STORY AT-A-GLANCE
The principles of homeopathy were originally developed by Dr. Samuel Hahnemann (1755-1843), a German physician to the Royal family, and are based in the law of similars, also known as “like cures like”
In 1900, homeopathy was a leading therapy in the U.S., with 22 homeopathic medical schools. This began changing when, in 1901, the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research was established, and in 1910 when the Carnegie Foundation in secret collaboration with the AMA published the “Flexner Report”, with the aim of replacing homeopathy and herbs with chemical drugs
The more a medicine undergoes a specific pharmacological process of “potentization,” that is, serial dilution with vigorous shaking, the more effective and long-lasting it is, as nanodoses are able to penetrate the blood-brain barrier and cellular membranes with greater ease
There are more than 300 double-blind and placebo-controlled trials published in peer-reviewed medical journals, including The Lancet, The British Medical Journal, Pediatrics, Rheumatology, the journal Cancer and many others
According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, some homeopathic remedies contain no active ingredient, yet it still claims homeopathic remedies can be dangerous
Homeopathy has been a form of medicine for hundreds of years. Dana Ullman, whose father was a medical doctor, a pediatrician and allergist, has dedicated a significant portion of his professional life to the practice of homeopathy. Ullman was introduced to this medical art as a junior at University of California (UC) Berkeley, in 1973.
Definition of Homeopathy
The principles of homeopathy were originally developed by Dr. Samuel Hahnemann (1755-1843), a German physician to the Royal family, and are based in the law of similars, also known as "like cures like."
Homeopathy Was a Leading Medical Treatment Until 1901
In 1900, homeopathy was the leading alternative therapy in the U.S., with 22 homeopathic medical schools, including Boston University, University of Michigan, Ohio State, University of Minnesota, University of Iowa and New York Medical College, which at the time was called New York Homeopathic Medical College.
All of this changed when, in 1901, the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research was established, and in 1910 when the Carnegie Foundation (in secret collaboration with the A.M.A.) published the “Flexner Report,” with the aim of replacing homeopathy and other natural medicines, such as herbs, with chemical drugs.
Ullman also delves into some of this backstory in this interview so, for more, listen to the audio or read through the transcript. Here's just one sordid tidbit:
Homeopathy Basics
Homeopathic remedies are essentially nanomedicines. A 2012 study published in the journal Langmuir, published by the American Chemical Society (ACS), tested six homeopathic medicines — gold, silver, copper, tin, zinc and platinum — at three different dilutions:
1 to 100, six times
1 to 100, 30 times
1 to 100, 200 times
There's a principle in chemistry that says if you dilute something 1 to 100, 12 times, none of the original molecules will remain. This is a mathematical estimation, which turns out to be untrue. Ullman explains:
Less Is More
In other words, the more diluted the medicine is, the more effective it becomes. While this may sound incredibly paradoxical to the modern mind, there's a good explanation for it. One is the simple fact that these nano-doses are able to penetrate the blood-brain barrier, entering into deeper recesses of the brain.
These nanoparticles can also enter cellular membranes with greater ease without triggering a defense mechanism. A more concentrated dose can set off a proverbial alarm in the cell, causing the membrane to lock itself down to prevent the foreign substance or toxin from entering.
Another major benefit is the fact that there are no side effects. Were you to select the wrong remedy, nothing happens. There's no reaction — no benefit, but also no adverse effect.
Is There Scientific Evidence That Homeopathy Works?
The media will typically tell you there’s no evidence that homeopathy works. In reality, there are more than 300 double-blind and placebo-controlled trials published in peer-reviewed medical journals, including The Lancet, The British Medical Journal (BMJ), the journal of Pediatrics; the Chest (the journal of the American College of Chest Physicians); Cancer (the journal of the American Cancer Society); Rheumatology (the journal of the British Society for Rheumatology); Pediatric Infectious Diseases Journal, and many more.
The AMA has also gone to great lengths to keep homeopathy suppressed, and if it weren't for the AMA, there'd be a whole lot more scientific research backing homeopathy. Here's just one of the stories Ullman recounts in this interview:
The Irrational Stance of FDA
When it comes to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), its stance on homeopathy is irrational to say the least, because on the one hand, it claims there's no active ingredient in some homeopathic medicines, in other words, it's essentially a placebo, yet on the other hand it claims homeopathic remedies are dangerous.
As explained by Ullman, the FDA was created in the early 1900s, but the agency really wasn't empowered until 1938, during Franklin D. Roosevelt's reign, when New York senator Dr. Royal Copeland wrote the Federal Food, Drugs and Cosmetics (FD&C) Act of 1938, which charged the FDA with the regulation of drugs. Ullman offers the following bit of historical background:
Homeopathy Versus Drugs
Again, it's worth remembering that the FDA must approve all pharmaceutical drugs, and the average American is often taking of several simultaneously — many of which have flimsy justification for their use at best. Drugs, as a general rule, never treat underlying causes. They treat symptoms by suppressing them.
The insanity of this model is evidenced by the fact that drugs, when properly taken as perscribed, kill an estimated 106,000 Americans each year. Yet, in the name of "protecting public health," the FDA claims homeopathic remedies may need to be reined in because they might be dangerous, but also claim that some have no active ingredients. Some preparations do contain active ingredients in concentrations sufficient to have physiological effects. As noted by Ullman:
Analysis by Dr. Joseph Mercola
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