Who is Dr. Sebi and why should I care who he is?

Dr. Sebi

Alfredo Darrington Bowman (26 November 1933 – 6 August 2016),^[1] better known as Dr. Sebi,^[5] was a Honduran vegetarian herbalist,^[6] healer, pathologist, biochemist, and naturalist of holistic medicine^[7][1] who was litigated in 1988 in the New York City Supreme Court and faced civil and criminal charges for practicing medicine without a license.^[8] Although not a licensed physician, witnesses had testified that their health was improved as a result of USHA's dietary programs; after the prosecution failed to convince the jury that Bowman did in fact make a medical diagnosis, Bowman was later found not guilty in the associated criminal trial.^[8] Bowman and the USHA were however successfully sued by the New York attorney general's consumer fraud section, and were prevented from making any therapeutic claims regarding any of their products.^[9]

Bowman supposedly based his concepts on an Alkaline diet that would nurture the cells of the body and activate the body's bio-electric conductivity for healing properties, opposed to a diet consisting of acid, blood (meat), starch, and hybrid foods that he claimed causes disease.^[10][6][2] The supposed benefits of Alkaline diets are generally considered to be pseudoscience,^[11] as the body self-regulates pH within very strict limits (Acid–base homeostasis) regardless of food intake.

His core principles are naturopathic and uses his personal experience as his guide for a combination of herbs and natural practices for conditions of the human body.

Biography[edit]

Early years[edit]

Bowman was born in Ilanga, Honduras. He started as a herbal healer from learning from his grandmother and then from a Mexican herbalist,^[12][13] who Bowman claims to have healed him of diabetes and obesity using the same principles he would later employ.^[14]

Career[edit]

Bowman has treated some notable celebrities including Lisa Lopes of the R&B group TLC, Steven Seagal, John Travolta, Eddie Murphy and Michael Jackson for his dependency for painkillers.^[15][1][7]

Lawsuits[edit]

People of the State of New York v. Ogun Herbal Research Institute[edit]

At a 1993 Congressional hearing, Shirley Stark, who headed the NYAG's Consumer Fraud Section, indicated that a civil suit against Bowman's company had been successful, stating:

"A particularly glaring example of unsubstantiated therapeutic claims made for herbal supplements occurred a few years ago when the USHA Herbal Research Institute, run by a self-styled nutritionist calling himself "Dr. Sebi," advertised in the Village Voice and the Amsterdam News that "AIDS HAS BEEN CURED" by USHA and that they also specialize in cures for Leukemia, sickle cell anemia, herpes, lupus and other diseases. For an initial fee of $500 and $80 for each additional visit, patients were told they could be cured of AIDS and other diseases. The "cures" consisted of various herbal products, for each of which USHA made therapeutic claims. Eva Therapeutic Salve, for example, was referred to in USHA's brochure as follows:

"very effective on major skin problems, in prenatal use, against poor circulation, cancer, cysts, hemorrhoids and arthritis."

In fact, these claims were false. Our office filed suit against USHA and entered a consent agreement under which USHA can no longer make therapeutic claims for any of its products"^[16]

The consent judgement prohibits the Ogun Herbal Research Institute (d/b/a "USHA"), Fig Tree Products Company, Alfredo Bowman, Maa Bowman, and their successors, heirs and assigns from:

(i) claiming that their products or services could cure, relieve or alter in any way the course of AIDS, herpes, leukemia, sickle cell anemia, lupus, or any other human disease or physical condition,

(ii) distributing or advertising such products, and

(iii) diagnosing, treating or prescribing for any human disease without a valid state license by the New York State Education Department.

A sum of $900 for costs was assessed to the defendants.^[17]

Alfredo Bowman and Dr. Sebi LLC v. Michael Jackson[edit]

In 2004, Bowman claims that he was not paid in full for an alleged treatment for Michael Jackson to help him overcome painkiller addiction to Demerol and morphine with his African Bio-Electric Cell Food Therapy, which apparently lasted six months at an Aspen retreat^[18] providing him with "special herb compounds" and trained cooks.^[19] Bowman claims that $380,000 was outstanding and sought $600,000 in lost revenue of the deferment of clients and various speaking arrangements^[20] after Jackson's brother Randy only gave him $10,000.^[21][22] Raymone Bain, a publicist of Jackson acknowledges that Bowman was a friend of Jackson but denies that his client received any "professional treatment" or that he had any painkiller addiction.^[23] The case was dismissed in 2015 for lack of prosecution.^[19][24]

Arrest and death controversy[edit]

Bowman was arrested on 28 May 2016 while attempting to board a private plane from the Juan Manuel Gálvez de Roatan Airport whilst carrying $37,000 in cash.^[1] He was first released pending a court hearing on 6 June 2016, only to be re-arrested by the Public Ministerio on money laundering charges.^[25] He was held for several weeks in a Honduran prison as his family was attempting to obtain his release and subsequently died en route to Hospital D'Antoni on 6 August 2016 due to complications of pneumonia after police officials realized the severity of his health.^[26][27]

There is skepticism among his followers who question his arrest claiming that there was a conspiracy to silence him because of his holistic claims and its impact by promoting a healthy lifestyle and avoiding the expensive cost of pharmaceutical drugs,^[26][27] that grew attention in his latter years through social media despite not being FDA-Approved or a licensed physician.^[28] The exact date, length and charges of his arrest and incarceration has not been confirmed, as well as his jail conditions while in custody.^[26]

Some of Bowman's supporters suggest that his mainstream media silence was to avoid reporting his successes as there is no money in a cure, instead in sickness in what is a multibillion-dollar medical industry.^[27][28]

Personal life[edit]

Bowman considered himself an African, not an "African-Honduran", but an African in Honduras.^[29]

At the time of his death, he was survived by his seventeen children.^[1] His maternal grandfather was from Haiti.^[30]