Czelazewicz is among numerous affiliates marketing Pure Body Extra online, including Larry Cook, a prominent anti-vaccine influencer in the United States. Cook, who leads the Stop Mandatory Vaccination group, was removed from Facebook in 2020 after building a following of approximately 200,000 users. He currently promotes Pure Body Extra on his Detox for Autism website, claiming it can cure autism.
Pure Body Extra is produced by Touchstone Essentials, a company founded in 2012 by Eddie Stone, based in Raleigh, North Carolina. In addition to Pure Body Extra, the company offers a range of health and wellness products. On the product’s page on the Touchstone Essentials website, it is stated that the supplement is safe for all ages. In a section devoted to “science,” the company claims that the product’s ability to bind toxins and heavy metals has been supported by more than 300 studies documented on PubMed.
However, an examination of these studies by WIRED revealed that many were conducted on animals rather than humans. In the last decade, only seven human trials involving clinoptilolite, the specific zeolite used in PBX, have been carried out, all on adults, with many not addressing detoxification.
Calum Hood, the head of research at the Center for Countering Digital Hate, commented on this trend in alternative health, stating, “Anti-vaxxers often criticize the medical establishment, claiming it does not prioritize your well-being and that conventional doctors cannot be trusted. However, they selectively cite studies that appear to support their alternative remedies.” He expressed concern that this misapplication of research leads to false claims that zeolite could cure autism in children.
When asked to provide evidence supporting the safety of clinoptilolite for children, Touchstone Essentials did not respond. However, Sonia O’Farrell, the company’s chief marketing officer, told WIRED that they do not assert that Pure Body Extra can cure or treat autism or any medical condition. She explained that Pure Body Extra is a dietary supplement designed to support the body’s detoxification processes and that supplements cannot claim to treat, cure, diagnose, or prevent diseases.
O’Farrell also mentioned that the company does not endorse specific marketing methods used by individuals selling its products. “If we learn that an affiliate is making medical claims, our compliance team will instruct them to remove such materials,” she added.
A disclaimer at the bottom of the Touchstone Essentials website notes that “These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Our products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.”
The FDA did not respond to inquiries regarding the online promotion of Pure Body Extra..
