Another study has been published. One that will be saving you money if you have repeatedly fallen for the claims these hucksters decry.
No, I’m not talking about vitamin supplements again. Because, I’ve written enough about them. In a nutshell, if your PHYSICIAN (not your health counselor, not your yoga instructor, not any other BS artist) doesn’t say you need to take vitamins- DON’T!. Eating balanced meals is the way to get the vitamins your body requires. (OK. If you are pregnant, you might need Vitamin B12. And, if you live in the northern climates, you need vitamin D in winter- and you probably no longer drink milk to obtain your needed boost.)
Enough about vitamin “supplements”, This time I am talking about homeopathics. (They are NOT medicinals.) Sure, they sell these products in drug stores, usually right next to the OTC (over-the-counter) drugs. But, that’s because drugs stores want to make money. They used to sell cigarettes, too. And, they sell candy. So, the fact that these things are sold in drugs stores means absolutely nothing.
Even assuming there was some merit to the concept, most of these concoctions contain so little of the ingredient for which you buy it, that you are basically buying filler. To the tune of $ 1.2 billion a year.
Sure, the American Association of Homeopathic Pharmacists (AAHP) claim that there is a “significant body of evidence that supports the effectiveness of homeopathy”. But this evidence is not of scientific (or medical) value. And, let us not forget that the AAHP is a lobbying group.
Yes, the FDA classifies homeopathics as drugs. Which only means that the manufacturers are required to list their ingredients, provide instructions for use, and one medical condition that can be treated by taking these pills or liquids. And, in 2012- just one single year- the American Association of Poison Control Center indicated that there were 10,311 reported poison exposure cases related to ‘Homeopathic Agents. (Yes, I know that means it’s less than 0.1% of the folks who actually take these pills and liquids.)
While Congress did stipulate- way back in 1938, that the FDA should regulate homeopathics, the agency has been shuffling its feet for decades. But, now they think the market is some $ 2.9 billion (hmm- more than twice my number, but…), they are finally going to demand scientific evidence of their worth- and that that the manufacturers can prove these products are safe to use.
Yep. Right now, the manufacturers just have to employ ingredients that are listed in the Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia Convention of the US. Now, this is not dispositive, but don’t you find it interesting that drug components are listed in the United States Pharmacopoeia, which is found at www.usp.org- and the homeopaths are found at www.hpus.com . Hmm. A Dot Com- not an org, not a gov…. Are you beginning to see the full picture?
In the meantime, your should rely upon the findings from the Australian governmental agency, the National Health and Medical Research Council. It just examined some 176 studies of homeopathic remedies. And, their conclusion? These items are no better than placebos. (That means worthless pills.) Theagency also said “there are no health conditions for which there is reliable evidence that homeopathy is effective.” Furthermore, they concluded that one should not “treat health conditions that are chronic, serious, or could become serious” with homeopathics; doing so puts one’s health at risk, especially if they choose such remedies over those that are well established for safety and effectiveness.
Good. It’s settled then. Now you can save your money for the important things in life. Like, “Candy Crush”.
Roy, those of us in the southern climates need Vitamin D, too. One of the reasons they believe so many of us are deficient is that sunscreens are also good at preventing us from absorbing and synthesizing it from sunlight, the way we ought to. Another is that it’s so danged hot here we avoid “outside” like the plague, anyway, and stay indoors where it’s air conditioned.
I used to know a very reputable PA who studied and believed in homeopathic medicine. NOT to the exclusion of traditional therapies! (I’m also assuming she understood the term “placebo effect,” and was a very clever woman.) I wouldn’t call placebos “worthless.” I would call marketing them as something other than what they are, if you are not a psychiatrist, a “deceptive marketing practice” and POSSIBLY “malpractice, but they can work if only the patient believes they will.
Remember, just because an illness is psychogenetic doesn’t mean you’re not sick and doesn’t necessarily mean you’re crazy. Hypnosis can work, too – IF you can suspend disbelief long enough.
I once wanted very badly to market placebos as a weight loss supplement. You would take one pill eight times a day with a full 8 ounces of water. (Oh, I’m sure it would be effective; I’m just not so sure the FDA would be amused. In the end, it didn’t seem worth the hassle.)
You can declare it “settled,” but you know there are people who will argue to the death to disprove what science has proven over and over and over and over… because by G-d, they BELIEVE it to be true. And thanks to the placebo effect, which they don’t fully understand, they have plenty of anecdotal evidence on their side.
Holly Jahangiri recently posted..Well Played, Facebook!
Yes, Holly, attitude has a great role in our health. But, that does not relegate a placebo to be converted from worthless to “of value”. Because it’s the mental attitude that is working. It’s akin to saying that someone’s favorite sports team won the game because one wore underwear inside out.
Which brings up your last paragraph- those (imbecilic) folks who don’t care about facts, who only care about what they knew before they learned a darned thing. (Maybe they NEVEr learned a darned thing.)
Very informative article. Thanks for enlightening me.
I wish there were better answers. We all want to be perfectly healthy, not feel pains and aches…
At least, we can save our money for the better things we enjoy, Martha!