Joseph Mercola, D.O. (born 1954), is an osteopathic physician, health activist, and entrepreneur practicing near Chicago. He is the author of two New York Times best-sellers, The No-Grain Diet (with Alison Rose Levy), and The Great Bird Flu Hoax, together with several other books. He is best known as founder and editor of the popular website blank">Mercola.com. On his website, he advocates dietary and lifestyle approaches to health. He criticizes many of the practices of mainstream medicine and the _Food and Drug Administration (FDA), particularly vaccination and the frequent use of prescription drugs and surgery to treat diseases. On the website, he also promotes and sells a variety of products. Mercola has received a pair of warnings from the FDA for marketing nutritional products in a manner which violated the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. blank">FDA warning 1: Living Fuel Rx, Tropical Traditions Virgin Coconut Oil, and Chlorella issued to Mercola for promoting products on his website "for conditions that cause these products to be drugs", contrary to the _Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act), Public Health Service of the FDA (February 16, 2005). letters/g6034d.pdf" target="_blank">FDA warning 2: Vibrant Health Research Chlorella XP, Fresh Shores Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, Vitamin K 2 TM , and Momentum Health Products TM , Cardio Essentials TM , Nattokinase NSK-SD, and others 21 Sept 2006. issued a year later, sent following a personal investigation of facilities on April 24, 2006 by FDA authorities. He is a member of the politically conservative _Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, as well as several alternative medicine-related organizations.
