Mercola at one point sold tanning beds — and actually claimed they reduced the chance of getting cancer — even though physicians have long cautioned against indoor tanning, citing the risk of skin cancer.
In 2016, the Tribune reported that he sold tanning beds priced from $1,200 to $4,000 from his Hoffman Estates-based business and “claimed cold winters in the Midwest meant Chicagoans, in particular, would benefit from his tanning beds, which he said could ‘reverse your wrinkles’ and ‘slash your risk of cancer.’ â€. A Federal Trade Commission lawsuit debunked these claims and in a settlement, Mercola agreed to refund customers up to $5.3 million and promised to no longer sell tanning beds “These types of false claims are especially troubling because of the serious health risks posed by indoor tanning,†the director of the FTC’s bureau of consumer protection had said in a news release A 2017 news release said the agency mailed refunds totaling $2.59 million to more than 1,300 customers who bought Mercola indoor tanning systems Mercola had told the Tribune he only settled the case as “a business decision,†and stood by his claimsIn February, the agency sent Mercola a warning letter about vitamins and other products that his websites or social media accounts have directed customers to purchase, indicating that they’re “intended to mitigate, prevent, treat, diagnose, or cure COVID-19 in people.â€