The article headlined "Holford's medical certification withdrawn" (October 17) refers.
Ever since reading Ben Goldacre's stinging criticism of Patrick Holford in his illuminating book Bad Science (2008), I have been amazed at the apparent growth of Holford's nutritional empire, even though he is neither medical doctor nor scientist. A marketer perhaps, a salesman definitely.
One statement that gave him away was his rubbish assertion that "some supermarket oranges contain no vitamin C" - no doubt used as the premise for convincing gullible consumers to buy his vitamin C tablets.
It is surprising that so many consumers continue to support Holford.
More baffling is the accreditation by the University of Pretoria to "offer continual professional development points to doctors who attend his seminars".
Our own Tim Noakes, both a medical doctor and a doctor of science, is seen as controversial. But he has stirred up healthy, high-level debate. Holford operates as a bottom-feeder.
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