Letter to the Editor - Nanaimo News - August 17, 2005

Dear Sir:

Re: ''Scientist slams Lunney''(Daily News, Aug. 13).

This story relates to an article published in the UK's Scientist magazine by Canadian journalist Marvin Ross. It is a shame that CanWest reporter Randy Boswell did not take the time to familiarize himself with Marvin Ross' work or the issue at hand.

Mr. Ross' writing history on this subject demonstrates his overwhelming bias against the product and anyone who does not share his views. Surely Mr. Boswell should have been aware of Ross and company's previous attempts to discredit the work of Bonnie Kaplan, Ph.D. of the University of Calgary, and Dr. Charles Popper of Harvard Medical School, for publishing extraordinary initial results with EMPowerplus.

The science behind the EMPowerplus story is very promising. With five articles and commentaries in peer-reviewed scientific journals, further investigation is warranted.

The work done by Dr. Kolb also showed remarkable results in rats fed diets supplemented by the vitamin/mineral combination, including photos of brain tissue being present where lobotomies had been performed previously. Rats not supplemented retained the lobotomy lesions.

These are photo records that I circulated at the Health Committee. It is not scientist Brian Kolb who has ''targetted'' Lunney, it is journalist Marvin Ross.

My testimony before Health Committee regarding EMPowerplus served as an illustration of how badly Health Canada has handled many Natural Health Product (NHP) cases. Shutting down a promising study approved and funded by the Alberta Science and Research Authority, approved by the University of Calgary and in spite of not one person being harmed by the product indicates a bureaucracy that has lost sight of the public interest.

Finally, the article claims my bill seeks to deregulate NHPs.

This is untrue.

The bill I sponsored would change the type of regulation to one more appropriate for low risk, low cost health care choices. Your headline states that I misrepresented scientific research.

The real story is: 'journalist with no scientific credentials misrepresents truth.'

James Lunney,

MP, Nanaimo-Alberni.