I have written about the dietary supplement ASEA several times on the Science-Based Medicine website. It is said to contain stable, perfectly balanced Redox Signaling Molecules, “a mixture of 16 chemically recombined products of salt and water with completely new chemical properties.” Nowhere do they divulge the identity of those… read more "Did Salt Water Supplement Regenerate Baby’s Heart Valve?"
Train Track Therapy
There seems to be many uses for the trains in Indonesia. Shown above, the over-crowded locomotive is taken on by “surfers”. I am constantly amazed by the ingenuity of humans in coming up with weird and funny treatments for real and imagined illnesses. One of my favorites is train track… read more "Train Track Therapy"
Book about Quackery Is a Hoot!
Lydia Kang, MD, and Nate Pedersen have written a delightful new book, Quackery: A Brief History of the Worst Ways to Cure Everything. Histories can sometimes be a bit dry and boring; this is anything but. It’s a page-turner. The authors ferreted out some of the most disgusting and ridiculous… read more "Book about Quackery Is a Hoot!"
Pulseras de cobre y cócteles: ¿el cobre te curará o te matará?
Las pulseras de cobre se usaron durante siglos en la medicina folcórica. Supuestamente reducen el dolor de las articulaciones y la rigidez asociada a la artritis, y usando cobre en la muñeca presuntamente beneficia a todas las articulaciones en el cuerpo. Existen afirmaciones que el cobre tiene propiedades anti-inflamatorias y… read more "Pulseras de cobre y cócteles: ¿el cobre te curará o te matará?"
Copper bracelets and Moscow mules: Will copper heal you or kill you?
Copper bracelets have been used for centuries in folk medicine. They allegedly reduce the joint pain and stiffness associated with arthritis, and wearing copper on the wrist supposedly benefits all joints in the body. There are claims that copper has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. The copper from the bracelets is said… read more "Copper bracelets and Moscow mules: Will copper heal you or kill you?"
Recent Developments in “Eastern” Science
An email correspondent occasionally sends me items of interest from the Indian press. He recently sent me two clippings about initiatives to solve all of India’s problems by studying the Vedas (for Hindus) and the Qu’ran (for Muslims). The Vedas The headline read, “For diabetes, cancer cure, Raj institute to… read more "Recent Developments in “Eastern” Science"
Ayurveda: Ancient Superstition, Not Ancient Wisdom
I frequently get emails asking whether I think a certain treatment is supported by evidence or is quackery. I recently got one from an elderly man who was wondering whether he should take a friend’s advice to consult an Ayurvedic doctor. That was the first time I’d ever been asked… read more "Ayurveda: Ancient Superstition, Not Ancient Wisdom"
Would You Drill Holes in Your Head for Science?
How do we know whether a treatment is effective? It is only natural to assume a treatment works if: There is a good rationale as to why it should work Lots of patients got better with the treatment But assumptions can be wrong. Remember the old saying that assumptions make… read more "Would You Drill Holes in Your Head for Science?"
The Riddle of Consciousness
For most of human history, people have assumed that some kind of vitalistic essence had to be added to matter to produce life. The belief in an immaterial soul was pervasive. At one point, scientists even tried to weigh the soul by weighing a body right before and after death,… read more "The Riddle of Consciousness"
Testosterone Rex
When a man does something silly, my daughters and I like to joke, “Testosterone poisoning strikes again!” Everybody knows women and men are different, not just anatomically but psychologically and behaviorally. That common knowledge is epitomized in the book title Men Are from Mars; Women Are from Venus. Sometimes common… read more "Testosterone Rex"