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. In 2014 I wrote an article about salt in which I disparaged Himalayan pink salt. Perhaps I didn’t… read more "Pink Himalayan Sea Salt: An Update"
Turmeric/Curcumin: The “Natural Remedy of the Century” or a Waste of Money?
Turmeric is a yellow spice used in Indian cuisine; its active ingredient, marketed as a dietary supplement, is curcumin. It is widely used in Ayurvedic medicine, where it is said to balance vata, pitta, and kapha, to kindle agni, and to help reduce kapha and ama. It allegedly supports the… read more "Turmeric/Curcumin: The “Natural Remedy of the Century” or a Waste of Money?"
Functional Medicine: Pseudoscientific Silliness
Language keeps changing. We used to call questionable remedies “folk medicine,” “fringe medicine,” or “quackery.” In the 1970s, the term “alternative medicine” was coined, an umbrella term for all treatments that were not supported by good enough evidence to have earned them a place in mainstream medicine. Then came “complementary… read more "Functional Medicine: Pseudoscientific Silliness"
BrainPlus IQ: Lying with Advertising
I got an email urging me to check out a wonderful new product that boosts brain performance: it “doubles IQ, skyrockets energy levels, and connects areas of the brain not previously connected.” It is BrainPlus IQ, a dietary supplement that falls into the category of nootropics, substances that enhance cognition… read more "BrainPlus IQ: Lying with Advertising"
Corydalis: An Herbal Medicine for Pain, with Some Thoughts on Drug Development
Ever since William Withering published his classic treatise on Foxglove in 1775, science has been testing herbal medicines and trying to establish a scientific basis for the ones that work. As many as half of today’s prescription drugs were derived from plants. A new study published in Current Biology by Zhang et al. has identified a… read more "Corydalis: An Herbal Medicine for Pain, with Some Thoughts on Drug Development"
Plavinol and Other Natural Remedies for Diabetes: “Condimentary Medicine”?
We don’t yet have a cure for diabetes, but we have insulin; it controls the disease and allows Type 1 diabetics to lead a relatively normal life instead of suffering and quickly dying as they all did in the pre-insulin era. We know to counsel Type 2 diabetics about weight loss,… read more "Plavinol and Other Natural Remedies for Diabetes: “Condimentary Medicine”?"
Diatomaceous Earth? No Thank You!
Would you eat this? It might look like a crunchy new breakfast cereal, but it’s a close-up of diatomaceous earth, the fossilized microscopic skeletons of diatoms. Diatoms are unicellular algae, one of the two major classes of the phytoplankton that constitute the bottom of the food chain in oceans and… read more "Diatomaceous Earth? No Thank You!"
The THRIVE Experience: Masterful Marketing, Short on Substance
One of the few things that aren’t in THRIVE products My daughter told me about the latest health fad among her group of acquaintances. She knows people who are spending $300 a month on the THRIVE program and claiming miraculous results. With a skeptic for a mother, my daughter knew… read more "The THRIVE Experience: Masterful Marketing, Short on Substance"
Prenatal Multivitamins and Iron: Not Evidence-Based
When I was pregnant, I obediently took the iron pills and prenatal vitamins prescribed by my obstetrician. And I prescribed them for every pregnant patient I took care of as a family physician. I never questioned the practice. It seemed intuitively obvious that it was a good thing; we know… read more "Prenatal Multivitamins and Iron: Not Evidence-Based"
Hazards of Herbal Medicine: Lessons Learned from Aristolochia
This “Brief History of Medicine” has been circulating on the Internet: 2000 B.C. — Here, eat this root. 1000 A.D. — That herb is heathen. Here, say this prayer. 1850 A.D. — That prayer is superstition. Here, drink this potion. 1940 A.D. — That potion is snake oil. Here, swallow… read more "Hazards of Herbal Medicine: Lessons Learned from Aristolochia"