At a Glance
- Robert O. Young was sentenced to five years and eight months in prison for treating patients without a medical license
- His “pH Miracle” diet claimed cancer could be cured with vegetable smoothies and baking soda IVs
- Patient Tracie Cole died in 2012 after following Young’s detox regimen at his California ranch
- Why it matters: The case exposes dangers of unproven alternative cancer treatments that prey on vulnerable patients
A new Investigation Discovery docuseries reveals how self-proclaimed “doctor” Robert O. Young continued peddling unproven cancer treatments despite multiple convictions, culminating in a 2012 death that led to his latest prison sentence.
The pH Miracle Fraud
Young built an empire around his “pH Miracle” book series in the 2000s, claiming that cancer and other life-threatening illnesses could be treated with an all-vegetable smoothie diet and intravenous baking soda to “alkalinize” the body. The treatments came with a hefty price tag that left families scrambling to pay.
Jane Bodily watched her sister-in-law Tracie Cole waste away after being diagnosed with stage four cancer. Desperate for hope, Cole sought Young’s treatment at his California ranch, where patients paid thousands for a regimen that claimed “through respiration, defecation, urination and perspiration that you can eliminate the toxins out of your body.”
Life and Death at the Ranch
The daily routine at Young’s facility included:
- Colonics
- Lymph massages
- Green juices
- Alkaline water
Bodily says the combination made patients “really, really sick” – including her sister-in-law. Cole died in October 2012, just 14 months after her cancer diagnosis and shortly after leaving the ranch.
In a 2025 prison interview featured in the documentary, Young defends his treatments and denies making anyone sick or discouraging patients from seeing their doctors.
A Pattern of Deception
Young’s medical fraud wasn’t a one-time mistake. He had previously been convicted for practicing medicine without proper credentials in 1996 and 2016. Despite having only a high school education and purchased “degrees” from unaccredited correspondence schools, he continued treating seriously ill patients.
“It is unconscionable that this defendant continued to treat patients for serious illnesses when he had twice been convicted of practicing medicine without a license and has nothing more than a high school education and purchased ‘degrees’ from unaccredited correspondence schools,” said District Attorney Summer Stephan.
The Hypocritical Healer
While Young pushed his strict alkaline diet on desperate patients, Bodily discovered he wasn’t following his own advice. After volunteering in the kitchen to help offset her sister’s mounting bills, she found a separate refrigerator containing Young’s “secret stash.”
“When you go into the kitchen there was four fridges there, and the fourth fridge was where he stored his secret stash of his eclairs and donuts and sandwiches,” Bodily explains. “He would buy sandwiches and eat them later in the day when we were kind of all settling.”
Legal expert Beth Karas notes the contradiction: “Maybe he feels like he doesn’t need it, but if he truly believes that these green drinks and whatever else will keep the body healthy, he should not have at least the processed foods and the sweets anywhere near his house, right? He’s being hypocritical here.”
Justice Served
In May 2025, Young was sentenced to five years and eight months in prison for treating an elderly woman suffering from liver disease without a medical license. The San Diego District Attorney’s office emphasized that his fraudulent treatments put patients at serious risk by not addressing their actual medical conditions.
The first episode of season 2 of ID’s The Curious Case Of… docuseries, titled “The Curious Case Of… Death by Detox?”, premieres January 12 at 10 p.m. ET on ID, with new episodes airing weekly and available to stream on HBO Max.
Key Takeaways:
- Robert O. Young’s fake cancer treatments led to at least one confirmed death
- Despite multiple convictions, he continued practicing medicine without a license
- His own dietary restrictions didn’t apply to himself, revealing the fraud
- The case highlights the dangers of unproven alternative medical treatments
