All posts by Harriet Hall

Harriet Hall, MD also known as The SkepDoc, is a retired family physician who writes about pseudoscience and questionable medical practices. She received her BA and MD from the University of Washington, did her internship in the Air Force (the second female ever to do so),  and was the first female graduate of the Air Force family practice residency at Eglin Air Force Base. During a long career as an Air Force physician, she held various positions from flight surgeon to DBMS (Director of Base Medical Services) and did everything from delivering babies to taking the controls of a B-52. She retired with the rank of Colonel.  In 2008 she published her memoirs, Women Aren't Supposed to Fly.

 European Manifesto Against Pseudo-Therapies

A new organization in Spain is trying to protect patients from becoming victims of pseudoscience. They have prepared a manifesto.

/ January 28, 2020

BioCharger’s Claims Are Too Silly to Take Seriously

The BioCharger is a subtle energy device based on fantasy, not science. At $15,000, pretty expensive for a placebo.

/ January 21, 2020

New Regenerative Medicine Center

Neil Riordan donated big bucks to a school of naturopathy for a Center for Regenerative Medicine named after him. Both Riordan and the treatments offered in his new center are questionable.

/ January 14, 2020

The Parasympathetic State

The claims for an essential oil mixture, Vibrant Blue Parasympathetic, are devoid of science. They are a mixture of pseudoscience, misrepresentation, lies, and imagination.

/ January 7, 2020

Elderberry Elixir for the Common Cold

There is evidence from blinded, placebo-controlled studies that elderberry can modestly shorten the duration of colds and flu. Since there is no cure for the common cold, elderberry might be worth a try; but more research is needed.

/ December 31, 2019

Ellura: A Supplement Backed By Evidence

Ellura is a dietary supplement marketed to treat recurrent urinary tract infections. There is promising evidence and a credible mechanism of action, and using it instead of antibiotic prophylaxis could reduce antibiotic resistance.

/ December 24, 2019

The Science and Pseudoscience of What We Eat

Dr. Joe Schwarcz sets the record straight about food myths and what the research actually shows.

/ December 17, 2019

Supplements with Multiple Ingredients, Many with No Apparent Rationale

Dietary. supplements frequently have multiple ingredients, often mixtures of vitamins, minerals, and herbs. The rationale for including each ingredient is questionable, to say the least.

/ December 10, 2019

Alternative Medicine: Placebos for Pets

A skeptical veterinarian reviews the evidence for alternative medicine for pets, and concludes it's mostly placebos.

/ December 3, 2019

SeroVital: Dubious Anti-Aging Claims

SeroVital is marketed as an anti-aging remedy that works by raising human growth hormone (HGH) levels naturally with amino acids. The research consists of one preliminary study that measured HGH levels. There is no clinical evidence that it is effective for anything.

/ November 26, 2019