Kratom – An Emerging Herbal Drug
Kratom is an emerging herbal drug used for pain and fatigue but also has abuse potential. What is the current state of the science?
Smoking Cessation
Smoking is the leading cause of preventable disease and death. There are effective pharmacological and non-pharmacological methods to help people stop smoking.
Confronting homeopathy, naturopathy, homeopathy, and other quackademic medicine at my alma mater
Several years back, I was forced to confront quackery at my alma mater in the form of an anthroposophic medicine program at the University of Michigan. The situation has deteriorated since then, as now the Department of Family Medicine there is inviting homeopaths to give talks and teaching acupuncture as credulously as any acupuncturist. Will the disease metastasize to other departments in...
Science-Based Satire: Integrative Baby Monitor Combines the Best of Conventional and Alternative Features
Are there really baby monitors on the market that can alert a parent to stagnant chi as well as dangerously low oxygen levels? No, that's ridiculous! Will a company sell one at some point in the future? Probably. But for now, it's satire.
You can’t breathe through your stomach
Some bottle water is claimed to have extra oxygen which is claimed to give a performance benefit. Are these claims valid?
Vaccines Still Don’t Cause Autism
Update: The evidence continues to show no link between vaccines and autism.
For Peat’s Sake! Naturopath Promotes Peat Bras and Tampons
This ND recommends peat therapy, including peat baths, peat tampons, and peat bras, for a variety of conditions including infertility and HPV infections. The evidence is lacking.
Bouffant caps versus skull caps in the operating room: A no holds barred cage match
Over the last few years, AORN and the American College of Surgeons have been battling it out over AORN's 2014 guideline that has increasingly led to the banning of the surgical skull cap in the operating room in favor of the bouffant cap. Lacking from this kerfuffle has been much in the way of evidence to support AORN's guideline, but unfortunately that...
Heartworms, fear-mongering, and perilous advice. The bad recommendations of Dr. Peter Dobias regarding heartworm disease in dogs.
A veterinarian is claiming to expose the pharmaceutical industry by helping you avoid parasite-preventing medications. His message is based on a dangerous misunderstanding of heartworm biology, carries several contradictory claims, and will lead to some serious risk for your dogs if followed. But on the plus side, if you’re a heartworm, this is great news!