The authors state, Five systematic reviews have examined the RCT research literature on homeopathy as a whole, including the broad spectrum of medical conditions that have been researched and by all forms of homeopathy: four of these ‘global’ systematic reviews reached the conclusion that, with important caveats, the homeopathic intervention probably differs from placebo.
“Faux medicine,” indeed!
There is also ample evidence that homeopathic medicines can help with colds. A 2016 randomized controlled trial concluded that a homeopathic syrup “appeared to be effective in reducing the severity of cold symptoms.” These findings are supported by many more studies (see here, here, and here). We also recently reviewed the evidence for homeopathy’s ability to help with COVID.
There are in fact many conditions for which evidence supports homeopathy’s use. There is an irony in entities like the FDA and others in conventional medicine constantly shouting that homeopathic medicines are ineffective and a sham. The subtext is that homeopathic medicines are not FDA-approved so their safety and effectiveness is in question. But how safe and effective are FDA-approved drugs?
We reported a number of years ago about research looking into the real-world effectiveness of the top-selling drugs. Of the top ten blockbuster drugs, the most effective ones work for only one in four patients. Crestor (a statin) is effective for only one in eighteen patients, and Nexium (an acid blocker) helps only one in twenty-five. That’s a failure rate of 96%!
These drugs individually generate between $4 and $8 billion dollars per year, which leads to the inevitable conclusion that patients are wasting mind-boggling sums of money on drugs that simply don’t work.
Homeopathy, on the other hand, is overwhelmingly safe in addition to its effectiveness discussed above. A
Is homeopathy the problem, or are dangerous, expensive, ineffective pharmaceutical drugs?
All of this is taking place in the context of the FDA’s assault on homeopathy. Recall that the agency released a guidance declaring that all homeopathic medicines are technically illegal, but it will focus enforcement actions only on certain categories of medicines—for now. The agency already attacked injectable homeopathic products; we can only expect more of the same to come.
We need to stand up to protect consumer access to these important medicines.
Sewage Contaminating
Your Food
Your food and drinking water could be contaminated with PFAS “forever chemicals”, at levels that are hundreds of times higher than what is considered safe, but the EPA is too busy looking out for industry to care.
PFAS contamination threatens the integrity of our food supply and is upending the lives of farmers. This is the latest outrage in what is quickly becoming a national crisis in which PFAS “forever” chemicals, linked to a variety of diseases, are polluting our waterways and our food—and regulators have just admitted that these chemicals are more dangerous than previously thought.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) seems determined to protect industry rather than enact meaningful standards to protect us from these dangerous chemicals. This has to stop.