The Dr. Joseph Mercola, DO, with web pages and multiple articles about health issues and natural cures, has published a section of a web page giving tips for avoiding the flu, including Swine Flu (A-H1N1/09).

There are multiple pages at other sites on the Internet where groups or individuals claim that Dr. Mercola has committed fraud. It is claimed at one of those sites, called Quackwatch, that he may have received two warnings in the past from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for publishing information with invalid claims for cures using products he endorses or sells.

Although much of the information he provides on various subjects is not scientifically supported, the common sense information he has given for how to avoid the flu seemed correct or mostly harmless. However, his suggestions for supplements, like all such suggestions should be discussed with your doctor or health care professional before adding them to your diet. Your health care professional should always be made aware of all supplements or natural remedies that you want to use and you should get their advice about their safety and if they would be effective for you and your needs.

Those who oppose his suggestions for remedies believe that many of them are based on "bad science" and that he incorporates "conspiracy theory" into his publications, and uses these and other fear tactics to try to generate a distrust of the established medical community and create unnecessary fear. They believe that he then proposes to have the answer to the problem upon which he has created the fear and will sell it or books about it to those who have fallen victim to the irrational fears. Many of these cures he suggests are the types of things that he received the FDA warnings about.

world wide the figure is upwards of $1 billion USD

Since significant research agencies have started the estimated total donated into cancer research sits at $4 Trillion.

Some updated information:

Funding for cancer research in the United States is close to $5 billion per year. The most recent figure on a global scale is from 2004-2005 when funding was around 11 billion Euros.