Homeopathy is a type of alternative medicine in which “like cures like”. In other words, the patient is instructed to drink heavily diluted in water drug that causes in healthy people symptoms similar to the symptoms of his illness. The founder of homeopathy is the German physician Christian Hahnemann, first published his theory in 1796. Since no clinical trial was unable to prove the effectiveness of this medicine, so in academia it is compared with placebo. Recently the most famous scientists of Europe once again tried to convey to the people the failure of this dubious science.
On the official website of the Scientific Advisory Board of the European academies (EASAC) published a 12-page document, raising the question of the relationship of scientists to homeopathy. Organization EASAC unites 29 national and international scientific academies across Europe, including the Royal society of London, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and other scientific institutions. The document’s authors urged the scientific community and the authorities of the European States “to strengthen criticism” of homeopathy, because otherwise, this alternative medicine can lead to irreparable consequences and put at risk the lives of many people.
The document contains a lot of interesting information, starting with the history of homeopathy, ending with the results of studies conducted by the academies of EASAC, which never revealed any effectiveness of this method of treatment. The authors emphasize that it is not aiming to ban homeopathy because there should be freedom of choice of means of treatment. However, they seek to convey to people the essence of this alternative medicine and the lack of any evidence of its effectiveness. One of the quotes says: “Not in the world can be of two different medicines: conventional and alternative. There is only medicine whose effectiveness is scientifically proven.”
Today homeopathy is a very profitable business. In 2015 alone in Europe was sold homeopathic medicines for $ 1 billion. Every year this market grows on average by 6-7%. In the USA the situation is even more impressive. Profit from the sales of homeopathic medicines has exceeded $ 3 billion. Of the 110 clinical trials carried out with the use of homeopathic medicines, in 100% of cases scientists have come to the conclusion that any positive effect of such treatment is no more than a placebo effect.
In addition, some unscrupulous manufacturers of homeopathic medicines endanger people’s lives. In the United States not long ago from a homeopathic tooth gel with exceeded content of the extract of the poisonous plant belladonna (Atropa belladonna) died 10 babies, but only in the end hurt more than 400 children. Of course, in traditional medicine there are also drugs with unproven in clinical trials efficiency. But in General, Orthodox medicine, unlike homeopathy, is keen to consider the risks and benefits when making recommendations for treatment and uses medicines with proven efficacy.
There cannot be two different medicines: scientists continue to struggle with homeopathy
Sergey Grey