The StemEnhance Scam (StemTech International)

Discussion in 'Adrian Wong' started by Adrian Wong, Nov 23, 2010.

  1. Adrian Wong

    Adrian Wong Da Boss Staff Member

    People seem to love sending me all sorts of hoaxes and scams to bust. However, this is the first time someone has tried to involve me in his schemes. It's quite a surreal experience because he knows I know it's a scam.

    It started when I replied an acquintance about yet another miracle drink (this time, made out of nothing more than potato, carrot and apple). Out of the blue, one Carl Lang from Singapore injected himself into the mailing list and started asking us to consider StemEnhance instead.

    In his own words, with StemEnhance, "conditions such as lupus, cancers, heart problems, diabetes, spinal injuries, liver and kidney problems, brain tumours, and many many more, have been surprisingly dealt with". Wow... If that's not good enough for you, he adds, "Even those who were once blind, now can see! The hard of hearing are able to hear again! The wheel-chair bound getting up to walk! Amazing!"

    I almost feel out of my chair, hit my head on my desk and became a cripple when I read that! :haha: :haha: :nuts: I flat out replied to everyone that this was yet another way to get cheated.

    I thought that would be the end of it... but guess what -> he started CCing me in his e-mails to people he was trying to sell StemEnhance to! :nuts:

    This e-mail conversation is long, but worth reading. It shows you just how these fellas work. It also includes my replies and rebuttals. I will also highlight key points in red.

    To protect the other person's privacy, I changed his name and removed some links. Otherwise, the e-mails are exactly what was sent between us.

    Wowwww... He sure isn't polite any more. I guess no one likes being called a scammer, but hey, I didn't ask you to CC me in your product pitches. But although I was hoping that it would be enough to shut him up, it appears he just sent me another "love letter". :mrgreen:

    I really hope this is the last time I ever need to respond to his inanity.

     
    Last edited: Nov 23, 2010
  2. peaz

    peaz ARP Webmaster Staff Member

    man. the guy surely is kinda thick face isn't he?
     
  3. Dashken

    Dashken Administrator!

    Ok... seriously... :haha: :haha: :haha:
     
  4. PsYkHoTiK

    PsYkHoTiK Admin nerd

    Whatever happened to good ol' snake oil? :lol:
     
  5. Max_87

    Max_87 huehuehue

    "Doctor of SCAMs!" :haha:
     
  6. Adrian Wong

    Adrian Wong Da Boss Staff Member

    The funny thing is I have no idea why he included me in his e-mails. :nuts:

    Still, it was interesting to see how these pill-pushers sell their wares. They would actually "cold mail" you and feign interest in your health before trying to push the "miraculous cure" to you.

    What's dangerous about this man in particular is that he claims that StemEnhance is a much cheaper alternative to surgery. In fact, he more or less claims that StemEnhance will pretty much cure everything from cancer to diabetes.

    That's VERY dangerous as people who believe him may stop taking their medication, or going for surgery. This can permanently damage their health, if not outright kill them. It is our moral duty to point out these charlatans and expose them for what they really are.
     
  7. zy

    zy zynine.com Staff Member

    People will do anything to gain money.:evil:
     
  8. Adrian Wong

    Adrian Wong Da Boss Staff Member

    The StemEnhance Scam (Stemtech International) Part 2

    I just found a very good article on StemEnhance by Dr. Dale Peterson. It's a very long article, which you can read in its entirety @ StemEnhance has significant risks and is of questionable benefit

    What's startling about his article is not that StemEnhance is a health hazard (it is), but the fact that stem cell enhancers can potentially INCREASE the risk of cancer, or ENHANCE the growth of any existing malignancy. To quote Dr. Peterson, "bone marrow stem cell release is a two-edged sword. While they can participate in the healing process, it is becoming clear that they can also predispose to cancer development and promote more aggressive cancer growth and increase the risk of metastases."

    Here's an excerpt of his article. I've taken the liberty of highlighting the important parts of his article.

    So, basically, there are now two BIG problems with StemEnhance :

    1. The health risks posed by arsenic and microcystin toxins in the algae. On Mr. Drapeau's assertion that there are no microcystin toxins, Dr. Milena Bruno (a leading authority on the toxicity of blue-green algae) has this to say :

    2. There is a potential risk that these stem cell enhancers (if they truly work as advertised) will INCREASE the risk of developing cancer, or cause any existing malignancies to spread more aggressively. Here are some quotes that Dr. Peterson provided from recent research papers :

     
  9. The_YongGrand

    The_YongGrand Just Started

    Stem cells are difficult units of our body to be manipulated. Their behaviour will not be changed instantly by just taking supplements.

    Until now, there are plenty of research done just to understand the nature and behaviour of these stem cells.

    And yes, be careful when buying blue-green algae supplements. I don't know how much of these poisonous materials are inside when these are grown in tainted waters.
     
  10. bnoar

    bnoar Newbie

    Response from Stemtech International

    I have become aware of your thread about our company and offer the following response in attempt to get the true facts out:

    1) Stemtech does not have operations in Singapore and cannot locate a distributor record of anyone matching the name used by the person who posted all these claims and responses.

    2) Stemtech products are nutritional supplements, not drugs, and are not intended to cure, treat or prevent ANY illness or disease. Our only claim about StemEnhance is that it has been scientifically documented to support an increase in the amount of circulating adult stem cells in humans. According to the US Government's Institutes for Health, "The primary roles of adult stem cells in a living organism are to maintain and repair the tissue…”

    3) Although Christian Drapeau and independent research scientist, Gitte Jensen, previously performed work associated with Celltech, this should not be confused with Stemtech, an entirely different company. Stemtech has no affiliation whatsoever with Celltech.

    4) Our StemEnhance product, which consists of a patented blend of two nutrient-rich proprietary AFA concentrates, should not be confused with the Celltech product. StemEnhance is manufactured and quality-tested according to strict GMP standards and has a superior safety record.

    I trust that this addresses your concerns. Thanks.
     
  11. omegadoom13

    omegadoom13 Newbie

    "My review of the medical literature on aphanizomenon flos-aquae revealed that 97 of 99 bottles of blue-green algae analyzed by independent researchers have been found to contain a microtoxin capable of causing liver failure. A wrongful death lawsuit involving a young girl who worked for Cell Tech and died of liver failure after taking their products is pending."

    That's very disturbing. I worry for those in the general population who might be easily persuaded by similar claims of the "miraculous wonders of stem cells" for curing all that ails. My parents would be included in that population segment. Lacking an education to understand similar scams, my Chinese parents have a tendency to buy Asian herbal/medicinal products, regardless of checking the science behind them. Not all Asian products grouped in that category are bogus and dangerous... but a good number of them should have health warning labels instead of health claims. Over the years, I've convinced my parents not to waste money on such products, instead consider alternatives that does not require the use drugs, when necessary. I've had to printout pages of research articles translated from English to Chinese for them to read. Luckily, I've opened their eyes to how I perceive such products. They found the placebo effect to be the most interesting aspect of the readings. Very cool, indeed. :)
     
  12. Adrian Wong

    Adrian Wong Da Boss Staff Member

    Thank you for responding.

    I'm surprised that you haven't heard from Carl Lang, as I did request that he consult you guys to verify the claims that he has been asserting on your behalf. If you need more information on your errant distributor/reseller, I would be more than happy to pass you his e-mail address.

    I'm glad you cleared that up, because he has been claiming that StemEnhance will treat “conditions such as lupus, cancers, heart problems, diabetes, spinal injuries, liver and kidney problems, brain tumours, and many many more”

    Just to be clear to everyone reading this thread, you have just confirmed that StemEnhance will NOT cure, treat or prevent any illness or disease. That, I believe, pretty much sums up the effect, or should I say lack of effect, of StemEnhance.

    Regarding the singular claim that StemEnhance will support an increase in adult stem cells, that's actually pretty vague. Can you enlighten us on these points?

    1. Can you please quote the study that showed the increase?
    2. Was it a randomized, double-blinded study?
    3. Was it ever peer-reviewed?
    4. In which publication was the study published?
    5. How large was the study? As in how many test subjects were there?
    6. What was the quantity of increase in adult stem cells noted?
    7. How long did the increase in adult stem cells last? What was its half-life?
    8. What was the dose of StemEnhance necessary to elicit the increase in adult stem cells?
    9. Did the increase in adult stem cells have any noticeable effect on the health of the test subjects?
    10. What were the side effects noted during the study?

    I'm sure StemTech and CellTech are different companies, despite the almost similar names. But both StemTech and CellTech's products are based on the same aphanizomenon flos-aquae (AFA) algae harvested from the Upper Klamath Lake, and StemTech principals are ex-CellTech employees, so I don't think there's any confusion about their affliation. They may not be blood brothers, but at the minimum, I think we would consider them kissing cousins. ;)

    Yes, I do believe your StemEnhance product is similar yet different from what CellTech was peddling. But would it be possible for you to give us the low-down on the ban on StemEnhance by the Canadian health authorities? That does run counter to your claim of a superior safety record.

    I'm sure glad we are hearing from a StemTech representative directly. You have cleared up the biggest misconception about your StemEnhance product by confirming that it is not able to cure, treat or prevent any illness or disease. For that, I thank you.

    I hope you would be able to address our other concerns (see above). I eagerly await your response. Thanks!
     
  13. moffat

    moffat Newbie

     
  14. moffat

    moffat Newbie

    Forum on StemTech products

    I have read the forum regarding Stemtech Stem Enhance and tend to somewhat disagree with Dr Wong. I can't verify that the product does everything it claims to but can only go on my experience with the product. I was living in Qld at the time and had a dog that became very ill and finally died due to a heart murmur, at the same time I owned another dog of the same breed that also had been diagnosed with the condition. Whilst waiting at a counter to be served one day I noticed a photocopy of a small home made booklet relating to a cure for sick animals (mostly dogs). I thought it would be a load of rubbish (and I must say I certainly don't believe everything that was stated) but thought I would take it home for a light read seeing I was really concerned for my little dog. After reading it and being desperate to try to cure my little one I decided to give the product a go. Kiki was on heart medication and slowly it needed to be increased, she has been on Stem Enhance and StemFlo for about two years now and to my surprise her heart medication has not needed to be increased in that time and the last two pathology tests have come back as favourable. She is nearly 13 years of age and had her most recent bloods done yesterday with the vet at the specialist centre commenting that it was an excellent result for a dog her age who has had heart disease for a number of years, she also advised that her heart sounded really good.

    I also have another of the same breed who is a little larger dog and was also diagnosed with early stages of heart disease and placed on medication, Budha is nearly 12 years old. I decided both dogs could take the Stemtech products commencing them at the same time. Approximately 12 months ago Budha became very ill with degeneration in the spine which lead to him becoming paralyzed. I rushed him immediately to the Specialist Vet Centre at Tanawah for a much needed spinal operation but due to his heart condition vets were reluctant to give him the anaesthetic without the clearance from a cardiologist. The cardiologist report came back with an excellent prognosis, he was cleared for the operation and also taken off any heart medication he was taking as the cardio did not feel his heart murmur was bad enough to warrant any meds and explained that normal vets tend to administer medication as a preventative. Budha subsequently went through 2 back to back spinal operations at the age of 11 years and is a very happy healthy dog today, walking and running as normal.

    I am also taking Stem Enhance and StemFlo and have had an enormous amount of stress to manage for the past 8 years or so. When the body and mind is put through so much it usually ends with the person being run down and becoming quite physically ill. I can honestly say that my physical health is quite good but I do suffer from major depression. Whilst I am certainly not claiming that the StemTech products have cured my dogs and myself (because they haven't) I feel my experiences lead to a good argument that the products could possibly be a tool that has helped my dogs and myself achieve the standard of health we are experiencing today. In closing I can only say that I feel the products are worthwhile trying, they will not cure the disease but may help in the severity of it.
     
  15. Adrian Wong

    Adrian Wong Da Boss Staff Member

    So you disagree not because you have any facts or evidence to speak of, but because you have an anecdotal story to tell us? Interesting... :)

    So you have THREE dogs with heart murmurs (which is a sign, not a disease), which could be benign in nature and you treated them with StemEnhance and StemFlo even though they were meant to be taken by dogs.... Of course, you don't happen to have their ECGs, vet reports, stress test reports handy, do you? :hand:

    And I guess the three examples of your dogs being cured by StemEnhance and StemFlo is supposed to convince us that what's good for dogs is good for us humans too? :mrgreen:

    I would like to point out that while many people give their dogs ivermectin on a regular basis to prevent heartworm infection, would you also take it just because it works so well for them? I didn't think so...

    Well, I'm sure you believe you are highly stressed and yet wonderfully healthy thanks to the miraculous StemTech products. Congratulations, you are yet another successful case of the placebo effect. That's the power of the mind, my friend... :D

    Look, if you would like to continue spending on placebo, it's your money. Just stop trying to convince other people to waste their money. I would also advise you to buy cheaper placebos. They work just as well. After all, StemTech themselves admit that "StemEnhance will NOT cure, treat or prevent any illness or disease".
     
    Last edited: Jul 22, 2013
  16. Adrian Wong

    Adrian Wong Da Boss Staff Member

    Just an update on StemEnhance... Well, it's a warning by the Philippines Department of Health from 2013, but still holds true :

    The FDA advisory can be viewed @ http://www.fda.gov.ph/attachments/a...nd Marketing of Stem Cell Enhance Product.pdf
     
  17. Gort Sneeley

    Gort Sneeley Newbie

    I just read your monologue above about Stem Enhance. I suppose you believe everything the FDA says and that all drugs and alternative health care treatments, not approved by the PAP are best for your countrymen, is it? I suppose you are fully aware that actual cancer cures, diabetes cures and other cures (for example Essiac) not approved by the regulatory machinery, also known as the Health Industry, should *all* be banned, is that correct? As a licensed physician, you are part of the problem, not the solution. Your income -- nay, your whole career and lifestyle -- is utterly dependent on the money coming from the persistent sickness of your patients; and your ineffective 'treatments' of their chronic and fatal health conditions using only 'approved' methods. While i do not advocate the 'Stem Cell' treatment mentioned here, I firmly believe it is people like yourself, acting as Gatekeepers who know it all, are a primary part of the reason so many are sick and prematurely die today. For many chronic conditions, you have absolutely nothing to offer except provably failed treatments (not cures) such as chemotherapy, surgery and radiotherapy, which actually murder 90-98% of the patients they 'treat.' Your unaffordable and obscenely overpriced surgeries and treatments for cardiovascular problems like artherosclerosis and diabetes only forestall -- or even increase, in many if not most cases -- the suffering and early mortality of your patients! Approved medical treatments and drugs offer few or no cures, only a highly profitable set of financial incentives to the mercenaries who peddle them. You need radical brain and conscience surgery; you need to repent for your adamant and obstinate approach to real, viable alternative therapies that have a proven history of actual cures and successful treatments. The FDA and the other hydra tentacles of power and greed in the Singapore, Canadian and UK medical INDUSTRIES need to be gutted and rebuilt: it is people like YOU, Dr Wong, and your colleagues and superiors, who are hindering real progress and preventing the true cures the world needs, for the sake of your own pension plans and financial incentives. People like you need to resign, or be forced to do so, for pushing unworkable and failed 'treatments.' Not all alternative therapies have good curative properties and yes, some are clearly 'snake oil.' But not ALL of them are scams either; and you are being DELIBERATELY obfuscating and deceitful when you imply that they all are scams -- and, much worse, your reasons for doing so are ALL the most pernicious reasons.
     
    anna peterman likes this.
  18. Adrian Wong

    Adrian Wong Da Boss Staff Member

    @Gort Sneeley :

    1. That was not a monologue. That was a list of emails between a StemEnhance seller and I... as well as a StemEnhance rep. LOL!

    2, If you believe everything a private company like StemEnhance tells you, I have a bridge to nowhere you would love to buy. :D

    3. As a peddler of false hope and fake cures, you not only allow the problem to fester, you EXACERBATE it. So stop pretending as if you have "the cure". You don't.

    4. We are not gatekeepers but teachers. We are pointing out the LIES that are being told to sell supplements like StemEnhance to gullible patients. You are still free to purchase and consume StemEnhance and DIE an early, painful death if you prefer. We just want to educate other people so they won't get fooled into an early, painful death as well.

    5. If our careers and lifestyles are utterly dependant on the persistent sickness of our patients, then we would be peddling StemEnhance with the likes of you. After all, it pays better than any drug in the market. Fish out free algae from Lake Klamath, and process them into pills or tablets for sale WITHOUT the need to pass any safety or efficacy test. Best of all, we would be able to peddle it even to people who are NOT sick! What's there not to like? :D

    6. If you feel so strongly that StemEnhance works, why don't you tell us HOW it works? Why don't you show us the EVIDENCE of people being cured by StemEnhance? Where are the STUDIES that prove its safety and efficacy? Why don't you convince StemEnhance themselves to remove the disclaimer that StemEnhance does not "cure, mitigate, treat or prevent any disease"?

    7. Read my lips - anyone who claims that StemEnhance can treat or cure any disease is a LIAR. Any business that sells StemEnhance as a treatment or cure of any kind is a SCAM. Disagree? Ask StemTech International themselves. Read what their own rep said in the third page @ The StemEnhance Scam By StemTech International

    Go get a real job, Gort. Stop selling fake cures.
     
  19. Miky

    Miky Newbie

    Hello Dr. Adrian Wong,

    After reading your almost two years old discussion articles, I do some google searches and have questions for you:

    1. What are your major study and profession?

    2. You repeatedly quote: StemTech themselves admit that "StemEnhance will NOT cure, treat or prevent any illness or disease" to defend your SCAM claim, it seems you are taking advance of FDA roles. As you know all supplements selling in the US are counted as food and not inspected nor certified by FDA. All supplements are labeled a note: This statement has not been evaluated by the FDA. The product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease." same as StemTech products do by regulations. This doesn't means these products are SCAM and useless. All Vitamins supplements have this label on and Doctors still advising patients to eat when needed. Isn't it?

    3. All Chinese herbs and medicines are not evaluated by FDA, but using by billion people not only in China. Can you still say "Stop selling fake cures"?

    4. StemtechRelease3 (formally StemEnhance) study was publishing on US government official medical related website. The Conclusion statement saying...clinical trial of Stemtech™ in a group of Iranian diabetic patients. Stemtech™ intervention brought in favorable effects on HbA1c in our diabetic patients consequently suggest Stemtech™ as a functional food in management of diabetes. See full content page link: Consequences of AphanizomenonFlos-aquae(AFA) extract (StemtechTM) on metabolic profile of patients with type 2 diabetes

    It really seems in favour of Stemtech™. Do you agree with this? Any opinions?

    Your early response will be appreciated.
     

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