Post by Amaris on Jun 11, 2009 1:22:42 GMT
From Depleted Cranium site the Bad Science blog. Click on the link to read in full with comments and funny cartoon
depletedcranium.com/?p=2828
Homeopathy: If you use it, chances are you don’t know what it really is
May 29th, 2009
If you told someone that you had a medication that was so diluted that it had less than a 50% chance of containing a single molecule of active ingredient, they’d probably decline buying it. After all, the whole concept is not only counter-logical, it’s just plain stupid! One only needs to do a couple of quick thought experiments to realize this is the case. For example, if diluting a medication makes it stronger, does that mean taking less of it makes it more effective? Could diluting it too much cause an overdose? If diluting a substance makes it do the opposite, then does re-diluting a pre-diluted substance return it to the original effect?
Yes, I’m talking about homeopathy. Homeopathy is an idea which is not just bad science, it’s moronic.
So why does anyone buy into it? It might have something to do with the fact that few even know what the products actually are!
Via the New Zealand Doctor Online:
Homeopathy users think it works, but don’t know what it is
92% of users of homeopathic remedies think that the products work according to a survey published in the latest edition of the New Zealand Medical Journal. But only 6% of those surveyed knew that homeopathic remedies did not contain any active ingredient and most thought that homeopathic remedies were either moderately or very concentrated.
Homeopathy critic Dr. Shaun Holt said that he was not surprised by the survey findings, and that they confirmed his suspicions that homeopathy remained popular because people did not know what it was. “Two thirds of people think that there is good scientific evidence that homeopathy works, but there is none”, said Dr. Holt. “There’s a US$1 million prize for anyone who can prove that it works that has remained unclaimed for many years.”
Researchers Shaun Holt and Andrew Gilbey surveyed 124 patients in GP surgeries and found that 65% had used homeopathic products. Dr. Holt said that “…almost all of the general public and many health professionals do not understand that homeopathic products are not simply dilute solutions – there is no active ingredient. It is like pouring a cup of coffee into Lake Taupo and then taking a cup of water from Taupo the next day and describing that water as “dilute coffee””.
Dr. Holt said that there were good explanations as to why people thought that homeopathy worked despite the complete lack of scientific plausibility or evidence. These reasons included placebo responses and also confusion between clinical improvements, which are attributed to homeopathy, and the natural history of the illness. In other words, the medical conditions would have improved anyway. “It’s like the emperor’s new clothes” concluded Dr. Holt.
Despite all the confusing information going around and homeopathy being grouped with “natural” or “herbal” medicines or made out to be a “green alternative” or “working with your body,” it is nothing of the sort. Homeopathy is not in any way related to ancient traditions or “natural” anything. Homeopathy is the idea that something which causes one symptom will cure the symptom (effectively doing the opposite) if it is diluted over and over and over until it is not present in the final preparation at all. Thus, caffeine is a sleep aid, poison ivy is used to treat itchy skin, acids treat heart burn and so on. These materials are diluted over and over until they are not detectable in the final product.
The claim is that “water memory” somehow makes it work. Yes, that’s right. Water molecules see a caffeine molecule and somehow “remember” that it causes humans to become alert and less sleepy. These water molecules then decide to do the opposite, but only after they are mixed with other water molecules, which are mixed with others and so on. Somehow, these water molecules convey to the new molecules that they are supposed to make a human tired. They also somehow manage to “forget” all the other molecules they’ve come across along the way. As the water is diluted and diluted, mixed with new water, it becomes stronger. Then when a human drinks it, it magically does the opposite of what the original substance does.
Also, not all homeopathic preparations even have water in them. Some are pills or lotions based on waxes or oils. In these cases, it could be that the material is somehow used as the medium for dilution or that homeopathic water is drizzled over the pills and then evaporates, leaving the essence of the “memory” behind.
It doesn’t get much wackier than that. Which is why ignorance is the homeopath’s best friend!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
depletedcranium.com/?p=2828
Homeopathy: If you use it, chances are you don’t know what it really is
May 29th, 2009
If you told someone that you had a medication that was so diluted that it had less than a 50% chance of containing a single molecule of active ingredient, they’d probably decline buying it. After all, the whole concept is not only counter-logical, it’s just plain stupid! One only needs to do a couple of quick thought experiments to realize this is the case. For example, if diluting a medication makes it stronger, does that mean taking less of it makes it more effective? Could diluting it too much cause an overdose? If diluting a substance makes it do the opposite, then does re-diluting a pre-diluted substance return it to the original effect?
Yes, I’m talking about homeopathy. Homeopathy is an idea which is not just bad science, it’s moronic.
So why does anyone buy into it? It might have something to do with the fact that few even know what the products actually are!
Via the New Zealand Doctor Online:
Homeopathy users think it works, but don’t know what it is
92% of users of homeopathic remedies think that the products work according to a survey published in the latest edition of the New Zealand Medical Journal. But only 6% of those surveyed knew that homeopathic remedies did not contain any active ingredient and most thought that homeopathic remedies were either moderately or very concentrated.
Homeopathy critic Dr. Shaun Holt said that he was not surprised by the survey findings, and that they confirmed his suspicions that homeopathy remained popular because people did not know what it was. “Two thirds of people think that there is good scientific evidence that homeopathy works, but there is none”, said Dr. Holt. “There’s a US$1 million prize for anyone who can prove that it works that has remained unclaimed for many years.”
Researchers Shaun Holt and Andrew Gilbey surveyed 124 patients in GP surgeries and found that 65% had used homeopathic products. Dr. Holt said that “…almost all of the general public and many health professionals do not understand that homeopathic products are not simply dilute solutions – there is no active ingredient. It is like pouring a cup of coffee into Lake Taupo and then taking a cup of water from Taupo the next day and describing that water as “dilute coffee””.
Dr. Holt said that there were good explanations as to why people thought that homeopathy worked despite the complete lack of scientific plausibility or evidence. These reasons included placebo responses and also confusion between clinical improvements, which are attributed to homeopathy, and the natural history of the illness. In other words, the medical conditions would have improved anyway. “It’s like the emperor’s new clothes” concluded Dr. Holt.
Despite all the confusing information going around and homeopathy being grouped with “natural” or “herbal” medicines or made out to be a “green alternative” or “working with your body,” it is nothing of the sort. Homeopathy is not in any way related to ancient traditions or “natural” anything. Homeopathy is the idea that something which causes one symptom will cure the symptom (effectively doing the opposite) if it is diluted over and over and over until it is not present in the final preparation at all. Thus, caffeine is a sleep aid, poison ivy is used to treat itchy skin, acids treat heart burn and so on. These materials are diluted over and over until they are not detectable in the final product.
The claim is that “water memory” somehow makes it work. Yes, that’s right. Water molecules see a caffeine molecule and somehow “remember” that it causes humans to become alert and less sleepy. These water molecules then decide to do the opposite, but only after they are mixed with other water molecules, which are mixed with others and so on. Somehow, these water molecules convey to the new molecules that they are supposed to make a human tired. They also somehow manage to “forget” all the other molecules they’ve come across along the way. As the water is diluted and diluted, mixed with new water, it becomes stronger. Then when a human drinks it, it magically does the opposite of what the original substance does.
Also, not all homeopathic preparations even have water in them. Some are pills or lotions based on waxes or oils. In these cases, it could be that the material is somehow used as the medium for dilution or that homeopathic water is drizzled over the pills and then evaporates, leaving the essence of the “memory” behind.
It doesn’t get much wackier than that. Which is why ignorance is the homeopath’s best friend!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------