Barbara O’Neill, an Australian proponent of natural remedies with 3.6 million Instagram followers and 1.7 million Facebook followers, is conducting wellness conferences in the UK and Ireland where she advises attendees on medical conditions while dismissing conventional medical treatments. O’Neill was banned from providing health services in Australia in 2019 after authorities determined she had made dangerous claims not supported by evidence and posed a risk to public safety. She now operates unregulated wellness events, including a five-day residential retreat in Cheshire with ticket prices up to £1,300.
During sessions observed at the conference, O’Neill recommended castor oil compresses as treatment for stomach tumors, nasal polyps, endometriosis, carpal tunnel syndrome and bile duct stones. She advised a pregnant woman against taking folic acid, recommended a glaucoma patient use castor oil with cayenne pepper in her eye, and suggested that a woman with a non-functioning thyroid gradually stop taking thyroxine to “see what the body does.” She also counseled a diabetic patient to cease blood glucose monitoring, claiming it would “balance right out with the change in diet.”
Prominent medical experts have expressed serious concern about O’Neill’s recommendations. A leading glaucoma specialist stated there is no evidence supporting her claims and warned of potential harm. A professor of metabolic medicine noted that stopping thyroxine in someone without a functioning thyroid “really makes no sense and risks serious, potentially life-threatening illness.” A psychiatry professor described her diabetes advice as “very dangerous,” explaining that untreated diabetes increases risks of blindness, peripheral nerve damage, dementia and death.
O’Neill’s core teachings incorporate some established health advice, such as recommendations for balanced diet, exercise and adequate sleep. However, medical professionals have told media outlets that her advice is dangerous and potentially deadly. Refusing medical tests is described as a regular theme throughout her teachings across publications, social media and public appearances.
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