Science, Art, Litt, Science based Art & Science Communication

Why are alternative medicines pseudo-science?

Q: How can you prove that alternative medicines are basically pseudo-science?

Krishna: Pseudo-science is a body of knowledge held out to be scientific but it does not comply with the genuine scientific method. It merely uses some scientific words to cheat people.

Simply test them using strict scientific methods and if science doesn’t confirm them to be genuine, they are marked as pseudo-things.

Several Researchers have tested alternative medicines like Homeopathy using scientific methods. What results did they get?

Homeopathy ineffective, study confirms

1,800 Studies Later, Scientists Conclude Homeopathy Doesn’t Work

Another Review Finds Homeopathy Worthless

Homeopathy officially doesn't work, according to Russia's top scien...

https://sciencebasedmedicine.org...

This is what a liver transplant surgeon told me recently...

And some ayurvedic medicines have found to be ineffective and harmful too …

Herb-Induced Liver Injury in the Berlin Case-Control Surveillance S...

A rare case of acute hepatitis induced by use of Babchi seeds as an...

Luffa echinata: healer plant or potential killer.

Review article: herbal and dietary supplement hepatotoxicity.

Herbal hepatotoxicity: a tabular compilation of reported cases.

Acute renal failure secondary to ingestion of alternative medicatio...

Acute renal failure secondary to ingestion of ayurvedic medicine co...

Lead, Mercury, and Arsenic in US- and Indian-Manufactured Ayurvedic...

This is what a liver transplant surgeon told me recently...

Ayurveda is not exactly pseudo-science but ancient science. You have to validate its claims. But some ayurvedic practitioners are refusing to submit their medicines for testing saying that there is no need to do that which is highly irresponsible way to avoid authentication. This is making scientists to doubt their claims.

So based on these results, some alternative treatments have been marked a s pseudo-science by scientists.

Some of the alternative medical practices that have been marked as pseudo-science:

Acupuncture, dry-needling, acupressure, alternative cancer treatments like using cow’s urine, aromatherapy, bio-rhythms, brain gym, chiro-practice, chromotherapy, colon cleansing, body detoxification, crystal healing, faith healing, diet therapies, naturopathy, oil pulling, reiki, reflexology, therapeutic touch, urine therapy, … and the list goes on.

But people still go for them despite scientists’ warning and get cheated.

Q: What are the advantages of homeopathy over Ayurvedic medicine?

Krishna: NONE. Homeopathy doesn’t work as it is based on pseudo-science. Here is my evidence:

Homeopathy ineffective, study confirms

1,800 Studies Later, Scientists Conclude Homeopathy Doesn’t Work

Another Review Finds Homeopathy Worthless

Homeopathy officially doesn't work, according to Russia's top scien...

https://sciencebasedmedicine.org...

This is what a liver transplant surgeon told me recently...

Q: Why is modern science backward as compared to Ayurveda?

Krishna: What?! What is the evidence for this assumption? In fact Ayurveda is ancient science that still needs validity. How can you even compare it with modern science?

When some of the Ayurvedic medicines were tested recently using modern techniques, they were found to be harmful to humans. Here is my evidence:

Herb-Induced Liver Injury in the Berlin Case-Control Surveillance S...

A rare case of acute hepatitis induced by use of Babchi seeds as an...

Luffa echinata: healer plant or potential killer.

Review article: herbal and dietary supplement hepatotoxicity.

Herbal hepatotoxicity: a tabular compilation of reported cases.

Acute renal failure secondary to ingestion of alternative medicatio...

Acute renal failure secondary to ingestion of ayurvedic medicine co...

Lead, Mercury, and Arsenic in US- and Indian-Manufactured Ayurvedic...

This is what a liver transplant surgeon told me recently...

Q: What is science on homeopathic medicine or aurvedic medicine, it is pseudoscience, and is also known as superstition, because it is not scientifically proven by science, I am taking these medicines given by my parents for anxiety or PCOS? 17 years

Krishna: The science of homeopathic medicine says it is pseudo-science and doesn’t work. Don’t waste your time and money on that. Homeopathy can have placebo effect. That’s all.

Pseudo-science and superstition are different things.

Pseudo-science is a body of knowledge held out to be scientific but it does not comply with the genuine scientific method. It merely uses some scientific words to cheat people.

The important difference between science and pseudo-science is a difference in approach. While pseudo-science is only set up to look for evidence that supports its claims, science also accepts challenges and look for evidence that might prove it false.
If a scientific depiction of the world is wrong, the scientific outlook allows us to accept this and seek a different picture. The scientific position is aimed at locating and removing the false claims - something that doesn't happen in pseudo-sciences. Instead of starting with the facts and reaching a conclusion, the pseudo-science promoters first take a conclusion and try to cherry pick facts to support it. Of course, sometimes there will be no facts, so they have to 'invent' them (1,2). If you want to know more about it, please click on the links given below.

Image source: google images

Superstition: a widely held but irrational belief in supernatural influences.

However, ayurveda is ‘ancient’ or ‘primitive’ science. Most of the medicines are not tested scientifically in the modern sense. So we don’t know what effects they cause when you use them. Some of them have been proved to be toxic when taken. There is solid evidence in this regard (3,4,5,6,7).

Most of the medicinal effects of ayurveda are not proven but toxicity of some of these medicines has been proven.

Please show this evidence to your parents. And read this article by clicking on the link:

This is what a liver transplant surgeon told me recently...

After reading this and seeing the evidence, if you and your parents still want to continue using these medicines, it is up to you. Educating people is our responsibility. If they don’t listen and prefer to suffer, it is their headache!

Finally a joke a doctor told me:

Patient: ‘All these tablets are strong and have side effects. Natural and Ayurvedic medicines are so safe’.

Doc: It is mandatory to print all the side effects of modern medicines in the leaflet inside every box of medicine, so that you can read the fine print and question the doctor. Alternative medicines assume that you are illiterate.

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