on the magnitude of this fact, the compound reduces the risks of, and has been shown to
help, fully 60 of our most troublesome, chronic, degenerate of health conditions,
naturally.
To mention just a few more of those, it's used to help people who have Alzheimer's,
Parkinson's and senility. Because pycnogenol protects brain cells and nerve cells from
chemical damage by free radicals, it's used to heal chronic gum problems. It's used in
cases of cataracts, chronic fatigue and to repair liver damage. It helps to repair
degeneration of the eye's retina and in fact has been noted to improve the sharpness of
vision within normal eyes. It greatly helps chronically dry skin. Pycnogenol is used to
improve blood circulation over the entire body. When poor blood circulation in the pelvis
is part of the cause, it even helps reverse male sexual inadequacy. Also, because
pycnogenol helps to normalize capillary strength and resistance, it can be a powerful
natural aid in reducing high blood pressure and the health risks that can cause.
Note that you can and should refer to Dr. Passwater's two books to back up everything
on this tape about pycnogenol. One of the most intriguing things that Dr. Passwater
documents is that pycnogenol has a strong, anti-cariogenic and anti-neoplastic affect -
that is the ability to help prevent and inhibit tumor cell production of the body. . . . .
Now, before closing this tape, just one last word. Don't be surprised if your doctor
hasn't yet gotten the facts on pycnogenol. And the point is this, if what you've heard on
this tape makes sense to you and it should, do not accept the opinion of any doctor
regarding pycnogenol who you can not verify as to having studied the latest research
papers or books on the compound that contains the facts. So, do your doctor a favor and
loan him or her Dr. Passwater's two books on pycnogenol. Believe me, that doctor will
eventually thank you with sincere gratitude for having done so because of the stunning
healing affects that they'll quickly see in scores of their patients who they will have
recommended pycnogenol to.
And very important, the information that we just shared with you about pycnogenol is
meant to be strictly educational. And though pycnogenol has helped countless people with
various conditions, that help is the result of the powerful nutritional effect that
pycnogenol can render. But where it comes to identifying what your physical problems may
be, that is the job of your physician. So, Dr. Rosquist and I suggest that in all cases
where you have various signs and symptoms of a physical problem, be sure to first consult
with your doctor, weigh his or her advice, then consider adding the magic of super
nutrition to your daily schedule. Do not attempt on your own to try to treat unidentified
signs and symptoms that have not yet been identified by your doctor with pycnogenol or
anything for that matter. That is the job of your doctor.
. . . . "
- (Exhibit A, J & R Research Corporation cassette tape).
B. "13 DOCTORS CONFIRM A HEALTH-BUILDING BREAKTHROUGH
Dr. McCarthy: Hello. I'm Dr. Gerald McCarthy. I'm a D.C. and am president and CEO of J
& R Research Corporation, and I urge you to listen very carefully to this brief tape
because it's message may very well give you or someone you love a new lease on life from
improved health and vitality, more energy and feeling of well-being. Plus a new way to
relieve the cause of many types of acute and chronic pain.
In a moment, I'll introduce you to thirteen medical professionals -- doctors who will
reveal their exciting in-practice results from a new and patented breakthrough in
nutritional science. Already used by countless doctors in Europe, it's relatively new to
the U.S. and Canada, but these thirteen doctors and thousands of others are now proving it
to be the single most powerful nutritional health promoting compound they've ever used.
. . . .
Dr. McCarthy: [T]he name of the compound is pycnogenol. . . . . And, it's a totally
safe to use extract from the bark of the french maritime pine tree. Now, before these
doctors share their experiences with you, there are several things I need to point out.
First, their enthusiasm about pycnogenol is unique. Never before has a nutritional
compound so captured the attention of mainstream medical doctors. . . . . Next, their
excitement is about a very specific and exclusive formulation of pycnogenol. One that's
specially produced by a company in Longmont, Colorado. [Emphasis added].
. . . .
Dr. Shields: I am Dr. Russell B. Shields. I am a medical doctor and since 1963 I've
been practicing medicine as a board certified family physician. . . . . That is before my
immune system started to malfunction. When that happened, I became more and more disabled
with rheumatoid arthritis, and during the next nine years, my condition continued to
deteriorate. I became extremely handicapped. The periarticular swelling and pain in my
joints was severe. I rarely slept more than two hours at a time. Also, it looked like a
hip replacement was needed. [M]y brother, who is also a medical doctor, had suggested many
times that I try something new. . . . It was a compound from pine tree bark called
pycnogenol. . . . And now here's what happened. As a scientist, I've got to admit, the
results that followed were far beyond any ever witnessed in my practice. In fact, I was
virtually overwhelmed by the relief that occurred over a period of time. Today I've
regained 100% normal function of all joints, and am free of pain. The range of motion of
my joints is back to normal. My gratitude for this compound and what its done, is beyond
anything that words can convey. But I'll try to express it by saying this, anyone with
degenerative health conditions who fails to give this compound a try is passing up the
single greatest opportunity to help correct their immune system malfunction.
Also, realize that there are many anti-oxidant products on the market, and many of them
are good basic products but there's only one that I endorse 100%, and those are the
pycnogenol formulations produced in Colorado. No other anti-oxidant compound provides even
remotely the same degree of result. . . . . [I] could reveal many case histories wherein
I've successfully used pycnogenol and the Colorado company's other compounds. . . . .
Their use, especially for patients with hard to treat degenerative conditions, will I'm
sure soon reach the attention of the mass media.
. . . .
Dr. Buerger: My name is Clark L. Buerger, Jr., B.S., M.D. I . . . practiced for over 40
years in the specialty of OB/GYN. I am 77 years old but still keep my license active. I am
one of the founding fellows of the American College of OB/GYN. . . . While shopping . . .
, the salesman noticed how crippled I was and brought me a chair to sit in while he
demonstrated his products. He asked me if I would like to try a nutrient that is the
strongest anti-oxidant currently available. I was very skeptical and doubted that this man
could offer me anything that could improve my condition. However, I told him that I would
be glad to give it a try. I later became extremely excited over this which I call the
wonder pill of the century! I was loaded with degenerative disease such as diabetic
neuropathy, degenerative arthritis, high blood pressure, prostate problem, hemorrhoids,
arterial sclerosis with cardio vascular changes, and Crohnes Disease. I had a total right
knee performed, the removal of all the bone in the joint and replaced with stainless
steel. My left knee was equally as bad and the doctor suggested that I have both done at
the same time, but I refused and only had the right knee operated on. I was happy over
this decision because my left knee is now back to normal without surgery. After starting
on pycnogenol from Colorado, I was in for a great surprise. In time, I had a complete
turnaround of all my symptoms. My prostate cleared, my neuropathy cleared, my blood
pressure came down, my hemorrhoids improved, my left knee, as I told you, was completely
back to normal and my Crohnes Disease had markedly improved. Then I ran out of pynogenol.
All of my symptoms returned. I immediately went out and searched for pycnogenol and found
a look alike in a local health food store. To my dismay, my conditions remained unchanged.
Finally, my pycnogenol arrived from Colorado and in time I again improved. . . . . I have
patients with lupus, Parkinson's Disease, arthritis, prostate problems, and fibromyalgia.
All of these conditions are showing marked improvement. . . . .
. . . .
Dr. Phillips: . . . . I'm a doctor of podiatric medicine and surgery. . . . .
[C]onditions that I have seen personally in my office practice improve were conditions
such as arthritis, diabetic ulcers, decubatus ulcers, neurotrophic ulcers, and edema,
along with cases of diabetic neuropathy. Personally, I've experienced resolvement of a
chronic skin condition I've had for 25 years. Through family and associates, I've seen
improvement in rotator cuff problem and associated pain, and also lupus, Crohnes Disease,
hypertension, irritable bowel syndrome, bronchitis, asthma and the list goes on. In
regards to ADD with a five year old male, this little boy had been on Ritalin at 20
milligrams per day. He did terrible. He didn't eat. He didn't sleep. He argued all the
time with the parents and he was crabby. They put this child on pycnogenol and also within
a certain period of time, he slept better, he ate better, he had a better personality. He
had an increased focus and was more attentive. One statement that really got my attention
was that the mother called my up one evening and she said: "Thank you very much for
giving my son back to me." And, this really hit home.
. . . .
Dr. Cunningham: . . . . I've been an optometrist for the past eight years. I specialize
in behavioral and functional vision with great emphasis on visual perception. . . . . I
had heard much about pycnogenol so I began purchasing just basic pycnogenol at the local
store for a period of time and nothing happened. So my first impression was that
pycnogenol was a hoax. Then a friend contacted me and encouraged my to try pycnogenol from
a company in Colorado. . . . [W]hat struck me the most was that my vision was noticeably
improved. The depth, contrast, color and also my peripheral awareness had all improved. .
. . . It just stands to reason that pycnogenol, an anti-oxidant 50 times more powerful
than Vitamin E and 20 times more powerful than Vitamin C, will have an amazing effect on
the retinal tissue. I can foresee the widespread use of Pycnogenol with other
anti-oxidants to treat the various conditions of the retina.
Dr. Shore: . . . . I am an osteopathic physician and surgeon. . . . . I have some
patients that I would like to tell you about and some of the results of these patients
have gotten them from using the Pycnogenol that we get from this company in Colorado. FR
is a patient who has rheumatoid arthritis. Prior to starting pycnogenol, she was taking
cortisone, as well as tetracycline and also needed to use a walker, and it took her
approximately five to eight minutes to get from the living room to answer the door bell.
She was able to get off the Prednisone; she was able to get off the tetracycline and she
no longer needed the walker. I have had several patients with ADD and ADHD, attention
deficit disorder and attention deficit hyperactive disorder, who have gotten excellent
results with pycnogenol. Some of the patients have been able to get off their prescribed
medications entirely and other of the patients have been able to decrease their dosage by
as much as 50%.
. . . .
Now, all of us may not get results quickly, but everybody will get results with
Pycnogenol if they stay on the product long enough and at a high enough dose.
. . . .
Dr. Fischbach: . . . . I'm a medical doctor specializing in family practice and
ophthalmology. I was introduced to pycnogenol by a friend approximately three years ago. .
. . Now I've had some experience with multiple disorders and illnesses, among which are
multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, attention deficit disorder and
attention hyperactive disorder, diabetes, osteoarthritis, lupus and the list goes on and
on. My experience is quite extensive. I'd like to give you a few examples of some very
dramatic cases that I've had over the years. One that comes to mind immediately is of a
woman in her 60's with multiple sclerosis who came to me after having been tried on
virtually all conventional medications without any success whatsoever. She came hobbling
in with a cane and looked very distraught and very much in pain. . . . . [I] placed her
both on the pycnogenol and aloe vera and the next time I saw her she came in and said that
she thought this was starting to help her. . . . . And the next visit I had with her, she
definitely noticed a tremendous difference. . . . And the following visit we had, she came
in, she did not even have her cane with her -- she left it in the waiting room. She didn't
even realize she did this. She says she feels wonderful. She hasn't felt his good in many,
many years. . . . . I had never been able to achieve these types of results with any other
conventional medication. . . .
I saw a boy . . . who had attention deficit disorder and his mother told me that try as
hard as he could in school, he just could not concentrate. This caused tremendous problems
with his grades; as a result, his self esteem was very low. She was familiar with the drug
Ritalin used in Attention Deficit Disorder but was very concerned about all she had read
and the side effect profile. . . . . [W]e placed him on pycnogenol and she notified me a
while later that the results were amazing. He now was able to concentrate. He could
perform his studies and his grades improved dramatically; his self confidence was now
back, and she was just amazed and so was he at how dramatic a turn around this compound
did for him. It was just incredible!
Another friend of mine has severe osteoarthritis of both knees, to the extent where
there is no longer any cartilage between the two main bones and he basically is in a
situation of bone rubbing against bone whenever he's walking. This naturally has led to a
tremendous amount of pain on a regular basis. I placed him on pycnogenol and again, a
short while later, he told me that he started to notice an improvement and we spoke again
a while later and he said his symptoms were almost gone. He could now wake up without any
pain. His mobility was much improved and he just could not believe the difference. . . . .
Now these are some examples, just a few, of what I have seen pycnogenol do over the
last three years and it's interesting because prior to the introduction of Pycnogenol in
this country, conventional anti-oxidants that have been available, which are Vitamin C and
Vitamin E, just couldn't even come close to doing things like what I've just related to
you. Vitamin C, we found to be 20 times less potent than pycnogenol; Vitamin E, 50 times
less potent. . . . .
[I] have researched this quite thoroughly and found that the only pycnogenol that is of
superior quality comes from a company in Colorado. And, all the other pycnogenols I've
seen are far, far less potent.
. . . .
While in fact these products have been extensively studied in Europe and their safety
and effectiveness proven without question, the relatively recent introduction to this
country has not yet generated a body of evidence to support what we who have used them
already know. . . . .
(Exhibit B, J & R Research Corporation, cassette tape).
C.NATURE'S MIRACLES
AN M.D.'s EXPERIENCE
By
Dr. Gary Fischbach M.D.
INTRODUCTION
. . . .
The air we breathe, the water we drink, the foods we eat, and the way we choose to live
our lives will be our epitaph.
The culprit - trillions of tiny molecules called "free radicals." These
unstable oxygen molecules unleashed by pollutants, chemicals, stress, and even physical
exertion and sunlight are felt to be largely responsible for the degenerative process
known as aging, and even more important, the largest contributor to disease. From the
common cold to widespread cancer, we have become victims of this deadly chain of events,
initiated by "free radicals," that ultimately wears down our immune system and
its ability to defend the body.
. . . .
The conventional weapons in this fight, "anti-oxidants" as they are known,
have been Vitamin C, E and Beta Carotene. This is the classic David versus Goliath - like
trying to put out a forest fire with a water pistol - hopeless.
. . . .
God help us if we do not wake up soon. Our legacies left to our children might make it
difficult to survive.
While needless to say, all the preceding declarations of doom are quite depressing, all
is not lost. The picture is no longer as hopeless as it once was. In the pages that
follow, you will learn of a compound unlike any other previously discovered. A substance
that has been widely used in Europe by doctors and other health care providers for over
forty years. A compound that is able for the first time to be winning the battle against
free radical destruction.
. . . .
So why, you might ask, aren't these substances well known and readily available to
everyone? Why don't doctors know about them? Why haven't they been popularized in the
media? Why hasn't the FDA, the Government's Food and Drug Administration, examined the
studies abroad, seen the potential benefits, and pushed these compounds through? Well
sadly, the fact is that it costs over 200 million dollars and 10 years of research to gain
the FDA's ringing endorsement these days - a practice that has deprived us Americans of
the many benefits afforded people in other countries whose laws are not nearly as
stringent. As a matter of fact, these very substances we have been discussing are not only
in widespread use in Europe and Scandinavia, but for many conditions, they are the number
one recommended treatment by doctors. . . . .
But make no mistake - the information that follows is not intended as a promise or
cure; we make no medical claims. Rather, it is based on the experiences of people with a
large variety of medical problems and conditions. We refer to this as anecdotal evidence,
as opposed to that which is derived from scientific studies. While, in fact, these
substances have been extensively studied in Europe for over 40 years, and their safety and
effectiveness proven without question, their relatively recent introduction to this
country has not yet generated a body of evidence to support what we, who have used them,
already know. Without question these studies will follow, and create such significant and
overwhelming proof, that the medical establishment will be unable to deny the facts. . . .
.
. . . . Studies have shown it to be 20 times more potent than Vit. C and 50 times more
powerful than Vit. E as an antioxidant. The compound's name - MARITIME PINE.
. . . .
As previously stated, this compound has been carefully studied for decades, and has
been in widespread use throughout Europe and Scandinavia against a multitude of medical
conditions. Over the years, professors, physicians, researchers, and even a 1986 Nobel
Prize nominee have sung the praises of this "Super Antioxidant." Finally, it is
now available in the United States.
. . . .
REFERENCE TABLES
. . . .
I am not stating that these compounds will cure, improve, or even alter these
conditions whatsoever. I am merely offering up a significant body of "anecdotal"
evidence derived from personal experience with these substances in my practice. These
encounters happen to support the massive amount of foreign literature accumulated over the
last few decades illustrating the health benefits of these substances. . . . .
- (copy of reference tables attached as Exhibit C).
D. ". . . .
Dear Friend,
You had asked for this information on Attention Deficit Disorder.
Remember . . . We had visited on the phone?
Dr. McCarthy's enclosed brief tape reveals a new, safe to use, non-drug, nutritional
breakthrough method for relief of ADD. . .
If you had thought that powerful stimulant drugs were the only means of relief for ADD,
the good news is this:
Every week from coast to coast, many thousands of grateful parents, adult ADD sufferers
and ADD support group members. . . are discovering dramatic relief with this new,
nutritional method.
. . . .
As you listen to Dr. McCarthy's brief tape you will hear the experiences of three
doctors who reveal typical case histories of patients they had taken off of Ritalin-- and
other drugs-- then, placing them on Pycnogenol, how those patients experienced wonderful
relief.
Also, you will hear the experiences of a typical, grateful parent, and an adult ADD
sufferer who gained relief with Pycnogenol.
. . . . "
- (Exhibit D, J & R Research Corporation promotional letter).
E. " DR. McCARTHY: Hello, this is Dr. McCarthy again, and this report is a vital
update on the astonishing new nutritional compound previously reported to you on my audio
Tapes 1-A and 2-A. On Tape 1-A, you heard Dr. W. Lamar Rosquist refer to it as the
"nutritional miracle" of the '90s. Well, in line with that statement, this tape
will reveal the remarkable effectiveness of that safe to use compound for another very
pressing national health problem, Attention Deficit Disorder, also Attention Deficit
Hyperactivity Disorder. You'll get the facts on this new approach to ADD or ADHD and in
detail. Not only from me, but from several physicians, two medical practitioners, a
pharmacist, a doctor of chiropractic and grateful parents of ADD suffering children, plus
an adult with ADD. . . .
ADD, or ADHD, is a baffling and frustrating disorder, not only for those who suffer
from it, but also for their loved ones and our nation's physicians who have done their
best to treat it. The frustration among physicians is because science has not yet found
the cause or causes of ADD. . . . One thing that is a fact, millions have been prescribed
powerful stimulant drugs in the attempt to help ADD. But there are two problems with drug
treatment. One, in many cases drugs such as Ritalin, Dexedrine and Cylert, often do not
work very well. And second, they cause very dangerous side effects. But the good news is
this: Every week from coast to coast, many thousands of parents, adult ADD sufferers plus
countless ADD support group members are discovering wonderful natural relief with
pycnogenol . . . .
First, I'll introduced you to Dr. Gary T. Fischbach, M.D. Dr. Fischbach practices
internal medical as a family medical practitioner and also practices ophthalmology. . . .
[H]e is one of the few medical doctors in the U.S. who has over three years in-depth
clinical experience with the virtually astounding health results pycnogenol provides.
Listen especially to his experiences with ADD patients.
DR. FISCHBACH: I was introduced to pycnogenol by some associates here in the town that
I live in and became very intrigued by some of the claims that were being made,
experiences that were had by physicians in Europe, specifically, with quite a number of
disorders, and became intrigued enough to investigate the literature and did some of my
own testing as well. And, to my amazement, I found that pycnogenol was very effective
against quite a number of disease processes, and I could finally achieve results with this
natural compound that before I could not achieve with conventional pharmaceuticals.
Let me give you some examples. I've been able to effectively improve conditions such as
multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia, lupus, as well as
attention deficit disorder and attention deficit hyperactive disorder. The latter two I
have found over the years to be an extremely difficult disorder to treat, both for the
patient and for the family . . . . And it's just been amazing the response that I've
gotten from parents of children who I've placed on the compound pycnogenol. They see
results usually very rapidly and they comment that the child's behavior is able to be
maintained over the course of a whole day, something which we often not see with Ritalin.
Let me tell you that I've seen a couple cases that I must say are remarkable and
extremely dramatic. I had one mother, after her son began pycnogenol tell me that the
child was able to sit quietly, carry on a conversation, play with his cousin uninterrupted
and what even happened is that the child noticed this, and we're talking about a six year
old child. He could feel the difference and he would actually run to take pycnogenol,
whereas before the mother had to actually force him to take the Ritalin. She
understandably was beside herself with joy at these results and just praised the coming of
pycnogenol, so to speak.
And I've had numerous other cases equally dramatic. The feedback from parents has been
astounding. They notice rapid results and they all comment that the behavior pattern has
been smoothed out completely without any peaks and valleys and their school work has
improved dramatically. I must also say that I've had some experience where they would run
out of the brand that I was exposing them to and would be forced to seek other means of
obtaining the compound. They would find some at their local health food store. They would
come to me showing me a bottle of pycnogenol and would ask me "Doctor, isn't this
actually the same compound?" I would tell them politely, "No, this really isn't
anywhere near the quality of the pycnogenol that I have gotten for you. And you can
experiment yourself and try what you find at the health food store and compare it to the
compound that you had gotten from me." And, lo and behold, each time this occurred
they would then come back to me and tell me that they could not feel any benefit
whatsoever from the compound they had purchased themselves and ask me what was the
difference. Well, then I would proceed to tell them that this company located in Colorado
manufactures the highest quality pycnogenol available anywhere and this company has an
exclusive patent for their process. . . .
I must say that I have never seen such a change in individuals with so many varied
problems as I have with the use of Pycnogenol and that includes all my experiences with
all types of pharmaceutical drugs. . . .
. . . .
DR. McCARTHY: . . . . [I]n a minute you'll hear the experiences of two typical
consumers who are benefitting from pycnogenol. One whose son is taking it . . . .
RAY: . . . . [It] can be very frustrating and very stressful when your child has ADHD
because they don't follow instructions, they don't make eye contact, they don't listen to
you, it seems like they're ignoring you. They're always in trouble, they're impulsively
hitting. It's just you really feel out of control and discipline just doesn't work. . . .
David was on Ritalin. He went through the child study team and psychological evaluation,
he went to a neurologist and they said it's ADHD. He did focus a little better in school.
Not right away. We changed the dose of the Ritalin, the doctor told us to, he got a little
better. But the immediate side effect, he would come home with the Ritalin rebound it was
called. He would literally bounce off the wall when this Ritalin would wear off. It was
horrible. You'd come home from school, your kid's all glassy-eyed, running from one wall
to the next, bouncing off, and you're calling his name and he doesn't even know you're
there. He wasn't sleeping, he's up until one o'clock in the morning because he couldn't
sleep. His lips were real dry, he had tummy aches. He was on it for I guess about two
months or so. Thanksgiving we decided to give Pycnogenol. . . . Well, he started following
multiple instructions, making eye contact, tracking what you're saying. You could see him
looking at you, tracking what you're saying. . . . He focuses for an hour and a half in
the morning and an hour and a half in the afternoon. I got to tell you, it's a different
kid. It really, really is . . . . "
- (Exhibit E, J & R Research Corporation cassette tape).
F. "FAIRBORNE PYCNOGENOL MONOGRAPH #2
Relative to Attention Deficit Disorder & ADHD
The data within this monograph was created for our Fairborne Association's member --
physicians who practice in the field. This information is to further disclose facts
obtained regarding the compound Pycnogenol, and particularly its efficacy for alleviation
of the signs and symptoms of Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit
Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD.
. . . .
The commercial source for the compound we continue to utilize, is the same formulator
in Colorado referred to in our first monograph. The only reason we continue to use that
source is because their proprietary, blended formulations of Pycnogenol have
significantly greater bioavailability than basic Pycnogenol sold over the counter
in pharmacies and other sources. . . . .
. . . .
Interesting to note is the fact that even though, over the years, many so called
"nutritional" approaches to ADD have been attempted, no nutritional methods had
heretofore produced significant alleviation of symptoms.
However, not only is Pycnogenol proving to be exceedingly efficacious for ADD, from the
anecdotal results reported from the field it is becoming a very attractive first-line
method of choice by many physicians, in preference to conventional drug administration.
Also, in most cases, traditional drug therapy can usually be discontinued - or
significantly reduced - provided the patient continues to consume Pycnogenol.
. . . .
TYPICAL RESULTS WITH ADD/ADHD PATIENTS:
(a) A generalized calming effect.
(b) Significantly increased mental alertness and increased ability to remain focused
upon a given task or problem.
(c) Activities and plans much more organized.
(d) Far less impulsiveness of behavior.
(e) Decreased aggressiveness.
(f) A subjective feeling of being "at ease."
(g) More in control of one's thoughts.
(h) Particularly exhibited in young children and teenage ADD patients, as well as the
above:
- 1. Improved grades in school.
-
- 2. Improved recognition of and cooperation with requests from teachers and parents.
-
- 3. Less noisiness and disruptive behavior in class, at home, among siblings and peers.
-
- 4. Marked improvement in the ability to remain still. (Decreased Restlessness).
. . . .
PHASE 3: DRUG REDUCTION AND/OR ELIMINATION
For ADD patients currently being treated with drugs such as Ritalin, Cylert and
Dexedrine, as you know, those drugs are often withdrawn gradually, to avoid drug-dependent
withdrawal symptoms. (Refer to your PDR). It is entirely up to the physician as to when
to begin gradually decreasing daily dosages of Ritalin, etc. during Pycnogenol
administration. However, keep this in mind:
. . . .
Reports from physicians in the field indicate that as Ritalin, etc., is gradually
decreased over a number of days, for most patients it can be entirely eliminated.
However, a smaller percentage of patients may still require some drug intervention as
well. And, then, in most cases, only at peak stress periods such as afternoon school
sessions and so forth. Moreover, the drug dosage required at those peak stress
periods is significantly lower than formerly required before initiating Pycnogenol dosage.
. . . ."
(Exhibit F, Respondent J & R Research Corporation promotional material).
- 8. Through the means described in Paragraph 7, respondents have represented, expressly
or by implication, that Kaire International's pycnogenol products:
-
- A. dramatically treat or improve rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and rheumatism,
including the elimination or reduction of inflammation and pain associated with these
disorders;
-
- B. reduce the amount of insulin needed to treat diabetes;
-
- C. treat and/or improve health disorders associated with diabetes, including neuropathy,
retinopathy, osteomyelitis, circulatory problems and heart problems;
-
- D. help treat lupus, Parkinson's Disease, multiple sclerosis and fibromyalgia;
-
- E. treat or improve digestive disorders, including Crohnes Disease and irritable bowel
syndrome;
-
- F. help prevent strokes and the reoccurrence of strokes;
-
- G. dramatically improve physical disabilities caused by stroke;
-
- H. dramatically help prevent heart disease, including arterial sclerosis;
-
- I. reduce blood pressure;
-
- J. dramatically improve and help prevent circulatory problems, including phlebitis,
thrombophlebitis, blood clots, and varicose veins;
-
- K. dramatically promote the shrinkage of tumors and help prevent tumor formation;
-
- L. treat cancer and/or prolong the life of cancer victims;
-
- M. reduce or eliminate inflammation of the prostate;
-
- N. eliminate or reduce the incidence of asthma attacks and symptoms caused by allergies;
-
- O. improve eyesight and treat disorders of the retina;
-
- P. help rebuild joints and soft tissue;
-
- Q. greatly accelerate the healing time of injuries;
-
- R. improve or cure skin conditions such as psoriasis and acne;
-
- S. treat Attention Deficit Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder;
-
- T. reduce or eliminate the need for medication in individuals with Attention Deficit
Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder; and
-
- U. are twenty times more protective as an antioxidant than Vitamin C, and fifty times
more protective than Vitamin E.
-
- 9. Through the means described in Paragraph 7, respondents have represented, expressly
or by implication, that testimonials from consumers appearing in the advertisements for
Kaire International's pycnogenol products reflect the typical or ordinary experience of
members of the public who use pycnogenol products.
-
- 10. Through the means described in Paragraph 7, respondents have represented, expressly
or by implication, that they possessed and relied upon a reasonable basis that
substantiated the representations set forth in Paragraphs 8 and 9, at the time the
representations were made.
-
- 11. In truth and in fact, respondents did not possess and rely upon a reasonable basis
that substantiated the representations set forth in Paragraphs 8 and 9, at the time the
representations were made. Therefore, the representation set forth in Paragraph 10 was,
and is, false or misleading.
-
- 12. Through the means described in Paragraph 7, respondents have represented, expressly
or by implication, that scientific research demonstrates that Kaire International's
pycnogenol products:
-
- A. dramatically treat or improve rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and rheumatism,
including the elimination or reduction of inflammation and pain associated with these
disorders;
-
- B. reduce the amount of insulin needed to treat diabetes;
-
- C. dramatically treat and/or improve health disorders associated with diabetes,
including retinopathy, osteomyelitis, circulatory problems and heart problems;
-
- D. help treat Parkinson's Disease and multiple sclerosis;
-
- E. help prevent strokes and the reoccurrence of strokes;
-
- F. dramatically improve physical disabilities caused by stroke;
-
- G. dramatically help prevent heart disease, including arterial sclerosis;
H. dramatically improve and help prevent circulatory problems, including phlebitis,
thrombophlebitis, blood clots and varicose veins;
-
- I. dramatically promote the shrinkage of tumors and help prevent tumor formation;
-
- J. treat cancer and/or prolong the life of cancer victims;
-
- K. reduce or eliminate inflammation of the prostate;
-
- L. eliminate or reduce the incidence of asthma attacks and symptoms caused by allergies;
-
- M. improve eyesight and treat disorders of the retina;
-
- N. help rebuild joints and soft tissue;
-
- O. greatly accelerate the healing time of injuries;
-
- P. improve or cure skin conditions such as psoriasis; and
-
- Q. are twenty times more protective as an antioxidant than Vitamin C, and fifty times
more protective than Vitamin E.
-
- 13. In truth and in fact, scientific research does not demonstrate that Kaire
International's pycnogenol products:
-
- A. dramatically treat or improve rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and rheumatism,
including the elimination or reduction of inflammation and pain associated with these
disorders;
-
- B. reduce the amount of insulin needed to treat diabetes;
-
- C. dramatically treat and/or improve health disorders associated with diabetes,
including retinopathy, osteomyelitis, circulatory problems and heart problems;
-
- D. help treat Parkinson's Disease and multiple sclerosis;
-
- E. help prevent strokes and the reoccurrence of strokes;
-
- F. dramatically improve physical disabilities caused by stroke;
-
- G. dramatically help prevent heart disease, including arterial sclerosis;
-
- H. dramatically improve and help prevent circulatory problems, including phlebitis,
thrombophlebitis, blood clots and varicose veins;
-
- I. dramatically promote the shrinkage of tumors and help prevent tumor formation;
-
- J. treat cancer and/or prolong the life of cancer victims;
-
- K. reduce or eliminate inflammation of the prostate;
-
- L. eliminate or reduce the incidence of asthma attacks and symptoms caused by allergies;
-
- M. improve eyesight and treat disorders of the retina;
-
- N. help rebuild joints and soft tissue;
-
- O. greatly accelerate the healing time of injuries;
-
- P. improve or cure skin conditions such as psoriasis; and
-
- Q. are twenty times more protective as an antioxidant than Vitamin C, and fifty times
more protective than Vitamin E.
Therefore, the representations set forth in Paragraph 12, were, and are false or
misleading.
The acts and practices of respondents as alleged in this complaint constitute unfair or
deceptive acts or practices, and the making of false advertisements, in or affecting
commerce in violation of Sections 5(a) and 12 of the Federal Trade Commission Act.
THEREFORE, the Federal Trade Commission this ___ day of ___, ___, has issued this
complaint against respondents.
By the Commission.
Donald S. Clark
Secretary
SEAL: |