I’ve been getting emails advertising a lost Navajo remedy that can cure deafness. Nearly 33,500 people have allegedly reversed their hearing loss in just two weeks with this 100 percent natural treatment. The emails invited me to watch a free video presentation by Ben Carter. I did. What I found was… read more "Ancient Navajo Cure for Hearing Loss: A Lesson in Spotting Red Flags"
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?"
If You Think Doctors Don’t Do Prevention, Think Again
Prevention has long been a priority of conventional medicine. One of the common criticisms we hear from alternative and integrative medicine proponents is that doctors don’t do anything to prevent illnesses and have no interest in prevention. They claim that doctors are only trained to hand out pills to treat… read more "If You Think Doctors Don’t Do Prevention, Think Again"
Escharotic Treatment for Cervical Dysplasia: A New Incarnation of Black Salve?
Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) and black salve (which contains bloodroot) are promoted and sold as a cure for many things, including cervical dysplasia. While it does kill cancer cells, it does so just like a flamethrower – indiscriminately, killing lots of normal cells along the way. Flowers of the bloodroot plant, Sanguinaria… read more "Escharotic Treatment for Cervical Dysplasia: A New Incarnation of Black Salve?"
Smokey the Bear Medicine and Prevention
When I was an intern, we used to joke that we were practicing “Smokey the Bear” medicine: stamping out forest fires. Patients would wait until a spark of disease had developed into a dangerous flame, and then they’d expect us to deal with it. We were mostly doing disaster control,… read more "Smokey the Bear Medicine and Prevention"
Colloidal Silver, Smurfs, and Ebola
Colloidal silver is back! It competed in the ring of science and was thoroughly clobbered. If it had any dignity, it would have stayed down for the count and admitted defeat; but like some bizarre whack-a-mole or zombie it keeps stumbling back to its feet, wanting to fight again. This… read more "Colloidal Silver, Smurfs, and Ebola"
Evidence: “It Worked for My Aunt Tillie” Is Not Enough
Evidence means different things to different people. Even quacks and their victims claim to have evidence that their treatments work. Sometimes that evidence consists only of testimonials from satisfied customers or from personal experience. “I tried X and I got better.” “I know Y works because it cured my Aunt… read more "Evidence: “It Worked for My Aunt Tillie” Is Not Enough"
Bad News and Good News from Down Under: Science-Based Medicine in Australia
Non-Doc in a Box In an article in the Australian magazine The Skeptic, Loretta Marron reports on naturopaths in pharmacies. You can read it here. Pharmacy customers who want natural treatment alternatives are referred by pharmacy staff to an in-house naturopathy clinic. The cost, $90 for a one-hour consultation, is often covered… read more "Bad News and Good News from Down Under: Science-Based Medicine in Australia"
Misguided Naturopath Claims To Have Cured Cervical Dysplasia
Naturopath Kate Whimster has written a case study of a patient with cervical dysplasia who was allegedly treated successfully with naturopathic treatment. She says: In many cases conventional treatment can be invasive, ineffective, or can put patients at risk for future complications. Fortunately, there are wonderful naturopathic treatment options available both instead… read more "Misguided Naturopath Claims To Have Cured Cervical Dysplasia"
What Does ND Mean?
Chronic Lyme disease almost certainly does not exist, but a growing number of doctors are diagnosing and treating it with long-term antibiotics and other remedies. They are known as LLMDs (“Lyme Literate” medical doctors). This subject has been covered repeatedly on Science-Based Medicine, here, here, here, here, and elsewhere. I have a correspondent… read more "What Does ND Mean?"