Complain about a product or service

"Dr. Christopher" Ordered to
Clean Up Comfrey Claims

WASHINGTON, July 6, 2001 -- The Federal Trade Commission has charged a Utah company, Christopher Enterprises, with marketing unproven and dangerous herbal products on its Website, www.drchristopher.com, and through a network of distributors.

The FTC charged that the company made unfounded claims that its products containing comfrey were beneficial in the treatment of a wide variety of serious diseases and conditions and that they were safe. In fact, according to the FTC's complaint, comfrey contains toxic substances and, when taken internally, can lead to serious liver damage. The defendants have agreed to a preliminary injunction requiring them to stop marketing comfrey products for internal uses or on open wounds, and to include a warning on comfrey products marketed for external uses. They have also agreed to stop making the challenged safety and health benefit claims.

The company had promoted comfrey products as safe to take orally, as suppositories, or to be applied to open wounds, and claimed that even pregnant women, infants, and children could safely use the products internally. The defendants also claimed their comfrey products, recommended for internal consumption, were effective in treating and/or curing asthma, colds, coughs, lung congestion, sore throats, emphysema, bronchitis, tuberculosis, broken bones, curvature of the spine, polio, multiple sclerosis, and spinal cancer.

In addition, the defendants claimed their suppository products were effective in treating prolapsed bowel and uterus, yeast infection and herpes simplex. The defendants' herbal antiseptic containing comfrey, recommended for application to open wounds or taken internally, was claimed to be effective in treating, preventing, and/or curing thrush, infection, pyorrhea, sore throat pain, and toothaches.

The FTC alleges that the defendants' representations that their comfrey products were safe to use internally are false. In fact, the FTC said, comfrey is not safe for internal use because it contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids which are known to be toxic to the liver, and taken internally such substances can lead to serious illness or death. The FTC further alleges that the defendants did not have adequate scientific evidence to substantiate the claims they made for their comfrey products.

"The Internet is a powerful tool for consumers searching for health information," said Howard Beales, Director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection. "Unfortunately, unscrupulous marketers also use it to peddle products with unproven and false claims.

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