It sounds like people are confusing homeopathic remedies with herbal remedies. Homeopathy involves making INCREDIBLY dilute mixtures of things, to the point where the solution is almost completely the solvent (typically water) and only a minute amount of the active ingredient. Additionally, in traditional homeopathy they active ingredient that they used created the same symptoms that you're trying to solve. For example, if you have joint pain a traditional homeopathic solution would be a very very dilute mixture of something that causes joint pain. Now people are using the term "homeopathic" for very dilute mixtures in general and they may include ingredients that supposedly solve your symptoms, rather than cause your symptoms.
homeopathic is much broader than just lower concentrated solutions.
Definition of HOMEOPATHY
: a system of medical practice that treats a disease especially by the administration of minute doses of a remedy that would in larger amounts produce in healthy persons symptoms similar to those of the disease
Overview
The term homeopathy comes from the Greek words homeo, meaning similar, and pathos, meaning suffering or disease. Homeopathy seeks to stimulate the body's ability to heal itself by giving very small doses of highly diluted substances. This therapeutic method was developed by German physician Samuel Christian Hahnemann at the end of the 18th century. Hahnemann articulated two main principles:
- The principle of similars (or "like cures like") states that a disease can be cured by a substance that produces similar symptoms in healthy people. This idea, which can be traced back to Hippocrates, was further developed by Hahnemann after he repeatedly ingested cinchona bark, a popular treatment for malaria, and found that he developed the symptoms of the disease. Hahnemann theorized that if a substance could cause disease symptoms in a healthy person, small amounts could cure a sick person who had similar symptoms.
- The principle of dilutions (or "law of minimum dose") states that the lower the dose of the medication, the greater its effectiveness. In homeopathy, substances are diluted in a stepwise fashion and shaken vigorously between each dilution. This process, referred to as "potentization," is believed to transmit some form of information or energy from the original substance to the final diluted remedy. Most homeopathic remedies are so dilute that no molecules of the healing substance remain; however, in homeopathy, it is believed that the substance has left its imprint or "essence," which stimulates the body to heal itself (this theory is called the "memory of water").
Homeopathy (pronunciation: i /ˌhoʊmiˈɒpəθi/; also spelled homoeopathy or homopathy) is a form of alternative medicine in which practitioners treat patients using highly diluted preparations that are believed to cause healthy people to exhibit symptoms that are similar to those exhibited by the patient.
Are you sure about that?
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/homeopathy
http://nccam.nih.gov/health/homeopathy/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homeopathy
People misuse the term all the time, homeopathy = dilution. If they are't using dilution it's some other form of alternative medicine and it's incorrect to call it homeopathy.
You can define Homeopathic all you want. The point is what is being sold / practiced does not fit that definition.
It's the same as the tidal wave vs tsunami debate. Many americans use tidal wave. They are not thinking some little shore break is what brought that reactor down.
Regardless, homeopathic remedies also do work, but many don't apply them properly nor have the problem that they solve.
The scam is everyone is looking for a miracle drug, it's easy to dupe them.
HOMEOPATHY: WHAT IT IS
Homeopathy is a system of medicine that is made from traces of plant, mineral, and organic ingredients. These medicines are prepared by a pharmacological process called potentization. This process involves consecutive dilutions of a natural ingredient in some medium, usually water. The strength of the potency is inversely proportional to the number of dilutions (Ullman 1995). There is no physical trace of the original ingredient after the process is completed. A single remedy has the name of the original ingredient. The remedy can be taken orally in a liquid base or as a sugar pill. Modern homeopathic companies also produce remedies as ointments, lotions, eye drops, syrups, and sprays.
What are Homeopathics?
Homeopathic remedies (also called homeopathics) are a system of medicine based on three principles:
Like cures like
For example, if the symptoms of your cold are similar to poisoning by mercury, then mercury would be your homeopathic remedy.
Minimal Dose
The remedy is taken in an extremely dilute form; normally one part of the remedy to around 1,000,000,000,000 parts of water.
The Single Remedy
No matter how many symptoms are experienced, only one remedy is taken, and that remedy will be aimed at all those symptoms.
You can define Homeopathic all you want. The point is what is being sold / practiced does not fit that definition.
It's the same as the tidal wave vs tsunami debate. Many americans use tidal wave. They are not thinking some little shore break is what brought that reactor down.
Regardless, homeopathic remedies also do work, but many don't apply them properly nor have the problem that they solve.
The scam is everyone is looking for a miracle drug, it's easy to dupe them.
You guys are discussing semantics now. When most people are talking they use homeopathic products it has nothing to do with just focusing on 'water'.
This is typical of armchair experts.
Have any of you ever been into a store proclaiming homeopathic and natural remedies? Most of the stuff in there really isn't homeopathic. This thread wasn't about only homeopathic items solely anyway.
Also while there is a lot in homeopathic medicine that uses low concentrations of a compound, that is not the entire philosophy. It has to do with balancing things...it's only when dangerous substances at full dose are believed to be needed. It's only this concoction of super water that people seem to be focused on.
I am not saying I buy into it and don't use it, but I do believe for some it's more than a placebo effect.
You can define Homeopathic all you want. The point is what is being sold / practiced does not fit that definition.
It's the same as the tidal wave vs tsunami debate. Many americans use tidal wave. They are not thinking some little shore break is what brought that reactor down.
Regardless, homeopathic remedies also do work, but many don't apply them properly nor have the problem that they solve.
The scam is everyone is looking for a miracle drug, it's easy to dupe them.
I want someone to do the pepsi challenge with benedryl (diphenhydramine). That stuff kicks your brain in the balls so hard that there's no doubt it's actually doing something :biggrin:One way to find out would be a blind test with placebos. If it's a placebo effect, you might as well swap out the ibuprofen with a multivitamin.
Alternative remedies stop being "alternative" when they actually work. Aspirin comes from a plant, we know it works, it's made by lots of generic companies, it's no longer alternative. Ephedrine (sudafed) comes from a plant, it works great, it is not alternative. Cocaine comes from a plant, it definitely does something, it's not alternative.Some alternative medicines do work, although Western medicine generally takes those remedies and improves them - making them both safer and more effective. Homeopathy does not work at all - you are literally drinking water.
Alternative remedies stop being "alternative" when they actually work. Aspirin comes from a plant, we know it works, it's made by lots of generic companies, it's no longer alternative. Ephedrine (sudafed) comes from a plant, it works great, it is not alternative. Cocaine comes from a plant, it definitely does something, it's not alternative.
Alternative medicine is the stuff that never goes mainstream because the results are mixed/inconsistent/imaginary.
You can define Homeopathic all you want. The point is what is being sold / practiced does not fit that definition.
It's the same as the tidal wave vs tsunami debate. Many americans use tidal wave. They are not thinking some little shore break is what brought that reactor down.
Regardless, homeopathic remedies also do work, but many don't apply them properly nor have the problem that they solve.
The scam is everyone is looking for a miracle drug, it's easy to dupe them.
You guys are discussing semantics now. When most people are talking they use homeopathic products it has nothing to do with just focusing on 'water'.
This is typical of armchair experts.
Have any of you ever been into a store proclaiming homeopathic and natural remedies? Most of the stuff in there really isn't homeopathic. This thread wasn't about only homeopathic items solely anyway.
Also while there is a lot in homeopathic medicine that uses low concentrations of a compound, that is not the entire philosophy. It has to do with balancing things...it's only when dangerous substances at full dose are believed to be needed. It's only this concoction of super water that people seem to be focused on.
I am not saying I buy into it and don't use it, but I do believe for some it's more than a placebo effect.
You have no idea what homoeopathic medicine involves do you?
probably not at all, those pharmacy classes were all a waste of time.
So, why don't you enlighten the forum with your expertise.
lol, I am well aware of homeopathy. I know it's much more than just the liquids sold.
probably not at all, those pharmacy classes were all a waste of time.
So, why don't you enlighten the forum with your expertise.
This is typical of armchair experts.