An integral approach to substance abuse.,Amodia DS, Cano C, Eliason MJ.
/integral approach to substance abuse and addictions
Read MoreHomeopathy on Vitality Link
/Meet Elena Cecchetto, a homeopath based in Vancouver, BC.
Elena discovered homeopathy as a student in Toronto at her wit’s end with eczema. She tried homeopathy as a last ditch effort, having experimented with countless treatments.
Elena says that’s how many people first discover the practice. “It was a last resort for me, like it is for many people. They’ve tried everything else.”
She explains that homeopaths get to know a client’s physical, emotional and behavioural profile and then recommend a remedy that is specifically matched to them. The remedies are made of natural ingredients and created in homeopathic pharmacies.
Elena got more than she bargained for from her first homeopathic experience. Her eczema began to go away when she took the remedy, and eventually disappeared altogether. But more than that, her experience of everyday life changed.
She says, “I just felt a level of inner joy and that the world was open to me. I wouldn’t even have been able to describe that I wanted to feel this way.”
That feeling is now what Elena aims to help her clients achieve. She gets feedback like, ‘I just feel lighter’ and ‘Things don’t bother me anymore’.
Elena sees many children in her East Vancouver practice and has special certification to treat autistic kids. She also immunizes children for a wide variety of illnesses.
She treats adult clients for many common maladies. A lactose intolerant client came in for a remedy and was able to eat ice cream and cheese the next day without any problem.
She’s helped clients navigate the spring and summer months allergy-free without taking any drugs.
She’s also treated people with addiction, depression and anxiety. In one case, a client unable to work for two weeks solid because of panic attacks was quickly back to the office after seeing Elena.
Homeopathy is generally not an overnight cure. Elena explains it takes time for the remedies to work. If you’ve been dealing with a health issue for a long time, or it occurs frequently, you should anticipate the healing process will take longer.
Elena says, “The homeopathic approach is that every person is different. There is no one cause of any condition. We look for the core thing that’s happening with this person and everything else connects to that. Homeopathy says everything is connected. We match one remedy to the whole person.”
Special Offer: Elena is offering 25% off the first intake appointment for the homeopathic immunization protocol. In this 1.5 hour appointment, Elena takes down the child’s entire background (including information about pregnancy and delivery) so she’s well positioned to help down the road as the child proceeds through life.
The regular price of the homeopathic immunization protocol is: $195.
Contact Elena at: (604) 568-4663 or info@accessnaturalhealing.com
For more information, please visit Elena’s VitalityLink profile. http://snip.ly/t9u44
--
Your Holistic Team, ~Access~
Web: http://www.AccessNaturalHealing.com/
Email: info@accessnaturalhealing.com
Phone: (604) 568-4663
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/profile/edit?trk=hb_tab_pro_top/
“The information contained in this message is for educational purposes and constitutes a response to a private request for information only and does not constitute a solicitation for services and makes no claim or promise that any product or service that may cure any condition or ailment,”
Cytotoxic effects of ultra-diluted remedies on breast cancer cells
/homeopathy and breast cancer cells
Cytotoxic effects of ultra-diluted remedies on breast cancer cells
MOSHE FRENKEL1, BAL MUKUND MISHRA2, SUBRATA SEN2, PEIYING YANG1, ALISON PAWLUS1, LUIS VENCE3, AIMEE LEBLANC2, LORENZO COHEN1, PRATIP BANERJI4 and PRASANTA BANERJI4
1Integrative Medicine Program, 2Department of Molecular Pathology, 3Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA;
4P. Banerji Homeopathic Research Foundation, Kolkata, India Received May 28, 2009; Accepted July 23, 2009 DOI: 10.3892/ijo_00000512
Abstract. The use of ultra-diluted natural products in the management of disease and treatment of cancer has generated a lot of interest and controversy. We conducted an in vitro study to determine if products prescribed by a clinic in India have any effect on breast cancer cell lines. We studied four ultra-diluted remedies (Carcinosin, Phytolacca, Conium and Thuja) against two human breast adenocarcinoma cell lines (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231) and a cell line derived from immortalized normal human mammary epithelial cells (HMLE). The remedies exerted preferential cytotoxic effects against the two breast cancer cell lines, causing cell cycle delay/arrest and apoptosis. These effects were accompanied by altered expression of the cell cycle regulatory proteins, including downregulation of phosphorylated Rb and upregulation of the CDK inhibitor p27, which were likely responsible for the cell cycle delay/arrest as well as induction of the apoptotic cascade that manifested in the activation of caspase 7 and cleavage of PARP in the treated cells. The findings demonstrate biological activity of these natural products when presented at ultra-diluted doses. Further in- depth studies with additional cell lines and animal models are warranted to explore the clinical applicability of these agents.
MYTHs of Homeopathy:
/“Homeopathy is just a placebo effect”
It is frequently argued that homeopathic medicines are ‘just sugar pills’ that don’t contain any active ingredients, so any benefits patients report are due purely to the placebo effect i.e. people believe the pills are going to help and this belief alone triggers a healing response.
With any medical treatment there is likely to be some degree of ‘placebo effect’ and in this respect homeopathy is no different, but the theory that homeopathy’s effects are only a placebo response is not supported by the scientific evidence.
If homeopathy is really just a placebo effect, how does one explain:
- The existence of positive high quality placebo-controlled trials?
These trials are designed specifically to separate out the placebo effect from the real clinical effect of the treatment being tested. - Homeopathic medicines having effects in laboratory experiments?
Effects have been seen on white blood cells, frogs and wheat plants to name just a few examples. - The fact that homeopathy works in animals?
A rigorous research study found that homeopathy can prevent E. coli diarrhoea in piglets1 – a big problem in commercial farming
References https://www.hri-research.org/resources/homeopathy-faqs/the-best-studies-have-shown-homeopathy-is-just-placebo/
About 70-80% of patients taking homeopathic treatment for chronic disease report improvement.
/About 70-80% of patients taking homeopathic treatment for chronic disease report improvement, and in at least one study they prefer it over conventional treatment, according to a collection of studies written up by our friends down under, Homeopathy Plus.
Possibly you are aware of the six-year Bristol Homeopathic Hospital study, which showed that out of 6,544 patients with chronic disease, sometimes of many years’ duration, 70.7 per cent reported positive health changes.
But there’s more.
A study on several alternative health modalities in Northern Ireland shows homeopathy narrowly edging out acupuncture with 79 per cent of patients reporting positive outcomes.
A study carried out at a health clinic in Dorset, England shows 84 per cent of patients reported improvement, and 81 per cent attribute their improvement to homeopathy.
A German study found that most parents with cancer-stricken kids who had them treated homeopathically rated their satisfaction rate as “very high” and would recommend homeopathy to other parents.
A large-scale Swiss study comparing patient satisfaction with homeopathic treatment to conventional medicine for chronic disease showed homeopathy scoring significantly better, with greater improvement and fewer side effects.
Finally, a 103-centre study in Switzerland and Germany followed 3,079 patients over eight years, and found:
* On average, disease severity decreased dramatically and improvements were sustained
* Three in ten patients stopped treatment because of major improvement
* Mental and physical quality of life scores increased substantially
* Biggest and fastest improvements happened for children and the patients who started out the most sick.
Conditions treated ran the gamut, covering both physical and emotional afflictions.
Those who wonder why homeopathy continues to grow in popularity worldwide despite a mechanism of action that defies common “wisdom” and a well-funded and highly-motivated opposition should take note of these studies.
Read the original article, which has more details and full citations, here.
How Does Homeopathy Work?
/What should I expect in a homeopathic consultation?
The choice of homeopathic medicine is based on the patient’s specific symptoms and not the disease itself. Because of this, in the first consultation the homeopath will seek a complete and accurate picture of the health status and symptoms of the patient.
The homeopath will ask you about your condition, physical, physiological, mental and emotional. He or she will ask you to describe what factors improve and what factors worsen the symptoms, how you react to heat and cold, different weather, different body positions, etc. He or she will ask you about your food preferences and aversions, how you sleep, your lifestyle and habits, your personality, your medical history and your family’s medical history, etc. The first homeopathic consultation can easily last two hours. Subsequent ones last a shorter time, often half an hour, and usually happen about once a month as needed.
Water Research Laboratory What is this project about?
/Water Research Laboratory
What is this project about?
Current research points towards the likely existence of water structures which, although being largely unexplored, in principle have the necessary characteristics to explain the mechanism of action of homeopathic medicines.
The Water Research Laboratory aims to investigate these new water structures using a multidisciplinary approach involving theoretical physics, mathematical modelling and experimental exploration.
In the field of the physics of high dilutions, which has immediate relevance to homeopathy, many research groups have reported interesting findings. In particular, Prof Luc Montagnier (who won the Nobel Prize for discovering the HIV/AIDS virus), has shown homeopathic dilutions to have electromagnetic properties which differ from those of normal water1,2.
Benveniste was a eminent French immunologist, adviser to the French government on scientific issue, he was the director of INSERM unit 200, directed at immunology, allergy and inflammation.
In a seminal paper published in the prestigious journal Nature in 1988, Dr Benveniste’s team of reported their results investigating the effects of high-dilutions on human basophils (a type of white blood cell). They diluted a solution of human anti-IgE antibodies in water to such a degree that there was virtually no possibility that a single molecule of the antibody remained in the water solution. They reported, human basophils responded to the solutions just as though they had encountered the original antibody (part of the allergic reaction). The effect was reported only when the solution was shaken violently during dilution.
This publication led to a large controversy around ‘the memory of water‘. Since then 28 scientific papers have been published in this area, 23 of which reported positive results. Of the 11 publications judged to be of high quality, 8 (72%) reported positive results.4
The initial efforts of the HRI/WRL collaboration are centered around repeating the famous basophil degranulation experiments of the late Dr Jacques Benveniste (1935-2004)3, with the aim of making the experiment more easily reproducible in standard laboratory setting and of studying important physical parameters crucial to the phenomenon. In particular we aim to study the influence of electromagnetic fields on the system, in line with Prof Luc Montagnier’s recent results.
- Montagnier, L., Aïssa, J., Ferris, S., Montagnier, J.-L. & Lavalléee, C. Electromagnetic signals are produced by aqueous nanostructures derived from bacterial DNA sequences. Interdiscip. Sci. Comput. Life Sci. 2009, 1, 81–90. | Pubmed
- Montagnier, L. et al. DNA waves and water. J. Phys. Conf. Ser. 306, 012007 (2011). | Link
- Davenas E, et al. Human basophil degranulation triggered by very dilute antiserum against IgE. Nature. 1988 333(6176):816-8. | Pubmed
- Witt CM, Bluth M, Albrecht H, Weisshuhn TE, Baumgartner S, Willich SN. The in vitro evidence for an effect of high homeopathic potencies–a systematic review of the literature. Complement Ther Med. 2007 Jun;15(2):128-38. | Pubmed
Lead researcher
Alexander Tournier BSc DIC MASt Cantab PhD
Dr Tournier studied physics at Imperial College, London, and theoretical physics at the University of Cambridge. He wrote his PhD on the biophysics of water-protein interactions at the University of Heidelberg, Germany. For the last 10 years he has been conducting interdisciplinary research at the boundaries between mathematics, physics and biology, as an independent researcher for Cancer Research UK (5th institute worldwide for molecular biology).
Why is this project important?
Confirming the existence of structured phase of water would have considerable ramifications not only for homeopathy, but could also lead to completely novel therapeutic and diagnostic techniques.
Dr Alexander Tournier PhD
Autism Is A Research Growth Area: No Profit in Finding the Cause
/February 19, 2012 by admin in Autism, Featured, Science
http://gaia-health.com/gaia-blog/2012-02-19/autism-is-a-research-growth-area-no-profit-in-finding-the-cause/
The Mind of the Autism Researcher
Attempts to prove that autism is genetic, physical, or chemical in nature continue unabated. It’s proven to be a most lucrative specialty for researchers. However, the studies that promote the genetics-not-vaccine concept tend to show only the effects of autism. They demonstrate nothing to indicate the actual cause, though they often imply, or even outright state, otherwise.
That alone should tell us what’s become of most autism research: it’s a growth area. Autism research has become very much the same as Big Pharma-based medicine. In fact, much of it is funded by pharmaceutical corporations.
To find a disease cause and solution to prevent disease isn’t profitable. However, to find even the most minuscule physical, genetic, or chemical change in someone with an existing disease means that even more money can be squeezed out of the research funders like the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), agencies funded by taxpayers. Anything that leads away from causes and focuses on the physiochemical effects of autism always leads to more questions and more research funds.
Gaia Health recently documented an autism study demonstrating that it shows the opposite of what is claimed. The authors attempt to demonstrate that physical changes in the brains of autistics shows that vaccines could not be the cause. In reality, the study shows a close parallel between those changes and autism’s development. That fact, though, could not be mentioned. It would likely have resulted in the researchers’ funding sources drying up.
Study: White Matter Changes in Autism
A recent study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry(1) says that children defined as high risk for developing autism become autistic because of changes in the brain’s white matter, and that autism can be predicted in advance based on MRIs showing such changes. This is all fine and dandy—but it says precisely nothing about what causes these changes.
This study has a continuing medical education couse associated with it on MedPage Today. Passing the related test of two simple questions provides the reader, who is presumed to be a doctor, with .25 CME units. The doctor can easily collect these training credits within a few minutes, never leaving the comfort of home or office, or more significantly, without even having to bother reading the study itself. No thought process is required to determine whether the study holds any validity. The single-page course simply summarizes and regurgitates the study’s claims with no attempt to analyze whether it’s meaningful.
The result of this is sure to be yet more MRI tests on infants, which will, of course, further increase the cost of medicine and will likely produce no benefit to children—unless yet another toxic drug is considered helpful.
Study: Genetic Changes in Autism
Another study, published in PLoS Genetics(2), states that functional mutations in the SHANK2 gene, resulting in changes in synapses, are associated with some, but not all, autism. A functional mutation is not a birth defect. It is caused by something.
However, the study researchers weren’t interested in what causes the SHANK2 gene to be damaged. They were quite satisfied with the idea that the damage was just spontaneous. One would have thought that the researchers would at least be curious about what causes these changes—but apparently curiosity that doesn’t bring in big financial payments has been bred out of researchers.
Their interest was only in the idea where the finding indicates that several genes acting in combination must be associated with autism. Author Bergeron states:
There are so many combinations that might be important. We still have a lot of work to do at the genetic level.
Wow! Those researchers may have found a mother lode of research grants for all the follow-up research that they can now claim should be done. Just imagine the money that’s going to be made by Big Pharma in vaccines or drugs to treat the broken SHANK2 genes. Obviously, finding the cause of those broken genes would interfere with the profits to be made in attempts to fix them.
Study: Brain Activity Changes in Face Recognition
A study published in Nature Neuroscience(3) claims that functional MRIs can examine the fusiform gyrus, a part of the brain believed to focus on face identification, and that it will be able to study people—specifically, autistics—who are too unresponsive to cooperate in such studies. Author J.D. Gabrieli told the Simons Foundation:
Functional brain studies have been limited to the most high-functioning individuals, because we had to use active tasks that required following instructions. This method may open ways to look at the many autism patients who cannot follow task instructions.
Thus, this study has been performed to pave the way for yet more studies of autistic people. Whether it might actually benefit them is … well, that doesn’t seem to be the issue.
The Third Rail of Medical Research
There exists just one thing that autism researchers won’t touch: the cause. It’s the third rail of medical research. Autism has developed into a huge money-maker for modern medicine and its supporting agencies. Big Pharma is now selling drugs to send autistic kids to oblivion and further damage their brains. Doctors have a huge group of children whose parents are conditioned to take them back over and over again for tests and treatments, none of which help. Agencies and charities have organized to promote awareness of the condition and, in most cases, to promote the well-being of the top-line managers’ pay. Researchers and medical journals all help feed into this newly profitable condition. None of them actually help. For that, you must leave the modern medical system and find alternatives.
If the cause of autism were officially found. The focus would be on prevention. But then, none of this enormous pool of money could be tapped by any of these groups. Their bottom line is benefited by putting on blinders to the most likely cause, vaccines. To that end, they’ve established a PR campaign to convince the public—not to mention their own members—that vaccines aren’t the cause of autism and that autism isn’t truly a new disorder, but one that was previously unrecognized. Of course, as most parents of autistic children can state without reservation, there is no possibility that what’s happened to their children could ever have gone unnoticed.
So, they’ve developed a most magnificent arrangement of patting each others’ backs:
The doctors get to take absurdly simple CME courses that tell of phony breakthroughs, thus getting that nuisance requirement of continuing education out of the way without stress.
Medical websites that take most of their money from Big Pharma can pump out these nonsensical courses, pulling doctors to their sites for the easy ride.
Doctors get more and more patients.
Medical suppliers get to sell more and more equipment for tests.
Big Pharma gets to develop new drugs and find ways to push old ones on autism sufferers.
To support it all and give the seal of so-called “evidence based medicine” to these practices, medical researchers produce study after study, all of them focused on anything but finding the cause of autism.
It’s a cozy arrangement for everyone but the autistic children, their families, and society as a whole. Finding the cause would shut down the researchers’ gushing funding tap, and preventing autism would cut into all arenas of this exploding area of the medical industry.
Sources:
(1)Differences in White Matter Fiber Tract Development Present from 6 to 24 Months in Infants with Autism, doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.2011.11091447.
(2)Genetic and Functional Analyses of SHANK2 Mutations Suggest a Multiple Hit Model of Autism Spectrum Disorders
(3)Anatomical connectivity patterns predict face selectivity in the fusiform gyrus, doi: 10.1038/nn.3001
—
Elena Cecchetto DCH, CCH, RSHom(NA)
604-568-4663
LinkedIn:
http://www.linkedin.com/profile/edit?trk=hb_tab_pro_top
“The information contained in this message is for educational purposes and constitutes a response to a private request for information only and does not constitute a solicitation for services and makes no claim or promise that any product or service that may cure any condition or ailment,”
Homeopathy for ADHD: Hocus Pocus or Science?
/By Deborah Mitchell
Parents of children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) face daily challenges and questions concerning how to best cope with, manage, and help their kids. Moms and dads who are not satisfied with a purely conventional medicine approach, typically because of questionable safety and effectiveness of medications, often turn to other options. Should parents consider homeopathy for ADHD?
Some practitioners and researchers vote yes, and they point to the success they have witnessed in their practice and their studies. Many others, however, are not convinced about the value of homeopathy in general nor its use for this neurodevelopmental condition in particular.
Recently I interviewed Beth Landau-Halpern, a Toronto-based, classically trained homeopath who uses a wide range of natural approaches to treat ADHD, including nutritional medicine, relaxation techniques, and natural supplements along with homeopathy. Many but not all of her patients are already taking medications. Her natural therapies can both complement and enhance a child’s treatment program.
Homeopathy and ADHD: Two Studies
Landau-Halpern talked about her involvement in two studies of homeopathy and ADHD as well as about her experiences with her treatment approach overall. The two studies—one pilot study already completed and a new study currently underway that was initiated based on the findings of the first—involved evaluation of the impact of homeopathic remedies on children with ADHD.
The particulars of the first study were explained to me by one of Landau-Halpern’s colleagues, David Brulé, a research associate at the University of Toronto and owner of Riverdale Homeopathic Clinic.A total of 35 children were enrolled in the study, which involved an initial consultation with one of two homeopaths and then nine follow-up consultations.
Eighty percent of the participants completed all 10 consultations over an average of 12.1 months. During that time, a mean of three homeopathic remedies were prescribed for the children from a selection of more than three dozen options. The two found to be the most effective were phosphorus and tuberculinum. Parents were questioned about their child’s diet, but while Brulé said “diet works” for kids with ADHD, this factor was not emphasized in the study.
Overall the findings were positive: 63 percent achieved significant improvement in behavioral symptoms, and the benefits were generally observed at the seventh to eighth consultation. All of this good news prompted the researchers to plan another, larger study, which is now underway.
Based on her observations of participants in this study, Landau-Halpern explained that “most of the clients responded well to the homeopathic remedies, although it sometimes took a few months to find the most beneficial remedy.” This caveat was especially true, she said, among kids who were taking medication since “many of their ‘symptoms’ were masked” by the drugs. Overall, she believed the children’s behavioral symptoms were the most affected by the remedies, “those that the stimulant drugs don’t really affect in any case.”
What about the effect of diet and natural supplements on these patients who were taking homeopathic remedies? Landau-Halpern pointed out that many of the parents were finding it difficult to deal with the challenges of ADHD, so she did not normally introduce dietary suggestions. At the same time, she emphasized that “an optimized diet is obviously important” as are supplements, although she did not stress them in the study.
The new study, which currently is recruiting participants, will follow 180 children with ADHD. Unlike the earlier study, parents will be asked if they are using therapeutic dietary changes. (Download the announcement for recruitment into the new study.)
In her private practice, Landau-Halpern often recommends supplements for children with ADHD, especially omega-3 fatty acids. In addition she suggests B vitamins, iron, magnesium, vitamin D, zinc, and multivitamins, depending on the individual child. She also addresses diet.
When looking at the diet of a child who has ADHD, Landau-Halpern pointed out that while every child responds to preservatives, artificial colors, and artificial flavors differently, “in general, they have absolutely no place in any child’s diet—ADHD or not.” She also emphasized that eliminating these substances “can bring about huge improvements in all sorts of pathological behaviors and physical symptoms.”
In fact, cutting out foods that contain preservatives and artificial additives is the first advice she offers parents of kids with ADHD. Why? Because it works. “For some children, simply removing foods that impair their neurological function can make an enormous difference,” and that includes refined, processed foods containing artificial ingredients and preservatives as well as those to which children have a hypersensitivity.
A review in Current Psychiatry Reports that evaluated evidence for dietary and nutritional treatments, as well as homeopathy, for ADHD noted that “Controlled studies support the elimination of artificial food dyes to reduce ADHD symptoms, and that multivitamin/mineral supplements and especially essential fatty acids are suggested. Evidence for the effectiveness of homeopathy for ADHD, however, was reported to be minimal.
Read more about kids and artificial colors
That could be changing, however, as researchers continue to conduct more comprehensive studies. Therefore, for parents of children with ADHD, alternative and complementary options such as homeopathy and nutritional medicine, including the elimination of artificial dyes and flavors and preservatives, should be considered and discussed with the appropriate healthcare professionals.
Influence of pediatric vaccines on social behavior in the rhesus monkey
/Pediatric vaccines have been considered controversial due to potential negative effects on development, particularly impaired social interaction and communication, hyperactivity, and repetitive stereotyped behaviors that are characteristic of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Some reports suggest that exposure to ethyl mercury (EtHg), in the form of thimerosal, in pediatric vaccines may play a causative role in such negative effects. Male infant rhesus macaques (n = 79) were assigned at birth to one of six study groups (12–16 subjects/group) as follows: (1) the pediatric vaccination schedule from the 1990s including thimerosal-containing vaccines (TCVs), (2) the same 1990s schedule but accelerated to accommodate the developmental trajectory of the infant rhesus macaque, (3) TCVs only (saline placebo for Mumps–Measles–Rubella [MMR]), (4) MMR only (other injections replaced with saline placebo), (5) the expanded vaccine regimen from 2008 (where fewer vaccines contained thimerosal), or (6) a control group following the 1990s schedule with all vaccines replaced with saline placebo. Subjects began socializing at approximately 25 days of age and were socialized 5 days per week in a 4-monkey peer group. Social behavior data, collected between 15 and 18 months of age using a computer system capturing a variety of social and non-social behaviors, were included in this analysis. Data were analyzed using repeated measure ANOVAs with Dunnett’s test post-hoc procedures following significant experimental group or group × age interactions. No significant differences in non-social or social behavior were found when comparing the animals in the vaccine groups to controls. The data do not provide any evidence of abnormal social behavior in rhesus macaques exposed to low-dose thimerosal and should provide reassurance that TCVs do not contribute to the negative effects associated with ASD. Support from the Johnson Family, the Ted Lindsay Foundation, and SafeMinds is gratefully acknowledged.
Copyright © 2014 Published by Elsevier Inc.
Health Canada says it takes safety 'very seriously' in face of concerns about homeopathic remedy
/Ottawa has approved 8,500 homeopathic products, including remedy made from rabid dog saliva
Bethany Lindsay · CBC News · Posted: Apr 18, 2018 4:00 AM PT | Last Updated: April 18
http://snip.ly/fmamj
More than 8,500 homeopathic treatments are approved by Health Canada. (Josh Reynolds/Associated Press)
The long list of so-called homeopathic nosodes approved by Health Canada include remedies made from the bacteria that causes chlamydia, the cerebral fluid of meningitis patients and cancer cells — to name just a few.
After B.C.'s senior physician questioned the federal approval of one of these remedies, a substance developed from the saliva of a rabid dog, Health Canada will only say that it takes the safety of health products "very seriously."
A Health Canada spokesperson said no one was available Tuesday for an interview about the remedy used by a Victoria naturopath to treat a small boy's behaviour problems, but offered a written statement instead.
"Homeopathic products ... are regulated as natural health products (NHPs) under the Natural Health Products Regulations," the statement reads.
"Health Canada takes the safety of health products on the Canadian market very seriously. Should a product not meet the requirements set out in the associated product monograph and guidance, Health Canada will take action."
The homeopathic remedy, which is marketed as lyssinum, lyssin or hydrophobinum, is one of more than 8,500 homeopathic products regulated by the federal government.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/health-canada-says-it-takes-safety-very-seriously-in-face-of-concerns-about-homeopathic-remedy-1.4623775
Homeopathy, ayurveda doctors hold rally supporting NMC
/New Delhi, Feb 5 (IANS)
Author : Indo Asian News Service
Hundreds of homeopathic and ayurvedic practitioners from across the country on Monday held a rally here in support of the proposed National Medical Commission (NMC) Bill, which they said would benefit poor patients in the rural and remote areas of the country.
Held under the banner of Swabhimaan rally, it was attended by professionals of the Indian System of Medicine (ISM).
"The NMC bill is believed to be a proof of the Central government's policies working for the poor. This will facilitate the patients living in rural and remote areas and they will be benefitted from the Centre's health promotion policy. After the passing of legislation, homeopathic doctors will get the right to write allopathic medicines," said a statement from Indian Homeopathic Association.
The NMC bill has provisions for granting permission to the doctors under Indian systems of medicine, including ayurveda, to be allowed to practice allopathy after clearing a bridge course.
According to the ISM doctors, doctors from homeopathic and ayurvedic streams have struggled a lot to get their demands fulfilled.
"The bridge course for all AYUSH doctors will be able to write allopathic medicines to patients once the NMC comes into existence," said a statement issued by the participants of the rally.
The ISM doctors said that the bill will provide special facilities to the people living in rural and remote areas, where allopathic medicines are not available, where patients have no money to go to allopathic doctors.
At a time when prices of allopathic drugs are on the rise, patients who are unable to bear the expenses can have the option of homeopathic doctors, they said.
"The move can be termed as pro-poor and will help both homeopathic doctors and people in long-term," said the participating doctors.
The NMC Bill, which was tabled in Parliament in December 2017, was protested by the allopathic doctors. The rally was to be addressed by Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda and AYUSH Minister Sripad Yesso Naik, however, none turned up.
As part of the protest, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) had also called for a 12-hour countrywide shutdown of OPD services at all private hospitals in the country.
However, the strike was called off after the government agreed to send the National Medical Commission Bill, 2017 to a select committee.
--IANS
http://www.bcindian.com/desi/newsdetail.asp?id=339513
Influence of adjunctive classical homeopathy on global health status and subjective wellbeing in cancer patients
/A pragmatic randomized controlled trial
Michael Frassemail
, Helmut Friehsemail
, Christiane Thallingeremail
, Narinderjit Kaur Sohalemail
, Christine Marosiemail
, Ilse Muchitschemail
, Katharina Gaertneremail
, Andreas Gleissemail
, Ernst Schusteremail
, Menachem Oberbaumcorrespondenceemailemail
Published Online: March 24, 2015
http://www.complementarytherapiesinmedicine.com/article/S0965-2299%2815%2900037-0/abstract
Summary
Objectives
The use of complementary and alternative medicine has increased over the past decade. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether homeopathy influenced global health status and subjective wellbeing when used as an adjunct to conventional cancer therapy.
Design
In this pragmatic randomized controlled trial, 410 patients, who were treated by standard anti-neoplastic therapy, were randomized to receive or not receive classical homeopathic adjunctive therapy in addition to standard therapy. The study took place at the Medical University Vienna, Department of Medicine I, Clinical Division of Oncology.
Main outcome measures
The main outcome measures were global health status and subjective wellbeing as assessed by the patients. At each of three visits (one baseline, two follow-up visits), patients filled in two different questionnaires.
Results
373 patients yielded at least one of three measurements. The improvement of global health status between visits 1 and 3 was significantly stronger in the homeopathy group by 7.7 (95% CI 2.3–13.0, p = 0.005) when compared with the control group. A significant group difference was also observed with respect to subjective wellbeing by 14.7 (95% CI 8.5–21.0, p < 0.001) in favor of the homeopathic as compared with the control group. Control patients showed a significant improvement only in subjective wellbeing between their first and third visits.
Conclusion
Results suggest that the global health status and subjective wellbeing of cancer patients improve significantly when adjunct classical homeopathic treatment is administered in addition to conventional therapy.
Keywords:
Cancer, Homeopathy, Additive homeopathy, Global health status, Subjective well being
A bridge between homeopathy and molecular biology?
/Gelsemium sempervirens effects in vitro: A bridge between homeopathy and molecular biology?
https://www.hri-research.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/HRI_ResearchArticle_26_Winter_2014.pdf
Debora Olioso, Marta Marzotto, Clara Bonafini, Paolo Bellavite
Department of Pathology and Diagnostics, University of Verona
Introduction
Recent studies conducted in human/animal cells 1-4 have suggested that homeopathic remedies may have an effect on the gene regulation, initiating a cascade of gene actions to correct the disorder or disease at a cellular level. We have focused our attention on the possible
gene modulation effect of Gelsemium sempervirens , a traditional medicinal plant employed in phytotheraphy and homeopathy as a nervous system relaxant to treat various types of anxiety, pain, headache and other ailments. Previous investigations in our laboratory 5 have
shown a significant anxiolytic-like activity of Gelsemium s . high dilutions in mice emotional models. To follow up on the above evidence, we further investigated the Gelsemium s
. mechanism of action in in-vitro neuronal models in order to asses the effects of a wide range of
drug dilutions on whole genome expression 6-7 . For this gene expression study we used sensitive microarray and real-time PCR techniques, able to survey the whole human transcriptome and specific genes of interest respectively. In our case the high-throughput microarray
analysis assisted by bioinformatics could provide a strong clue as to the mechanism of action and the biological relevance of ultra-low doses, whereas the real-time PCR was useful in order to validate the microarray data and to further investigate a narrow group of genes, i.e. a panel
of human neurotransmitter receptors and regulators, involved in neuronal excitatory signaling. To further investigate the possible mechanisms of gene regulation, we also analysed the possible effect of Gelsemium s. on the methylation status of a group of genes involved in mental disorders.
The chief innovation in our experimental design is that it employs a wide range of doses/dilutions: from low dilutions (2c or 3c), where the active substances can still be expected to exert their normal pharmaceutical action, to high dilutions (9c or 30c), where the most controversial
principles of high dilution pharmacology come into play. We think that this type of investigation may be useful to start building a bridge between the more subjective point of view of symptomatology – basis of the homeopathic remedy choice – and a more accurate and objective
one, consisting in the identification of specific molecular markers related with the disease and the prescribed remedy.
Experimental setup Global changes in gene expression produced by exposure to high dilutions of
Gelsemium s . extracts in human neuroblastoma cells were investigated by and real-time
PCR techniques; the methylation analysis was conducted with a PCR Array. Cells were incubated for 24h with the 6 dilutions of Gelsemium s.: 2c, 3c, 4c, 5c, 9c and 30c, produced by
Boiron Laboratoires, according to the French Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia. Four replicate experiments were carried out under identical conditions.
Results
Using microarray analysis, we observed that the diluted drug Gelsemium s . 2c significantly modulates the expression of 56 genes (49 were downregulated and 7 upregulated) involved in neuronal functions (G-protein coupled receptor signalling pathways, calcium
homeostasis, inflammatory response and neuropeptide receptors). The expression of these genes also decreased significantly, although with small changes, after treatment with medium dilution (3c, 4c and 5c) and high dilutions of Gelsemium s 9c and 30c. In the study conducted using the real-time PCR technique (RT-PCR Array) 7 exposure of a human neurocyte cell-line to
Gelsemium s . 2c dilution, containing the active principle gelsemine, induced a down-regulation of most genes of this array. In particular, the treated cells showed a statistically significant down-regulation of the prokineticin receptor 2, whose ligand is a neuropeptide involved in nociception (ability to sense pain), and in depression-like behavior. In the latter study, the 9c dilution was not
active. The difference between the two gene-expression studies 6-7
is probably due to technical factors: while real-time PCR is the “gold standard” for gene expression analysis of specific genes or small groups of genes,
microarray is a powerful screening method for the whole genome and in our conditions exhibited higher sensitivity, detecting extremely low dose effects. In the epigenetic study the Gelsemium s
. 2c treatment induced an increased methylation of the homeobox A1 gene (HOXA1), which has a role in neural development and autism spectrum disorders. The mean methylation frequency after treatment with Gelsemium s . 2c was 53% compared to 28% for the controls (p=0.008).
The increased level of methylation could indicate a reduced gene expression of this autism related gene.
Conclusions
The results of this study, conducted with three different techniques, provided evidence that
Gelsemium s. exerts a prevalently inhibitory effect on a series of genes across a wide dose-range. The results suggest the extreme sensitivity of human gene expression to regulation by
ultra-low doses and high dilutions/dynamizations of a plant remedy and encourage further efforts in research on this field. Studies using sensitive genetic approaches may be particularly suitable for surveing of the effects of highly diluted natural compounds and for the identification of specific molecular markers related with the disease.
Acknowledgements
Experimental work was supported by grants from Boiron Laboratoires to Verona University – Department of Pathology and Diagnostics and from Italian Research Ministry. The authors have no conflicts of interest.
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Jury Clears Homeopathy
/Federal jury clears producer, marketer, and seller of homeopathic products in $255m class … Tucker Ellis
“Bell testified about her scientific studies in multiple chemical sensitivity and homeopathy, including how “nanoparticles” and “nanobubbles” can have an effect in biological cells. Dr. Bell opined, “It is very clear that nanoparticles in low doses are capable of capable of creating hermetic effects…similar to vaccine.” Dr. Bell explained how “hormesis” is a medical principle that describes how small doses of a substance can trigger the opposite effect of high doses of the same substance.”
USA September 18 2015
In a class action of importance to producers, marketers, and sellers of homeopathic products, on Friday, September 18, 2015, a federal jury in the false advertising trial of Allen, et al. v. Hylands, Inc., et al., Case No. 2:12-cv-01150 (“Hylands”) took less than a day to find defendants did not breach any express warranty or violate the California Consumer Legal Remedies Act, California Civil Code sections 1750 et seq.
The putative class plaintiffs sued defendants Hylands, Inc. and Standard Homeopathic Company alleging they made false and misleading representations about the effectiveness of the active ingredients in 12 homeopathic products produced, marketed, and sold by the defendants throughout the United States.
Homeopathic products are derived from botanical, mineral or biological substances and are classified as either over-the-counter (OTC) or prescription medicines. In contrast to conventional (allopathic) medicines, homeopathic remedies are predicated in part on the “principle of dilutions” under which active ingredients are thought to be more clinically useful or effective when they are significantly diluted, typically with purified water or an alcohol solution.
Homeopathic remedies and their packaging are not reviewed by the Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”). Homeopathic remedies, however, are classified as drugs under, and subject to, the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, and thus, must comply with the labeling requirements of the Act. The FDA has stated that it is not aware of any scientific evidence that homeopathic products are effective.
Back in August 2014, a California federal district court judge certified a nationwide class of purchasers of 10 of the products covering February 2008 to the present. The plaintiffs claimed defendants’ 12 homeopathic products, including some intended for infants and children, did not work as advertised because they were so diluted that the ingredients were “effectively non-existent” and the products were therefore not effective for their intended uses. The plaintiffs also alleged the homeopathic products labeling claims of “100% Natural,” “All Natural,” and “Natural” were untrue as the products purportedly contained synthetic chemicals, synthetically derived or chemically reduced elements, artificially produced elements, and/or dangerous or potentially dangerous ingredients.
The trial in Hylands spanned approximately two weeks and included expert testimony from both sides. Plaintiffs’ expert, Dr. Noel Rose, the director of John Hopkins’ Center of Autoimmune Disease Research testified as a medical expert, having reviewed materials provided by the plaintiffs’ counsel, as well as his own research into clinical and compilation studies, expert reports, published journal reports and the Hyland’s products and their labels. Dr. Rose stated, “[In] my opinion, there is no sound scientific or medical evidence that they provide any benefit to patients with medical conditions, such as those described and indicated on the labels, beyond the placebo effect.”
Defendants kicked off their defense by calling Dr. Iris Bell, a former Harvard psychiatry instructor and holder of a doctorate degree from Stanford University in neuro- and biobehavioral sciences who has consulted with Highlands, Inc. to design clinical trials. Bell testified about her scientific studies in multiple chemical sensitivity and homeopathy, including how “nanoparticles” and “nanobubbles” can have an effect in biological cells. Dr. Bell opined, “It is very clear that nanoparticles in low doses are capable of capable of creating hermetic effects…similar to vaccine.” Dr. Bell explained how “hormesis” is a medical principle that describes how small doses of a substance can trigger the opposite effect of high doses of the same substance.
Although the plaintiffs initially sought full refunds worth $350 million, plaintiffs’ counsel wrapped up closing arguments with a demand of $255 million for allegedly tricking consumers into purchasing “simple sugar pills” that provide no medical benefit. The jury of six women and three men did not agree, and needed less than a day to deliberate.
Tucker Ellis – Ronie M. Schmelz, Matthew I. Kaplan and Ndubisi Ezeolu
http://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=7d9b009a-e041-422c-b9cc-bb0437958523
