Is Homeopathy an effective means to treat serious illnesses? Fact Check

In 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic was at its peak, the Ministry of Ayush had listed a homoeopathic drug – Arsenicum album 30 – for prophylactic (preventive) use against COVID-19. One advisory by the Ministry of Ayush stated this homoeopathic drug is “an immune booster for prophylaxis against COVID-19 infection.”

Many scientists and doctors had flagged this advisory as a misleading cure. The Indian Medical Association calls practitioners of homeopathy “quacks.” Earlier, the US government had ordered the producers of homoeopathic concoctions to tell consumers that there is no scientific evidence to prove the treatment’s effectiveness.

Similarly, an Australian study had rubbished the claims of homeopathy. So what is the truth? Digiteye India debunks the myths of homoeopathy here.

FACT CHECK

The claims of remedy made by homoeopathy lack scientific plausibility as per the scientific research articles which sought to verify them under the category of alternative form of medicine.

The World Health Organization has already reiterated its stand that homoeopathy should not be used to treat serious diseases such as HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria. They also said that they don’t recommend this alternative medicine for treating diarrhoea in infants or flu. Experts have flagged that the efficacy of these treatments has not been proven clinically and hence, they lack evidence.

Another 2014 study by Australia’s National Health and Medical Research Council assessed the effects of homoeopathy medicines on 68 health conditions such as asthma, arthritis, sleep disturbances, cold and flu, chronic fatigue syndrome, eczema, cholera, burns, malaria and heroin addiction. The study concluded that their high-quality, well-designed studies which involved a sufficient number of participants to yield meaningful outcomes did not show any evidence that homeopathy resulted in greater improvements in health compared to a placebo or that it produced health benefits equivalent to those of another form of treatment.

A 2015 study by Australia’s National Health and Medical Research Council revealed: “No good quality evidence to support the claim that homoeopathy is effective in treating health conditions.” The study conducted a thorough assessment of over 1,800 studies. However, they found out that only 225 of them met the criteria for being rigorous enough to undergo detailed analysis and evaluation. The study found out has no interest in detailed pathology and none in conventional diagnosis and treatment.

Homeopathy works on the ‘like cures like’ formula. The remedies are created by homoeopathic dilution. In this procedure, the chosen substance is repeatedly diluted to the point where the end product is chemically identical to the diluent. In many cases, not even a single molecule of the original substance is anticipated to be present in the final product. As a lot of homoeopathic medicines are made from a very high level of dilution of the actual medicine, the risks and side effects are minimal.

Dr Cyriac Abby Philips, a specialist in Hepatology and liver transplant medicine, has raised concern over the amount of alcohol used in some homoeopathic medicine. He found that a homeopathic medicine that is prescribed for treating fatigue, has a standard alcohol concentration of 40%.

Digiteye India team talked to Dr. Seba Issar in Madhya Pradesh and she said that homoeopathy works “on positive feelings and mere placebo effects. The remedies are not based in or backed by science. There is no side effect because there is no medicine involved.”

CLAIM: Homeopathy is an effective treatment for serious illnesses.

CONCLUSION: Scientific research has consistently shown that homoeopathy lacks scientific plausibility and does not provide reliable medical benefits beyond a placebo effect.

RATING: Totally False —

[Also See: Can inhaling camphor and carom seeds increase oxygen levels for COVID-19 patients? Fact Check]