Category: Herbs & Supplements
Corrigendum. The Week in Review for 02/19/2017
More poorly done acupuncture studies. Burzynski eats just desserts. Italians like homeopathy. New Jersey is going after Oregon. And more
Natural Remedies for Diabetes: Plavinol, Glucopure
There is not enough evidence to support using dietary supplements in the treatment of diabetes. There is preliminary evidence that some herbs lower blood sugar by a modest amount, but it would be foolish to think they could replace conventional treatment of diabetes.
Corrigendum. The week in review for 02/12/2017
The week in review. Chiropractic and stroke. Integrative Medical doctors don’t trust vaccines. Death from medical marijuana. Shilajit: compost or mulch oozing from Himalayan rocks. India goes full Tuskeegee with AIDS. And more!
Re-thinking Antioxidant Supplementation for Macular Degeneration
After the AREDS trial, people with moderate to severe age-related macular degeneration were advised to take dietary supplements to slow the progression of the disease. But some experts say the trial actually showed supplements don't work, and might even make some patients worse.
Corrigendum: The week in review for 2/5/2017
Drinking hydrogen peroxide kills. Homeopaths don't care if their nostrums kill children. Acupuncture is placebo. But you knew that. Saudi Arabia bans reiki for the damnedest reasons. Eating placentas. And more!
Pink Himalayan Sea Salt: An Update
The claims of health benefits from pink Himalayan sea salt are not supported by a shred of evidence. In fact, its vaunted “84 trace minerals and elements” include several poisons and many radioactive elements.
Corrigendum. The week in SBM for 1.22.2017
Not every article and study that pops up my feeds in the world of pseudo-medicine is worthy of a complete blog post. But they need to be noticed and commented upon: Liver toxicity from herbs. Popped lungs from acupuncture. Chiropractic does not help scoliosis. Yoga is just exercise. There are eight kinds of wind: Great Feathery Wind, Scheming Wind, Hard Wind, Great...
Chiropractic Internist: A “specialty” to avoid
The "chiropractic internist" is the creation of an industry association which promotes chiropractors as "primary care physicians." After 300 hours of instruction in a hotel conference room, they claim they can treat "anything that a medical doctor can."
Detox Scams are Worthless and Potentially Dangerous
A case report of a healthy woman who landed in intensive care due to her New Year's detox regimen highlights that detox treatments are a dangerous scam.
A review of Benecol, a plant-stanol margarine
Most nutraceuticals don't really work as advertised. For the most part, Benecol pretty much does. But is it worth it?