Homeopathy: Evidence So Tiny That It's Not there?

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⏰ IN A RUSH?

Today’s 30-Second Summary

If you don’t have time to read the whole email today, here are some key takeaways:

• Homeopathy is an interesting set of ideas conceived in 1796; it has been extensively tested since and found consistently to perform equal to placebo.

  • Homeopathy’s core principles of “like cures like” and “water memory” have no basis is science, and go against the commonly understood physics of our world.

  • Homeopathy may be helpful as a complementary therapy, on the basis that placebo is a valid principle that can genuinely help alleviate many conditions.

  • Homeopathic remedies are often made using very harmful substances, ranging from heavy metals to plant-based neurotoxins.

    • However, the process of “ultra-dilution” is usually so thorough that these do not remain in the remedy as sold.

  • Homeopathy’s greatest potential for harm is that it may delay seeking necessary medical treatment.

• Prescription-only skincare can be a pain when it means a lot of bureaucratic red tape, waiting for appointments, and having to go places and wait some more, when we knew what we needed weeks ago.

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• It’s bad to always suck your stomach in—see today’s “Around the Web” section for why

Read on to learn about these things and more…

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💧 MAIN FEATURE

Homeopathy: Evidence So Tiny That It’s Not There?

Yesterday, we asked you your opinions on homeopathy. The sample size of responses was a little lower than we usually get, but of those who did reply, there was a clear trend:

• A lot of enthusiasm for “Homeopathy works on valid principles and is effective”

• Near equal support for “It may help some people as a complementary therapy”

• Very few people voted for “Science doesn’t know how it works, but it works”; this is probably because people who considered voting for this, voted for the more flexible “It may help some people as a complementary therapy” instead.

• Very few people considered it a dangerous scam and a pseudoscience.

So, what does the science say?

Well, let us start our investigation by checking out the position of the UK’s National Health Service, an organization with a strong focus on providing the least expensive treatments that are effective.

Since homeopathy is very inexpensive to arrange, they will surely want to put it atop their list of treatments, right?

The NHS actually has a lot more to say about that, and you can read their full statement here.

But that’s just one institution. Here’s what Australia’s National Health and Medical Research Council had to say:

You can read their full statement here.

The American FDA, meanwhile, have a stronger statement:

You can read their full statement here.

Homeopathy is a dangerous scam and a pseudoscience: True or False?

False and True, respectively, mostly.

That may be a confusing answer, so let’s elaborate:

• Is it dangerous? Mostly not; it’s mostly just water. However, two possibilities for harm exist:

  • Careless preparation could result in a harmful ingredient still being present in the water—and because of the “like cures like” principle, many of the ingredients used in homeopathy are harmful, ranging from heavy metals to plant-based neurotoxins. However, the process of “ultra-dilution” usually removes these so thoroughly that they are absent or otherwise scientifically undetectable.

  • Placebo treatment has its place, but could result in “real” treatment going undelivered. This can cause harm if the “real” treatment was critically needed, especially if it was needed on a short timescale.

• Is it a scam? Probably mostly not; to be a scam requires malintent. Most practitioners probably believe in what they are practising.

• Is it a pseudoscience? With the exception that placebo effect has been highly studied and is a very valid complementary therapy… Yes, aside from that it is a pseudoscience. There is no scientific evidence to support homeopathy’s “like cures like” principle, and there is no scientific evidence to support homeopathy’s “water memory” idea. On the contrary, they go against the commonly understood physics of our world.

It may help some people as a complementary therapy: True or False?

True! Not only is placebo effect very well-studied, but best of all, it can still work as a placebo even if you know that you’re taking a placebo… Provided you also believe that!

Science doesn’t know how it works, but it works: True or False?

False, simply. At best, it performs as a placebo.

Placebo is most effective when it’s a remedy against subjective symptoms, like pain.

However, psychosomatic effect (the effect that our brain has on the rest of our body, to which it is very well-connected) can mean that placebo can also help against objective symptoms, like inflammation.

After all, our body, directed primarily by the brain, can “decide” what immunological defenses to deploy or hold back, for example. This is why placebo can help with conditions as diverse as arthritis (an inflammatory condition) or diabetes (an autoimmune condition, and/or a metabolic condition, depending on type).

Here’s how homeopathy measures up, for those conditions:

• Homeopathy for rheumatoid arthritis: does it work?

• Do homeopathic treatments for diabetes work?

(the short answer is “no better than placebo”)

Homeopathy works on valid principles and is effective: True or False?

False, except insofar as placebo is a valid principle and can be effective.

The stated principles of homeopathy—”like cures like” and “water memory”—have no scientific basis.

We’d love to show the science for this, but we cannot prove a negative.

However, the ideas were conceived in 1796, and are tantamount to alchemy. A good scientific attitude means being open-minded to new ideas and testing them. In homeopathy’s case, this has been done, extensively, and more than 200 years of testing later, homeopathy has consistently performed equal to placebo.

In summary…

• If you’re enjoying homeopathic treatment and that’s working for you, great, keep at it.

• If you’re open-minded to enjoying a placebo treatment that may benefit you, be careful, but don’t let us stop you.

• If your condition is serious, please do not delay seeking evidence-based medical treatment.

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🌏 AROUND THE WEB

What’s happening in the health world…

• Alcohol kills men more often, but women's death rates are catching up

• Black MD and PhD students found to experience higher rates of attrition than peers

• Why it's bad to always suck your stomach in

• Top US doctors’ group backs gender-affirming care amid political attacks

• Head to heart: linking Alzheimer's disease to heart failure

• Study uncovers barriers to mammography screening among black women

• Study shows women and men react differently to strain and stress

More to come tomorrow!

📖 ONE-MINUTE BOOK REVIEW

Cure: A Journey into the Science of Mind Over Body – by Dr. Jo Marchant

The subtitle here, "a journey into the science of mind over body", prompts an immediate question: is this book actually about science?

And yes, yes it is. It's not about "positive energy" or "tapping into your divine essence" or anysuch. It's about science, and scientific studies.

The author's PhD is in genetics and medical microbiology, not metaphysics or something.

For those of us who read a lot of clinical studies about a lot of things (hi, regular researcher/writer here), we're very used to placebo being used as a control in medical science.

"This drug performed no better than placebo" is generally considered a disappointing statement… But what if the placebo was already having a profound effect? Shouldn't that be worthy of note too?

Dr. Marchant looks at more than just drugs, though, and also looks into the science (complete with EEGs and such) of hypnosis and virtual reality.

The writing style here is very accessible without skimping on science. This is to be expected; Dr. Marchant also has an MSc in science communication, and spent a time as senior editor of New Scientist magazine.

This isn't a how-to book, but there are some practical takeaways too, specific things we can do to augment (or avoid sabotaging) any medications we take, for example.

Bottom line: placebo effect (and its evil twin, the nocebo effect) has a profound impact on all of us whether we want it or not, so we might as well learn about how it works and how to leverage it. This book gives a very good, hard science grounding.

Click here to check out "Cure" and get the most out of whatever you take (or do) for your health!

May today see you well-prepared for the coming weekend,

The 10almonds Team