| You may have heard of "homeopathy" but you are | | | | clinical trials done over the years to test the efficacy |
| not sure what it is. Simply put, it is a system of | | | | of homeopathic products. Liddell Laboratories makes |
| medicine that treats a condition with highly diluted | | | | a product called Vital HGH. Vital HGH is designed to |
| natural substances that mimic the symptoms of the | | | | treat the symptoms of aging and/or a rundown |
| condition being treated. This concept seems | | | | condition. |
| paradoxical to most. | | | | In a small clinical trial performed years ago, a group of |
| Homeopathy is a difficult concept to grasp. How do | | | | test subjects who were deficient in human growth |
| you cure someone of an illness by giving them a tiny | | | | hormone, ranging in age from 45 years and up, were |
| concentration of something that can actually cause | | | | given the Vital HGH formulation. The results speak |
| the disease? One would think that this would simply | | | | for themselves. During the five month clinical trial, the |
| make the person even more sick. | | | | levels of HGH in the blood increased in every test |
| But, according to proponents of the science, | | | | subject, and more than doubled the average level of |
| homeopathy not only works, but is much more | | | | HGH. |
| effective than conventional medicine. They claim that | | | | Homeopathy does work. I speak from personal |
| conventional medicine only suppresses the immune | | | | experience. I used such a remedy to deal with the |
| system and prolongs the illness. | | | | allergy attacks I was having, and the medicine not |
| There are actually quite a few homeopathic products | | | | only stopped the attacks faster than the Claritin I |
| in your local pharmacy. The FDA requires that | | | | had been taking previously, but it also prevented |
| homeopathic products indicate what kind of product | | | | subsequent allergy attacks. |
| it is somewhere on the packaging. The easiest way | | | | So, why is there a controversy? Well, there is a |
| to tell what kind of product you are buying is by | | | | public perception that homeopathy is the same thing |
| examining the list of ingredients on the back or the | | | | as holistic healing or faith-based medicine. This is |
| on the side of the packaging. | | | | simply not accurate. |
| With homeopathy, all of the ingredients are diluted, | | | | Homepathy and natural medicine in general make big |
| so each ingredient in such a product has the letter | | | | drug manufacturers worry that such products might |
| "X" after it. So, if one of the ingredients is "Zinc 20X", | | | | be more effective for treating common illnesses as |
| that means the product contains Zinc that has been | | | | opposed to the more expensive prescription versions |
| diluted 20 times. One of the most popular cold | | | | that make the pharmaceutical companies rich. Most |
| medicines on the market, "Zicam," is actually a | | | | natural products are incredibly cheap. A prescribed |
| homeopathic remedy that consists of diluted zinc in | | | | conventional medicine costs a lot more. |
| the form of a nasal gel. | | | | If the public began demanding natural remedies to |
| There are homeopathic remedies available for almost | | | | treat their ailments, drug companies would have to |
| every condition. Cold, flu, allergy, even bedwetting; | | | | make these kinds of products to stay in business, |
| there is a homeopathic remedy available for almost | | | | and then their profits would shrink. Imagine if Pfizer |
| every condition. | | | | had to stop manufacturing Viagra, which they sell at |
| Homeopathy is universally recognized as being safe, | | | | $20-$30 per pill, and instead make a homeopathic |
| as the ingredients used are natural substances diluted | | | | product that would retail for only $20 for a one |
| many times over. Because there is such a small | | | | month supply. |
| concentration of the ingredients, many opponents of | | | | This is why drug companies often spend significant |
| the science, including the drug companies that make | | | | amounts of money to debunk claims that |
| conventional medicines and are afraid of the growing | | | | homeopathy works, using a wide variety of |
| popularity of natural medicine, claim that any relief an | | | | misinformation tactics to instill a belief in the public |
| ill person receives after using a natural product is the | | | | that natural medicine is is not effective for treating |
| result of the placebo effect. | | | | common ailments. |
| Since the FDA does not require most natural | | | | I am not saying that you should discontinue the use |
| products to undergo clinical testing before being sold | | | | of conventional medicines. But, next time you go to |
| to the public, the detractors feel that it does not | | | | the pharmacy, take a look at some of the natural |
| actually work. So, who is telling the truth? Does | | | | brands on the shelf and give them a try. For |
| homeopathy really work or is it a bunch of | | | | common ailments that are not life threatening, a |
| nonsense? | | | | homeopathic product is probably a cheaper and more |
| In my opinion, it works. There have been several | | | | effective alternative. |