A recent blog post on Chronic Fatigue Syndrome linked in passing to a ‘treatment’ called Mitochondria Ignite™ with NT Factor®. This product caught my attention as an example of what Richard Feynman called ‘Cargo Cult Science’; a company dressing up like scientists, using chemical names and precise sounding figures, without actually having any science underlying it.
However, the product is not arguably not exactly pure Cargo Cult Science; there is a small amount of science content present. The product page contains a number of references, some of which point to peer review journals, and some of which are actually studies of the effect of some of the contents of the drug on humans. Of cours,e taking apart the studies shows that the product is still unproven, despite the thin glaze of real science; I can’t help but feel that this sort of thing has slightly grim implications for the future of accurate consumer information.
Here Comes The ‘Science’ Bit!
The first reference claims a decrease in fatigue when patients were treated with a different NT Factor%reg;-containing pill (Propax™), but refers to a small pilot study (page 23 of this issue) of self-reported symptoms of fatigue in group of patients without a control group.
The second reference claims a decrease in chemo side effects in a double-blind controlled study using the same drug as the previous paper. This one (p17 of this issue) consisted of blinded and unblinded phases; we’ll ignore the unblinded phased for obvious reasons. The blinded phase consisted of two groups, the first given a placebo for 6 weeks, followed by the drug for 6 weeks, and vice versa for the second. However, the authors at no point actually compare the difference between drug and placebo in either the first or the second 6 week period. The closest they come is to look only at the placebo-to-drug group, and compare the side effects during the first and last 6 week periods; this is, of course, entirely meaningless, without comparing to the drug-to-placebo group.
The third reference is a small study (20 subjects) that looked for differences in fatigue symptoms and mitochondrial function after treatment; the study had no control group. The forth reference points to an anti-aging newsletter that doesn’t seem to refer to the drug at all, and the fifth reference is a mouse study into a type of compound present in NT Factor.
So, 4 actual studies; 1 in mouse, 2 without control, 1 oddly flawed. Many of them pilot studies for future, proper clinical trials; as these papers are all nearly a decade old, I must assume that proper trials were either never carried out, or were carried out and found no significant effects.
Not Good News
As much as I hate the flashy ‘science’ sections on shampoo adverts, in which ‘proteins’ ‘restore’ your hair’s ‘chemical balance’ and so on, at least these are easy to tell apart from actual scientific evidence; those who have any critical faculties realise that these are a con, and the problem faced by science educators is the (still relatively daunting task) of getting lay people to think critically about science.
The worrying thing about the example of the NT Factor® stuff is that it looks to the untrained eye just like science. When I saw it, I didn’t know whether it was kosher or not; it was only by tracking down the references and reading the papers that I actually found out that the treatment was unproven and probably ineffective. It is one thing to ask people to think critically about products; it is another to ask them to track down, read and appraise 5 references before you decide on the product’s efficacy. By jumbling together a bunch of small pilot studies, published in low-tier journals, you can assert the efficacy of your dollar-per-day pills, without requiring your treatments to be demonstrably effective.
This sort of Cargo-Cult-ish ‘evidence dumping’ is hardly new, and isn’t restricted to a particular company or industry (e.g. see the Simon Singh/British Chiropractic Association thing). If and when people start to become more informed and critical about science, I don’t doubt we will see a lot more of it.
I have been thinking about potential solutions to this problem, and I have a few ideas (require all products making claims of medical efficacy to demonstrate it scientifically before an MHRA/FDA-style official body, increase funding and awareness about meta-analysis groups such as the Cochrane Collaboration, more online collaboration to scrutinise products, etc). However, I really have very little idea what to do about it, and would be very grateful for any indication of other people who have given it some thought.
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Just wanted to say thanks for your post - I read the rave reviews and “scientific” studies about the efficacy of NT Factor, and was almost (almost) ready to fork over $50 to try the stuff, but thought I’d investigate a bit more. (I have relentless CFS/ME and have spent countless $$ (and ££ as I’m now in the UK) on vitamins and supplements that are at best useless and, more often, make me worse). I don’t know enough from a scientific standpoint to evaluate these “studies,” so I appreciate your dissection of them!
Look, fingers crossed that they do a big clinical trial and find out this stuff actually has some merit, but until then, I’ll save my $50.
thanks again.
Have to disagree with you. I have a science background (for what it’s worth) and ME/CFS. I can say that after two months on NT Factor I felt considerably less fatigued. I have moderate - severe ME so not just a ‘burn-out’ case.
Incidentally, how patronising of you to think that only those with a science background are blessed with the savvy to avoid a con. The words ‘head’ and ‘rear end’ come to mind.
I’m glad that you feel better; I know how draining ME can be, and it must be a huge relief to start getting your energy back.
However, as someone with a science background, I’m sure you appreciate that there are a wide range of effects that make new medication appear efficacious to individuals when they are not. Indeed, that is why the entire field of medical regulation exists; if it was obvious which drugs are having no causal effect, we wouldn’t need clinical trials.
we can only live in hope
its always uplifting to hear that people find improvements in what they try
each individual seems to respond differently to different stuff
i always feel a little uplifted to hear stories of what has improved their condition
and value any tips and i keep open minded to possibly give it a try
sadly all this stuff is costly but are there alternatives out there that can help on a low budget ?
I am a scientist and i have CFS/ME. This is the beginning of my research on NT Factor. I intend to dig up all the scientific research and will review peoples blogs in order to get as much information as possible on this.
I am however already taking NT factor. I have been on it for 6 days and have already noticed a difference (albeit small). I am very skeptical of anything that claims that it can help CFS as i have had this for 9 yrs now. So as far as i am concerned there is no placebo effect happening here!
Any information any of you can give me?? please do!
Do some supplements or other alternative treatments not work? YES. Do some supplement manufacturers produce flawed research in an attempt to sell bottles? YES.
Your solution is to force supplement manufacturers to pass their claims through the FDA, just as pharmaceutical companies do.
Here’s the problem. SOME SUPPLEMENTS MAY WORK! Looking at all supplements with a skeptical eye, and ONLY PROTECTING CUSTOMERS AGAINST INEFFECTIVE SUPPLEMENTS is just as “dumb” as believing everything a supplement company says.
You need a system whereby EFFECTIVE supplements come to light and INEFFECTIVE or DANGEROUS ones don’t. And forcing a supplement company to pay tens of millions of dollars to prove their claims is just like shutting their factory down. Many people might be harmed if this happens.
So, next time you think about this issue, keep in mind 2 things: 1) people are sometimes buying product that don’t work or are even dangerous 2) there are probably many items on the supplement store shelves that have saved many lives. There! NOW, come up with a solution!
Complexity. It’s the way the world works.
I am looking into NT Factor for fatigue.
I have to agree with the whole disagreeing in the forcing the supplement companies to go through the FDA. I have a choice to buy, or not to buy.
I have yet to see anything about the price increase these requirements would cause. As your average american, this matters to me as much as it’s effectiveness. If you can’t afford it, it doesn’t really matter how well it does or does not work. Insurance companies already have restrictions on the prescriptions they cover, I don’t think that they should have that kind of control over supplements as well. Not to mention the fact the FDA isn’t perfect either. We have quite a few medications out there now that were
passed by the FDA, yet they are now being sued for their ” undesireable ” side effects.
Unfortunately there are supplements out there that aren’t safe but, it seems that there are prescription drugs that are unsafe also. The supplement companies are required tomark their products as not being approved by the FDA. Considering the cost, I’d prefer to keep my choice to buy or not to buy.
I’ve been taking NT Factor for several months and noticed a big difference —seemed subtle at first— but over prolonged use my stamina greatly improved. I have a condition known as REDDS and I haven’t been helped much by anything over the 30 years I’ve had this. I agree with Jeanie that there are much more dangerous things on the market to take that the FDA approves of. And I agree with Julia that it’s ridiculous what companies are forced to pay through the nose to further prove their claims although I perfectly understand the reasoning behind wanting a safe product. All I know is that once I ran out of NT Factor and went too long without it, my body could not hold up it’s immune system and I became very ill with a virus within a couple of weeks and my energy level went down the drain. So I’m good using it along with other things to compliment it for my condition.
Dr Garth Nicolson helped develop NT Factor for CFS and associated Autoimmune Illnesses that are caused by damage to cells. This is not “junk science” and his credentials are immpeccable. Here are a few.. this list does not include the fact that he was the chair of the Anderson Cancer Research Facility at Ft Mead
“Garth L. Nicolson is the President, Chief Scientific Officer and Research Professor at the Institute for Molecular Medicine in Huntington Beach, California. Prof Nicolson has published more than 600 medical and scientific papers, edited 16 books, and served on the Editorial Boards of 30 medical and scientific journals. He has won many awards, such as the Burroughs Wellcome Medal of the Royal Society of Medicine (United Kingdom), Stephen Paget Award of the Metastasis Research Society, the U. S. National Cancer Institute Outstanding Investigator Award, and the Innovative Medicine Award of Canada. He is also a Colonel (Honorary) of the U. S. Army Special Forces and a U. S. Navy SEAL (Honorary) for his work on Armed Forces and veterans’ illnesses”
Gee guys,
You obviously want to believe in this stuff.
Incidentally just cause the promoters have impeccable credentials proves nothing (it in fact promote a cognitive bias refered to as the halo effect - which is no doubt intentional).
Yep, we’re a gullible species.
Incredulously,
Michael McD
Then tell me why I am feeling better and have much more energy than before and I have chronic Lymes w/ HHV6 and a genetic mutation that makes me more susceptible tom chronic illness. Why was I diagnosed with a Mycoplasmal infection, Babesia and Bartonella. That alone is cause for major fatigue as I had. I don’t now after 14 months of missdiagnosis, no treatment and every doctor saying it was in my head. Dr Nicolson told me where to get tested, what Labs to use and follow a ABX protocol for using bacterialstatic Macrolides and enhancing my immune system. I can actually function now. If you don’t believe, that’s fine. Your Earth is still flat.
addressed to all those that do not have a clue…………the a-holes who only care about issues if they are the ones adversely affected. As per Nt energy i have used it and it does work; so if u want to be “buzz kills”,uneducated about which you speak.You should just shut up if u have nothing positive to say…complete tools. thanks,stef
Credentials matter quite a bit and Dr. Nicolson and His wife Nancy are true American Patriots. I wonder if the same folks that are on here trying to knock a Molecular Bio-Physicist are the same individuals who got paid to do so (Project Day Lily). 50 dollars for a one month supply of NT Factor seems to be very reasonable cost for the majority of Americans without Health insurance and from what I have read on here about the folks that actually take it, it seems to be doing more good than harm.