10/28/2025
Who is Dr Joel Wallach ?
Early Life and Education (1940–1964)Dr. Joel David Wallach was born on June 4, 1940, in West St. Louis County, Missouri, to Ukrainian immigrant parents who ran a beef cattle farm. Growing up in a rural environment, he was involved in demanding farm chores from a young age, which instilled a strong work ethic and an early interest in animal health and nutrition. As a child, he noticed discrepancies between the nutrient-rich feeds given to livestock and the typical human diet, sparking his curiosity about preventive medicine. He excelled in sports like football and wrestling during high school and achieved the rank of Eagle Scout. At age nine, he self-diagnosed and resolved a personal health issue (eyelid twitching) through calcium supplementation, further fueling his passion for veterinary science. During summers, he worked at the St. Louis Zoo, assisting figures like Marlin Perkins.Wallach enrolled at the University of Missouri in 1958, majoring in animal husbandry and nutrition with a minor in field crops and soils. Despite initial academic struggles due to working multiple jobs, he improved his grades and was admitted to veterinary school early. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture in 1962 and a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) in 1964. His education emphasized comparative pathology, nutrition, and the links between soil quality, animal health, and human well-being, influenced by professors like William A. Albrecht.
Early Career and Research (1964–1977)After graduation, Wallach served as a pathologist and instructor at Iowa State University's Veterinary Pathology Department from 1964 to 1965. In 1966, he worked as a project veterinarian and capture officer for the Natal Parks and Game Service in South Africa, studying wildlife like elephants and rhinos, and observing how mineral-rich soils contributed to animal longevity. He participated in conservation efforts such as Operation Rhino.Returning to the U.S., he held a post-doctoral fellowship in comparative pathology at the Center for the Biology of Natural Systems at Washington University (St. Louis) from 1966 to 1967, funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). There, he began performing extensive autopsies—eventually totaling over 17,500 on 454 animal species and around 3,000–4,700 on humans for comparative purposes—focusing on nutritional deficiencies as causes of disease.
He worked at various zoos, including the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago (1968–1971), Jacksonville Zoological Park, and Memphis Zoo, researching exotic animal diseases.Wallach published extensively, with over 70 peer-reviewed papers, many in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (JAVMA). Key works include reviews on nutritional diseases in exotic animals (1970), environmental issues in captive reptiles (1971), and foot care for elephants (1977). In 1983, he co-authored Diseases of Exotic Animals: Medical and Surgical Management, a 1,159-page comprehensive text considered a "national treasure" by some, now housed in veterinary libraries and the Smithsonian.
Key Discovery and Controversy at Yerkes Primate Center (1977–1978)In 1977, Wallach joined the Yerkes Regional Primate Research Center at Emory University as a veterinary pathologist. In November 1977, he autopsied a six-month-old rhesus monkey and diagnosed the first non-human case of cystic fibrosis (CF), attributing it to selenium deficiency from altered feed. Biopsies on other monkeys confirmed similar issues, challenging the prevailing genetic theory of CF and suggesting nutritional and epigenetic factors. Experts initially confirmed his findings, and Emory issued a press release in March 1978 praising the discovery, which garnered national media attention.However, center directors reversed support, allegedly to protect funding and reputations, as the feed changes implicated a colleague. Wallach was fired in April 1978 without a hearing, blacklisted in academic and zoo circles, and labeled a fraud. This led to professional isolation, including a terminated position at St. Louis University. He viewed this as suppression of his nutrient-deficiency theory, which contradicted genetic research paradigms. In 2011, he received the Klaus Schwarz Commemorative Medal for trace element research, acknowledging his contributions.
Personal tragedies compounded this period: his second wife, Josephine, died from Hodgkin's disease in 1978, and his uncle was murdered, leaving him a widower with four children.Transition to Naturopathy and Human Health (1978–1997) Blacklisted from veterinary academia, Wallach briefly worked manual labor while lecturing. Inspired by naturopathic physicians, he enrolled in the National College of Naturopathic Medicine in Portland, Oregon, earning a Naturopathic Doctor (ND) degree in 1982 by accelerating his studies.From 1982 to 1993, he practiced naturopathy in Oregon and at Hospital Santa Monica in Mexico (1990–1993), applying animal-derived nutritional protocols to humans. He emphasized 90 essential nutrients (60 minerals, 16 vitamins, 12 amino acids, 3 fatty acids) for preventing and treating diseases, advocating liquid forms for bioavailability. In 1989, with his third wife, Dr. Ma Lan (a microsurgeon and Harvard-trained expert), he autopsied 1,700 Chinese children with Keshan disease, finding 35% had CF-like changes, reinforcing his theories across populations.Wallach co-authored books like Let's Play Doctor (with Ma Lan) and Rare Earths: Forbidden Cures. His 1993 audio tape Dead Doctors Don't Lie—claiming physicians die younger (average age 58) than the public—went viral, selling millions and making him nationally known. He argued modern medicine focuses on symptoms via drugs, ignoring root nutritional causes, and criticized the "medical-pharmaceutical complex" for prioritizing profits.
In 1991, he was reportedly nominated for the Nobel Prize in Medicine for his work, though this claim has been questioned by skeptics.
He advocated for epigenetics over strict genetics, attributing diseases like sickle cell anemia, muscular dystrophy, and Type II diabetes to deficiencies (e.g., selenium for CF, chromium/vanadium for diabetes). In 1991, he collaborated with the Sickle Cell Foundation of Georgia, reporting remissions through nutrition.
Founding Youngevity and Later Career (1997–Present) In 1997, Wallach and Ma Lan founded American Longevity (renamed Youngevity in 2006), a multi-level marketing (MLM) company distributing nutritional supplements like the "90 For Life" line. It grew rapidly, merging with FDI in 2011, reaching over $130 million in annual revenue, and expanding globally to countries like Australia, Canada, Japan, and Russia. Products diversified into foods, cosmetics, and services. His son, Steve, managed operations.
Wallach lectures extensively (over 300 days a year), appears on radio (including a syndicated show), and authors books like Epigenetics: The Death of the Genetic Theory of Disease Transmission (2014) and Black Gene Lies. He has fought FDA regulations on supplement claims, contributing to the 1994 Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) and winning court cases allowing qualified health claims for nutrients.
Criticisms and Skepticism:
Wallach's views have drawn significant criticism from mainstream medicine and skeptics. Organizations like Quackwatch have labeled him a promoter of unproven therapies, particularly colloidal minerals and silver, warning of risks like argyria (permanent skin discoloration). Critics argue his claims—such as curing over 900 diseases through nutrition—lack robust scientific evidence, rely on anecdotal testimonials, and exaggerate benefits while downplaying risks. His MLM model has been compared to pyramid schemes, though he defends it for distribution efficiency. Wikipedia lists him under quackery-related topics.
Despite all this, supporters credit him with life-changing health improvements, and he remains active at age 85 (as of 2025), practicing and promoting his philosophies.
