It would be wrong to get used to the untruths told by proponents of alternative medicine or anybody else

‘Alternative truth’ is a term that I used first in 2013 . Since then I had to employ it with increasing frequency. Disturbingly, since then similar terms, such as ‘alternative facts’, ‘alternative science’ etc., have become ‘en vogue’. In an NEJM-editorial on the subject, Alta Caro from the University of Wisconsin Law School, Madison, US recently concluded: […]

Read the rest here: It would be wrong to get used to the untruths told by proponents of alternative medicine or anybody else

Petition to US Govt: Do Not License Naturopaths As Doctors

Goop touted her as one of 'our doctors.' Dr. Aviva Romm rejects that label | Statnews

The headline on Gwyneth Paltrow’s wellness site, Goop, looked straightforward enough: “Uncensored: A word from our doctors.”

It featured a defense of the alternative medical practices that Goop has promoted, such as tucking a jade egg in the vagina to enhance sexual pleasure. An attack on an OB-GYN who has publicly slammed Goop’s advice. And then, open letters from two doctors who have written for Goop in the past...

Read on: Goop touted her as one of 'our doctors.' Dr. Aviva Romm rejects that label

Aviva Romm, Big Farma shill | The Skeptical OB

Why is it that in the world of “alternative” medicine (aka quackery), shilling for Big Pharma is viewed as the ultimate disqualification by aficionados, but those same people simultaneously turn a blind eye to shilling for Big Farma (herbs and supplements)?

Indeed, as Aviva Romm, MD demonstrates, one of the most effective tactics in shilling for Big Farma is criticizing Big Pharma. Romm, former homebirth midwife, and current herbalist and functional “medicine” physician, is a walking, talking financial conflict of interest. She monetizes fear of Big Pharma to shill for Big Farma...

Read the rest: Aviva Romm, Big Farma shill | The Skeptical OB

Dr. Aviva Romm: Distancing herself from Goop after defending it – Respectful Insolence

It’s been over a month now since I started paying real attention to that wretched celebrity hive of scum and quackery founded by Gwyneth Paltrow known as Goop. It was a long time coming, and I feel a bit guilty for not really paying much attention to the “wellness,” “lifestyle,” and, of course, expensive quackery being sold by Paltrow and her minions through Goop. It began when Goop caught flack for selling pricey magic energy healing stickers. Well, it wasn’t so much for that as much as for the amusing intervention of NASA, which slapped down Goop’s claims that these stickers were made with a carbon compound that was developed for use in spacesuits used by astronauts.

Then it was a mere three weeks later that Goop decided to strike back against Dr. Jen Gunter...

Read more: Dr. Aviva Romm: Distancing herself from Goop after defending it – Respectful Insolence

The sale of alternative medicines: proper regulation of nonsense will inevitably result in nonsense

This post is based on an article by Ken Harvey, Associate Professor, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Australia. I took the liberty of slightly modifying his text for the purpose of this blog. The article informs us about the regulation of nonsense which, as I have often argued, is likely to result in […]

Read the rest here: The sale of alternative medicines: proper regulation of nonsense will inevitably result in nonsense

‘Chiropractors are Bullshit’: a rebuttal of a rebuttal

In her article “Chiropractors are Bullshit” SciBabe discussed her views on the chiropractic profession. Now the chiro ‘Dr’ Michael Braccio has published a rebuttal (excerpts from it are below). Here I will provide a rebuttal of his rebuttal. For clarity, the bold quotes are by SciBabe (as quoted by the ‘Dr’), what follows is the […]

Read the rest here: ‘Chiropractors are Bullshit’: a rebuttal of a rebuttal

Gwyneth Paltrow and Goop: Another triumph of celebrity pseudoscience and quackery – Science-Based Medicine

Earlier this month, the hostilities between Gwyneth Paltrow’s den of celebrity pseudoscience and quackery, her “lifestyle” website and store Goop, and skeptics erupted into open warfare, as Goop attacked Dr. Jen Gunter, an OB/GYN, blogger, and frequent critic of the pseudoscience published and sold by Goop. This leads to the question: Who are the physicians facilitating Paltrow and Goop? And does debunking nonsense as ridiculous as that peddled by Paltrow and her minions do any good?

Full post by Dr David Gorski at Gwyneth Paltrow and Goop: Another triumph of celebrity pseudoscience and quackery – Science-Based Medicine

The NHS ban of homeopathy … and what the UK press made of it. Could it be that UK journalists are slowly learning?

In my previous post, I reported that the NHS has included homeopathy and herbal medicine on the list of medications that might no longer get reimbursed. The news was reported by most newspapers in the UK. All of the papers correctly quote NHS England giving their reasons for black-listing homeopathy and herbal remedies. Some papers […]

Read the rest here: The NHS ban of homeopathy … and what the UK press made of it. Could it be that UK journalists are slowly learning?

SECOND OPINION | It's war! Debunkers take on Gwyneth Paltrow's GOOP and celebrity pseudoscience - Health - CBC News

Goop is actor Gwyneth Paltrow's online lifestyle company, a "homespun weekly newsletter" that has grown into a lucrative alternative health enterprise, spawning an equally passionate anti-Goop movement. And now, the long-simmering Goop hostilities have broken out into a full scale war of words.

On one side there are the "debunkers," including Canadian gynecologist Jennifer Gunter, University of Alberta professor Timothy Caulfield and comedian Stephen Colbert...

Read on: SECOND OPINION | It's war! Debunkers take on Gwyneth Paltrow's GOOP and celebrity pseudoscience - Health - CBC News

Gwyneth Paltrow's Goop under fire after sharing phony information

Goop, actress Gwyneth Paltrow's lifestyle website, removed a claim about a brand it was promoting after NASA debunked it.

Gizmodo first reported on the Goop-NASA situation.

A blog post on Goop raved about Body Vibes, wearable stickers that "optimize brain and body function" by emitting a "bio-frequency that resonates with the body's natural energy field," according to Body Vibes' website...

Read on: Gwyneth Paltrow's Goop under fire after sharing phony information

How Dr. Jen Gunter got on Gwyneth Paltrow's bad side

Last week, a dispute erupted between Canadian-born Dr. Jen Gunter and actor Gwyneth Paltrow’s lifestyle site Goop, throwing pseudo-science and the role it plays in women’s health into the spotlight. In one corner there is Paltrow, a self-styled celebrity wellness guru and founder of the website featuring e-commerce, fashion, cooking and travel tips, with a side of highly dubious health-related advice. In the other corner is Gunter, an OB/GYN who is board certified in both Canada and the United States. Gunter recently landed on Goop’s Most Wanted list after crying foul over a number of the site’s most objectionable assertions and recommendations. Missed the media frenzy? Here’s what you need to know about the Gunter-Goop feud...

Read on: How Dr. Jen Gunter got on Gwyneth Paltrow's bad side

The end of homeopathy on the NHS? [but wait for the ‘spider memos’]

NHS England have published a list of medicines that they propose to stop funding. Items were considered for inclusion if they were:

• Items of low clinical effectiveness, where there is a lack of robust evidence of clinical effectiveness or there are significant safety concerns;
• Items which are clinically effective but where more cost-effective […]

Read the rest here: The end of homeopathy on the NHS? [but wait for the ‘spider memos’]

The Goop Has Hit The Fan – Pencils and Popcans

Gwyneth Paltrow is in hot water – and not the exfoliating and pore-cleansing kind. This time, the former A-list actress/turned health beauty and wellness guru and her website Goop are under attack for the alleged fake science behind many of her acclaimed beauty and medicinal regimens.

This isn’t the first time Paltrow has courted controversy and it most probably won’t be the last. From naming her first born after a nutritious snack to consciously uncoupling from her rockstar husband Chris Martin, Paltrow definitely has a knack for getting under some serious skin. And now this Goopy goddess has caught the eye of the medical community with some of her brand’s health and wellness tips offered up to her legion of loyal followers...

Read on: The Goop Has Hit The Fan – Pencils and Popcans

Chinese acupuncture research: is there hope?

The current Cochrane review of acupuncture for polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) included 5 RCTs and concluded that thus far, only a limited number of RCTs have been reported. At present, there is insufficient evidence to support the use of acupuncture for treatment of ovulation disorders in women with PCOS. 

A new study was aimed at […]

Read the rest here: Chinese acupuncture research: is there hope?

The Natural Alternative Part 3 - The Bullshit Menace Awakens

Extreme Ketoquackery

As the below-the-line comments on Parts 1 and 2 clearly show, the ketogenic diet is certainly an emotive subject. Today I will also be talking about cancer, perhaps the most emotive subject of all, so I expect things to get pretty nasty after posting. My deep and lasting thanks are due to anyone who has been defending me below the line on the blog, in the comments section of the two Guardian pieces, and elsewhere in social media land...

Read full post: The Natural Alternative Part 3 - The Bullshit Menace Awakens

Acupuncture research: more wishful thinking than good science

This new RCT by researchers from the National Institute of Complementary Medicine in Sydney, Australia was aimed at ‘examining the effect of changing treatment timing and the use of manual, electro acupuncture on the symptoms of primary dysmenorrhea’. It had four arms: low frequency manual acupuncture (LF-MA), high frequency manual acupuncture (HF-MA), low frequency electro […]
Read the rest here: Acupuncture research: more wishful thinking than good science

Goop Tried To Defend Vagina Eggs And The Internet Had A Field Day | HuffPost

Hold on to your vagina eggs, people. Goop and its medical advisors tried to come for the site’s critics, and it isn’t going over well.

Before now, Gwyneth Paltrow and her lifestyle site simply pressed on in the face of massive criticism over its questionable health and science claims (ahem, “energy balancing” stickers). But this week, the site published a three-part post that attempted to rebut the blowback it receives for dubious recommendations and products, including a $66 jade egg women are told to insert in their vaginas, then “recharge” with the power of a full moon...

Read on: Goop Tried To Defend Vagina Eggs And The Internet Had A Field Day | HuffPost

I Went on a Quest for Legit Health Tips at Gwyneth’s Goop Summit | LifeHacker

Gwyneth Paltrow used to be best known as an actress, but in the last decade she’s built an even bigger reputation as a health guru. Her newsletter venture, Goop, peddles an enviable lifestyle—travel, fashion, anything that looks gorgeous in photographs—but with a central message of living a clean, healthy life.

When she decided to bring Goop to life with a “summit” in Los Angeles, the focus was the thing she’s best known for, and happens to get the most shit about: health. Goop embraces novelty, including alternative therapies that range from useless to harmful. I went to the Goop health summit to see whether there was any real health advice to be had, and if not, what takes its place...

Read on: I Went on a Quest for Legit Health Tips at Gwyneth’s Goop Summit

Applied Kinesiology: implausible, unproven, and yet incredibly popular

An article by Rabbi Yair Hoffman for the Five Towns Jewish Times caught my eye.

Here are a few excerpts:

• “I am sorry, Mrs. Ploni, but the muscle testing we performed on you indicates that your compatibility with your spouse is a 1 out of a possible 10 on the scale.” 
• “Your son being around his father is bad for his energy levels. You should seek to minimize it.”[…]

Read the rest here: Applied Kinesiology: implausible, unproven, and yet incredibly popular

Defense of Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop offers case study on how to sell snake oil | Ars Technica

This week, Gwyneth Paltrow’s high-profile lifestyle and e-commerce site, Goop, gave birth to a beautiful gift to the Internet—and it wasn’t a moon-powered vagina egg that invigorates our mystical “life force.” No, it was a perfectly crafted reference guide for how to sell snake oil.

It’s really quite impressive.

In case you’re unfamiliar—or just need an empowering refresher—Goop is a site directed mostly toward affluent women that peddles pricy products and overuses the word “empower” while dabbling in many forms of pseudoscience and quackery...

Read on: Defense of Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop offers case study on how to sell snake oil | Ars Technica

Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop calls criticism from scientists “dangerous” - Salon.com

Gwyneth Paltrow — the actress most famous for her alternative lifestyle practices — has always brushed off the criticism she has faced for promoting unconventional remedies on her wellness blog, “Goop” (even after admitting she has no idea what she’s doing).

But now, Paltrow and the Goop team are fighting back their toughest critics and defending their more controversial treatments.

In a post titled, “Uncensored: A Word from Our Doctors,” the wellness site defends its contributing doctors and calls the criticism they receive “dangerous.”

“As goop has grown, so has the attention we receive,” begins the overtly passive-aggressive post. “We consistently find ourselves to be of interest to many — and for that, we are grateful...

Read on: Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop calls criticism from scientists “dangerous” - Salon.com

Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop Issues a Rare Response to a Critic | Vanity Fair

It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly why Jen Gunter was the one to face the unusual ire of Goop and the Goop-adjacent. It could be because, unlike Colbert or even Caulfield, Gunter, as an unknown target, was easier to lash out at...

Read on: Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop Issues a Rare Response to a Critic | Vanity Fair

Toxic Rock Syndrome – Roxanne Porozinski – Medium

As time goes on, Gwyneth Paltrow is recognized less and less for her acting prowess, and more and more for her rotten health advice. Her latest? Urging women to vaginally insert a jade egg, a stone the size of a ping-pong ball, and hold it there. All day. Every day. Yet another new spin on the Amish rock tumbler...

Read more: Toxic Rock Syndrome – Roxanne Porozinski – Medium

Paltrow’s Goop Doctors Keep Quacking Along – Ars Longa Vita Brevis – Medium

It goes without saying (but I’m saying it anyway) that Gwyneth Paltrow is not the person to go to for medical advice. She is not a medical professional. She doesn’t even play one on TV. She is simply a famous person who sells snake oil. But it’s hard to fault her for being a good capitalist. After all, it’s caveat emptor, right?

Read on: Paltrow’s Goop Doctors Keep Quacking Along – Ars Longa Vita Brevis – Medium

Gwyneth Paltrow's Goop tries to hit back at doctor critic | The Independent

Gwyneth Paltrow’s wellness brand Goop has fired back against their vociferous critics in a post defending their products such as the infamous vaginal jade egg.

On Thursday, Goop took aim at gynaecologist Dr Jen Gunter in the first of a new series of posts in which the company plans to discredit their critics...

Read on: Gwyneth Paltrow's Goop tries to hit back at doctor critic | The Independent

Sorry, Gwyneth Paltrow. Science will always beat goopy junk - The Globe and Mail

And who are we kidding? Goop isn’t a benevolent aggregator of health information. It is a for-profit company seeking to move product. In fact, Ms. Paltrow admitted on Jimmy Kimmel Live! that she doesn’t know “WTF” (throwing down her own f-bomb) they talk about on Goop. That hardly sounds like someone motivated by the provision of meaningful information for the enhancement of autonomy. (And damn if those $66 (U.S.) vagina rocks didn’t originally sell out. Ms. Paltrow’s noble crusade to enhance your autonomy is likely making her millions.)...

Read more: Sorry, Gwyneth Paltrow. Science will always beat goopy junk - The Globe and Mail

Paltrow’s Goop hits back at Canadian doctor critic, defends vaginal jade eggs | Lifestyle from CTV News

In one post earlier this spring, Dr. Gunter pointed out several health concerns with the eggs. She was particularly concerned that jade is porous and could harbour bacteria that could put users at risk for all sorts of infections, including potentially fatal toxic shock syndrome.

She said not only is there no science to back up the use of the eggs, “selling women biologically implausible devices and unstudied practices under the guise of reclaiming sensuality is harmful.”
In its post Thursday, the Goop editors call the doctor’s concerns “strangely confident.”

Read on: Paltrow’s Goop hits back at Canadian doctor critic, defends vaginal jade eggs | Lifestyle from CTV News

Goop expert Dr Steven Gundry mansplains to critic Dr Jen Gunter in open letter

Earlier Maria covered the goop open letter that challenged Dr Jen Gunter and whether or not it was good business strategy. I name-checked Dr. Gunter in my write-up of the In Goop Health event held last month, as she has been one of the most vociferous and articulate critics of goopology. The goop/Gunter feud kicked off when Gwyneth Paltrow said in an interview that “if you want to f*ck with me, bring your A game”. Dr. Gunter responded with “we’re not f*cking with you, we’re correcting you”. And now we have rebuttals written by two goop experts, Dr. Steven Gundry—the one who said “don’t eat” at In Goop Health—and Dr. Aviva Romm, author of The Adrenal Thyroid Revolution.

Goop expert Dr Steven Gundry mansplains to critic Dr Jen Gunter in open letter

Gwyneth Paltrow and goop take on critic Dr Jen Gunter in open letter | Lainey

This week, goop decided to start a fight. And the fight isn’t with spray can cheese or on sugar, but Gwyneth Paltrow and co. want to take on Dr. Jen Gunter, a vocal critic of goop’s medical recommendations.

As Lainey said, it’s a RUMBLE!

First, if you want to read Dr. Gunter’s goop analysis, expressing her skepticism and incredulousness at goop’s recommendations, click here. There are a lot of interesting posts that dispute Gwyneth’s claims about everything from jade eggs to toxic tampons to the Tracy Anderson diet plan to the medical validity of adrenal fatigue.

But who is Dr. Gunter to give medical advice? Well her full title is Jennifer Gunter MD, FRCS(C), FACOG, DABPM. She’s an OB/GYN certified in both Canada and the US. You can check her credentials here...

Read more: Gwyneth Paltrow and goop take on critic Dr Jen Gunter in open letter

---

Yes, another gossip site showing more journalistic integrity than the GOOP editorial team. At least this time it's written by a woman.

GOOP’s misogynistic, mansplaining hit job | Dr. Jen Gunter

GOOP and Gwyneth Paltrow have a case of GOOPitis, which according to Dr. Steve Gundry is due to my potty mouthed facts. Or tomato skins. Or something. I find it all very disjointed, inadequately researched, bloated, and mainsplainy.

I first saw this GOOP letter thing on the train back from a wonderful day in Manchester visiting with family (I’m over in the U.K. on holiday) when my phone almost blew up with Twitter notifications, partly because GOOP dedicated their first ever fighting words to little old me (apparently I have some gall suggesting women should not listen to second hand health advice from a ghost) and partly because even High Priestess Paltrow had descended from her bespoke, wooden vagina steaming throne to tweet among the mortals....

GOOP’s misogynistic, mansplaining hit job | Dr. Jen Gunter

Gwyneth Paltrow’s quack empire goop strikes back against Dr. Jen Gunter – Respectful Insolence

You know how you know when you’ve been effective deconstructing quackery or antivaccine pseudoscience? It’s when quacks and pseudoscientists strike back. It’s when they attack you. As much as Mike Adams’ near daily tirades against me last year caused problems and poisoned my Google reputation (which was, obviously, the goal), I could reassure myself with the knowledge that his attacks meant that I had gotten to him. When Steve Novella was sued by a quack, as much as I didn’t want to be sued by anyone, I knew that the fact that someone would sue him was testament to his effectiveness. Basically, counterattacks, character assassination, and, occasionally, legal threats are the price skeptics pay when they are effective...

Read more: Gwyneth Paltrow’s quack empire goop strikes back against Dr. Jen Gunter – Respectful Insolence

NeuroLogica Blog | Goop Strikes Back

Gwyneth Paltrow has been using her celebrity to promote a “lifestyle brand” she calls “Goop.” The site recommends all sorts of medical nonsense, like detox, earthing, putting stuff up your vagina, and the usual scaremongering about “toxins” or whatever. Recently I wrote about Goop’s promotion of magical stickers that are alleged to align and balance your vibrations.

Deservedly she has received push back from science communicators who are trying to raise the level of scientific literacy and critical thinking in the world. The concern is that she is spreading misinformation and pseudoscience, which is increasingly harmful in our modern technological world.

One highly vocal critic...

Read more of Steven Novella's post here: NeuroLogica Blog | Goop Strikes Back

This Doctor Says Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop Promotes Bullshit. Goop Just Clapped Back.

Medical experts have long slammed Goop, Gwyneth Paltrow’s e-commerce wellness empire, for endorsing nonscientific and potentially dangerous products — from sex dust to silver nanoparticles — and pseudoscience personalities.

But on Thursday, Goop for the first time singled out one of its most vocal critics, obstetrician-gynecologist Jen Gunter, who routinely takes the site to task on her Twitter and blog. In particular, it defended the vaginal jade eggs that Gunter lambasted earlier this year...

Read on: This Doctor Says Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop Promotes Bullshit. Goop Just Clapped Back.

Yet another study proves vaccines do not cause autism – Depleted cranium

Vaccines don’t cause autism. We know that. We’ve known it for a while. There has never been a shred of evidence that they do. There have been studies done that conclusively show they do not.

Now a new study has come out showing that there is zero increase in the risk of autism in children who are given the MMR vaccine, even in those who are already at high risk for autism. This refutes the claim made by some that vaccines contribute to autism or are a factor that exacerbates it...

Read more: Yet another study proves vaccines do not cause autism – Depleted cranium

goop fights back! | Pharyngula

I guess it was predictable: the quackery on display at Gwyneth Paltrow’s ridiculous goop site has been receiving a lot of well-deserved mockery, and you knew that they weren’t going to simply accept this threat to their credibility and profit by changing their approach and offering legitimate, evidence-based health claims — they’re doubling-down with an extra helping of indignation. So they’ve fished up some people with degrees (please, don’t dignify them by calling them doctors) to defend bullshit. So, for instance, they have a lengthy defense of homeopathy that is straight-up flagrant nonsense...

Read more: goop fights back!

Death by homeopathy?

The Daily Star reported that 9 children have died in Tripura Para of Sitakunda during the last week. At least 46 other children in the remote hilly area are suffering from the same disease which has not yet been identified. The children aged between one and 12 suffer from fever and other symptoms include body […]

Read the rest here: Death by homeopathy?

Gwyneth Paltrow's 'Goop' Attacks Doctor Who Doubted Vagina Jade Eggs | Inverse

Gwyneth Paltrow is gaslighting America.

A post on Paltrow’s lifestyle website and expensive nonsense shop Goop published Thursday argues that Jennifer Gunter — an OB/GYN and evidence-based medicine advocate who has criticized the company’s potentially dangerous recommendations — disrespected women when she told them not to put Goop’s $55 crystals in their vaginas. Below’s the advertorial for “beauty guru/healer/inspiration/friend” Shiva Rose’s jade eggs...

Read on: Gwyneth Paltrow's 'Goop' Attacks Doctor Who Doubted Vagina Jade Eggs | Inverse

Gwyneth and her medi-shills strike back | The Skeptical OB

Quacktress Gwyneth Paltrow has taken PT Barnum’s advice to heart.

Barnum famously said that you can’t go broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public. Paltrow is channeling Barnum with her website goop and is laughing all the way to the bank.

When quacktresses like Paltrow trade on their celebrity to sell useless, nonsensical and potentially dangerous products, they aren’t empowering women; they’re taking advantage of them.
But not everyone is laughing with Paltrow. Some are laughing at her. Indeed OB-GYN Jen Gunter has made a specialty of skewering Paltrow and she never lacks for material. Highlights include:

• Gwyneth Paltrow says steam your vagina, an OB/GYN says don’t
• Dear Gwyneth Paltrow, I’m a GYN and your vaginal jade eggs are a bad idea
• Gwyneth Paltrow doesn’t have adrenal fatigue because it doesn’t exist

The bad publicity is apparently having an effect...

Read on: Gwyneth and her medi-shills strike back | The Skeptical OB

Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop posted a defense of its jade eggs for vaginas. It’s a mess. - Vox

Goop mockery crystalized into a fervor early this year when the site posted this whopper of a headline: “Better Sex: Jade Eggs for Your Yoni.”

The post featured a Q&A with Shiva Rose, a “beauty guru / healer,” who claimed that inserting egg-shaped jade rocks into the vagina “can help cultivate sexual energy, increase orgasm, balance the cycle, stimulate key reflexology around vaginal walls ... [it goes on for awhile]... and invigorate our life force.” And Goop, of course, would be happy to sell you said eggs for just $66.

The backlash to this absurdity was swift and furious...

Read full article: Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop posted a defense of its jade eggs for vaginas. It’s a mess. - Vox

How effective are positive messages?

It used to be called ‘good bedside manners’. The term is an umbrella for a range of attitudes and behaviours including compassion, empathy and conveying positive messages. What could be more obvious than the assumption that good bedside manners are better than bad ones? 

But as sceptics, we need to doubt obvious assumptions! Where is […]

Read the rest here: How effective are positive messages?

Those 80 graphs that got used for climate myths

Recent attack on the so-called hockey stick graph is a compilation of 80 graphs from 2017 which consists of 76 graphs that describe local or regional situations, one graph that describes Northern Hemisphere situation, one graph that describes NH extratropics situation, and two graphs that describe global situation. As the hockey stick graph describes the situation in Northern Hemisphere, 80 graphs become 4 graphs, because local/regional graphs are meaningless in comparison to hemispheric/global situation...

Read the full report: Those 80 graphs that got used for climate myths

Recommending homeoprophylaxis is unethical, irresponsible and possibly even criminal

The last time I reported about Kate Birch, I ended my post stating that I became so angry that I was about to write something that I might later regret. Let’s see whether I can restrain myself again. Kate published another book: The Solution Homeoprophylaxis: The Vaccine Alternative. Here is the press-release for her new rant: Modern parents and even […]

Read the rest here: Recommending homeoprophylaxis is unethical, irresponsible and possibly even criminal

Exposing lies in the realm of quackery

To a significant extent, this blog has always exposed untruths in the realm of alternative medicine – not just one or two, but hundreds. Obviously, some of them are more clear-cut than others. If, for instance, someone claims that acupuncture has been proven to be effective for a given condition, this many seem like a […]

Read the rest here: Exposing lies in the realm of quackery

Bogus healthcare products should have no place in pharmacies

Isn’t it wonderful when your long-held views are confirmed by someone with influence?

This, of course, is a rhetorical question – I can tell you: it is wonderful!

Matthew Stanbrook, MD PhD recently published an editorial in CMAJ which I find delightful; let me present you a few quotes from it:

The multibillion-dollar market for “natural” […]

Read the rest here: Bogus healthcare products should have no place in pharmacies

The ‘Society for Integrative Oncology’ puzzles me yet again

This recently published report provides updated clinical practice guidelines from the Society for Integrative Oncology on the use of integrative therapies for specific clinical indications during and after breast cancer treatment, including anxiety/stress, depression/mood disorders, fatigue, quality of life/physical functioning, chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, lymphedema, chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy, pain, and sleep disturbance. 

The practice guidelines […]

Read the rest here: The ‘Society for Integrative Oncology’ puzzles me yet again

The Natural Alternative - Part 2 - Revenge of the Chef

... Last time out we talked about ketosis, a metabolic state that occurs during starvation (yeah, I fucking said it again - it happens during starvation), where our cells switch to an alternative, fat derived fuel in order to limit their dependence on glucose during times of shortage. We also discussed ketogenic diets, where very low carbohydrate protocols are used to induce a state of ketosis without the need for starvation, and the use of these diets in the treatment of drug resistant epilepsy. For new readers, I would seriously recommend reading Part 1 first, but in summary the ketogenic diet is a useful and sometimes miraculous treatment for specific conditions, but should not be considered a harmless natural alternative. It is not a safe diet, and it comes with many serious and well-studied side effects that need to be managed. Part 1 also briefly mentioned that ketogenic diets may have a potential role in the treatment of other conditions, something that we are going to discuss a little more today...

Read the full post: The Natural Alternative - Part 2 - Revenge of the Chef

A new meta-analysis of acupuncture in JACM – no prizes for guessing the conclusion

I have repeatedly cautioned about the often poor quality of research into alternative medicine. This seems particularly necessary with studies of acupuncture, and especially true for such research carried out in China. I have also frequently noted that certain ‘CAM journals’ are notoriously prone to publishing rubbish. So, what can we expect from a paper […]
Read the rest here: A new meta-analysis of acupuncture in JACM – no prizes for guessing the conclusion

Is God an alternative to healthcare?

In the US, some right-wing politicians might answer this question in the affirmative, having suggested that American citizens don’t really need healthcare, if only they believed stronger in God. Here in the UK, some right-wing MPs are not that far from such an attitude, it seems. 

A 2012 article in the ‘Plymouth Herald’ revealed that […]

Read the rest here: Is God an alternative to healthcare?