Category: Herbs & Supplements

Naturopathic Death From IV Turmeric

A recent death from IV curcumin exposes the weaknesses in the evidence for curcumin/turmeric and the naturopathic profession.

/ April 12, 2017

Ignorance is Strength?

Findings from a recent consultation suggest that consumers don't want health claims to be supported by evidence. Do consumers really prefer ignorance over evidence? Or is this the product of a industry campaign to derail new, science-based regulations?

/ April 6, 2017

Did cannabis oil save Deryn Blackwell, the “boy in seven billion,” when his bone marrow transplant for two cancers was failing?

In a forthcoming book The Boy in 7 Billion, Callie Blackwell claims that cannabis oil, which she had started giving her son Deryn to relieve his symptoms during a bone marrow transplant for two cancers, actually saved his life when the bone marrow transplant appeared to be failing. Unfortunately, her story appears to be another testimonial that confuses correlation with causation.

/ March 27, 2017

Corrigendum. The Week in Review. 03/26/2017

Death from naturopathy. Cows and soldiers have a similar problem. Pseudo-medicines never die. Chiropractic complications. And more.

/ March 26, 2017

Corrigendum. The Week in Review for 03/19/2017

What happened this week? Measles returns to kill. Stem cell injections blind. Lousy acupuncture studies. Fire hot. Skinny jeans are not a reason to see a chiropractor. Lesbian tendencies do not respond to homeopathy. And more.

/ March 19, 2017

Melatonin: What’s on the label isn’t in the bottle

Melatonin is taken by millions each year. But does it work? Is it safe? And can you trust the label?

/ March 9, 2017

Corrigendum. The week in review for 03/05/2017

Canada's Bad Science Wants You. Penguins get acupuncture, tiger cubs get chiropractic. Homeopathic lead for lead toxicity. I'm an idiot. And more

/ March 6, 2017

Why Do Things That Are Unlikely to Harm Us Get the Most Attention?

We are very bad at assessing risk, often giving the most attention to the things that are least likely to harm us. Geoffrey Kabat's new book teaches us how to think more clearly about scientific studies of environmental health risks.

/ February 28, 2017

Google delists Mike Adams’ Natural News website. Was it because of fake news?

Last week, in a surprise move Google delisted Mike Adams' Natural News website. Predictably, Adams immediately cried "Conspiracy!" and accused Google of punishing him for his support for "natural health" and Donald Trump. The truth appears to be that Adams violated one of Google's rules, leaving the question: What's the best way to fight fake news and fake medicine on the Internet?

/ February 27, 2017

Bring on the Evidence: A new regulatory approach to CAM

Complementary and alternative medicine is popular, but it's poorly regulated, and most products lack good evidence of efficacy. A new approach proposed in Australia may help consumers make more informed, science-based health decisions.

/ February 23, 2017