In what may be the worst bait-and-switch in the history of bait-and-switches, sports fans tuned in to The Pat McAfee show Tuesday in anticipation that one of his regular guests, NFL MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers, might deliver significant news on the future of his career. But, there was no such news. Instead, Rodgers gave a hearty endorsement for a horrifying 12-day cleanse that can sometimes involve oily enemas, bloodletting, and forced vomiting.
“There will be no news today,” Rodgers said to McAfee on the show. “No decision on my future. As I was texting with you yesterday, I just got out of a 12-day panchakarma. Look that up. I know you did after we talked. It’s a cleanse that originated in India. It’s been going on for thousands of years, and it’s something I’ve done in the offseason. So I’m just getting my hand above the sand now and seeing what’s going on there.”
Panchakarma is described as a cleansing and purification technique in Ayurvedic medicine, which is a longstanding, pseudoscientific Indian medicine system. The system is not based on science and has little scientific evidence backing it, according to the National Institutes of Health. The most that can be said for it is that scant data suggests Ayurvedic herbal mixtures may help people relieve osteoarthritis pain and manage type II diabetes. But, more data is needed to solidify those benefits, and evidence is lacking for benefits of any other conditions.