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There can be no two types of medicine: scientists criticize homeopathy and warn about significant health risks.





The Scientific Advisory Board of European Academies (EASAC) published a 12-page statement calling for increased criticism of homeopathic products. In particular, those advertisements about health benefits and scientific methods that manufacturers of such products do. Scientists emphasize the fundamental importance of ensuring that consumers and patients are provided with accurate and clear information about the effectiveness of medicines. To do this, it is necessary to introduce a standard, fact-based official methodology on how to report on the effectiveness of products, their safety and quality - and the regulatory framework for regulating the advertising of such medicinal products.



The Scientific Advisory Board believes that “the advertising and use of homeopathic products carries significant risks,” especially since the homeopathy market in the UK and the USA continues to grow. In the European Union, this is a market with a turnover of € 1 billion, which grows by 6% per year, in the USA - $ 3 billion. In some countries, a significant part of the population (up to 13%) buys such products.



More and more ideas like “treats like,” “water has a memory” are spreading. And it is really very dangerous.



Although many homeopathic products are simply a harmless placebo, the very spread of such anti-scientific ideas is dangerous. People believe in them, take a placebo - and refrain from effective treatment, as a result of which they endanger their health. That is, homeopathy does real harm to people's health.



EASAC makes the following recommendations to EU regulators:





Scientists say that there is no and can not exist so-called "alternative medicine". There are no two types of medicine - conventional and alternative. There is only medicine that is properly tested, and that which is not.



The term "alternative medicine" itself, generally speaking, should be banned. But in practice, on the contrary, it is becoming more common. It is difficult to believe in it, but doctors sometimes recommend it and it is studied in higher educational institutions, by researchers in laboratories! The latter case - the University of California, Irvine announced the launch of a program for studying the so-called "integrative medicine", which includes both traditional and alternative medicine for the "complex treatment" of people.



To justify a respected academic institution, we can say that they launched this program after receiving a grant of $ 200 million from billionaires Susan and Henry Samuel, apparently convinced supporters of homeopathy.



However, the launch of such a program at the University of California is a blatant case that drew widespread public criticism. Although this is not the first such program (previously approximately the same opened the University of California at San Francisco, Johns Hopkins University, Duke University and others). Here, the uniqueness lies in the fact that the program of “integrative medicine” was headed by two reputable doctors of science, both with solid experience in traditional medicine and many years of research experience, funded by the US National Institutes of Health, the main center of the US government responsible for research on health issues and biomedicine. Experts explain their decision by saying that medical schools are too conservative and are slowly adopting new methods of treatment, even if they show promising results. This program in Irvine will help speed up the study of such alternative therapies.



Critics warn that "alternative medicine" is not limited to harmless placebo. There are many different types of treatment such as energy healing, homeopathic bee venom, intravenous mineral injections. The fantasy of homeopaths is truly unlimited.


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