The FDA Fights Back Against Homeopathy

As of December 2018, the FDA has proposed a new, risk-based enforcement approach to homeopathic drug products that have the greatest potential to cause risk to patients.

This represents a welcome first step in attempting to regulate so-called “alternative medicine”, which has, as mentioned several times in this and in other related platforms, the potential to cause serious and potentially deadly harm to patients who chose to rely on it. Perhaps as a response to the increasing tide of indignation from the scientific community, the FDA now resolves to control these products more carefully and hopefully ensuring that patients make more informed decisions about the treatment they receive.

It is often surprising to discover that many people who occasionally use homeopathic remedies for common ailments are not fully aware of the rationale behind the preparations they are buying and taking. Homeopathy is based upon the principle that water has memory and as such is able to mimic the properties of molecules that have been diluted within it. This is why most homeopathic preparations contain an incredibly diluted stock of whatever main ingredient they are supposed to contain. In fact, myth busters armed with a calculator have been able to demonstrate that most homeopathic preparations do not actually contain a single component of the active ingredient, therefore relying solely on the concept of “water memory”. Of course, these principles have been debunked by physicists all over the world as pseudoscience – as well as by those with common sense. In short, homeopathy is based on entirely non-scientific principles according to every scientific community on the planet. And yet, they are of course allowed to sell their preparations claiming all sorts of frankly improbable health benefits.

The FDA has finally come to its senses and has decided to regulate the claims that these products make. While of course everyone should be able to make whatever decisions they wish regarding their health, it is completely irresponsible to market products to desperate people with terminal conditions and expect them to make rational choices. The FDA is therefore planning to crack down on those products that have been marketed for cancer and heart disease, as well as those that have been reported to have potential side effects. In fact, homeopathic treatments re not required by law to describe accurately all the potential side effects as traditional medicines are, since they are not sold as pharmaceutical and are therefore not subject to the same level of scrutiny and to the same standards. However, there have been several cases of potential side-effects caused by homeopathic remedies, which suggests that the FDA inquiry will have its work cut out come the New Year. We can only hope this is the beginning of a new wave of pro-science actions taken by the government to keep patients and their families safe from unscrupulous snake-oil peddlers.

10 thoughts on “The FDA Fights Back Against Homeopathy”

  1. For a more detailed investigation of the FDA Teething Tablets fiasco read here: http://homeopathyusa.org/…/president-s-letter-2.html

    More recent explanations have also included the recent findings of nano-particles in homeopathic medicines.
    https://hpathy.com/…/recent-advances-in-nanoparticle…/
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prgiBk7bKXc

    Indeed even the FDA implies that there is a nano-medicine effect with the Teething Tablets.The levels of belladonna in the teething tablets is not in milligrams or micro-grams but Nano grams, how does the FDA explain the apparent diverse array of ‘side effects’? https://www.fda.gov/…/InformationbyDrugClass/ucm538669.htm

    Also governments have been shown to take a decidedly biased view when it comes to homeopathy.
    http://www.nhmrchomeopathy.com/

  2. Dear Mr. Cantelli, Please look up Professor Gerald Pollack’s laboratory at the University of Washington https://www.pollacklab.org/ before writing any more articles that say water is not able to remember and transmit information. He has discovered a liquid crystalline form of water dubbed the “Fourth Phase” or “EZ” water, which provides a perfectly plausible mechanism for most of water’s anomalies including water memory. Also look into Jacques Benveniste’s work follow by nobel laureate Luc Montagnier and a host of other top scientist around the world working with water memory.

    • Hi John,
      Thanks for your comment! A quick couple of things. First of all, when I am at work I am Dr Cantelli and when I am at home I am Miss Cantelli. The only Mr Cantelli around is my dad, who has absolutely no interest in debating the internet. Doesn’t make a difference in terms of what we are talking about, but nonetheless I feel it is an important distinction to note.

      I apologize if my original piece was unclear – I have now edited in the hope my point comes across more effectively. My PhD is in cancer cell biology, not physics, so I don’t really feel qualified having opinions on Dr Pollack’s work – altho I know many excellent scientists from the University of Washington and I am sure Dr Pollack’s lab is producing fascinating results in his field. For what I understand from their very informative website, I don’t think they have actually found evidence that water retains the properties of its solutes in homeopathic solutions. I have however emailed their lab to ask if they would be interested in collaborating and putting together a small piece explaining their work on the subject, which I feel would be really helpful to lots of people. I will let you know how that goes!
      In the meantime, and more to the point, I am yet to find a single reputable scientific study that shows the efficacy of homeopathic remedies past the point of placebo. I however would be very interested in reading any studies that you would like to send me!
      Thanks again for your comment and I look forward to seeing you again here on my blog!

  3. FDA did not “finally come to its senses.” Protection of woo came from Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah. FDA was not allowed to do much about/too these purveyors of bs.

  4. Because I am not sure whether you will be at home or at work when reading this, I will say thank you Dr and Miss Cantelli for the article!

    Traumeel is a popular homeopathic medication comes in different formula, injectable included! I have a mixed opinion about it however, I know a German Homeopathic Dr runs entire clinic (in Germany) based on Traumeel alone! He works alone and see plenty of patients on daily bases!

    I am not sure how reputable studies that was carried on Traumeel but there is several works highlight its effect!

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  6. How do incredibly diluted after memory molecules pose any type of risk of side effects, adverse reactions, or anything else? Either they are effective or they are not. If they are not effective, just practically “sugar water” then no need to worry. If they are effective, then they need regulation. Which is it?

    • Hi Cara,

      The issue is not the homeopathic ingredient in the preparation – but the other, non-homeopathic things present (sweeteners, emulsifiers etc). I think that much of the time when people use the term “sugar water” they are highlighting the lack of the “active ingredient” that you are supposedly buying as opposed to saying it is literally only sugar-an-water, if that makes sense.
      Looking forward to the upcoming FDA investigation!

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