Actress Susan Hampshire says….. homeopathy works
If someone tells you that homeopathy doesn’t work – give them the facts
“Homeopathy is only used by a minority of people”
fact: Homeopathy has never been more popular and millions use it worldwide. 15% of the British population have said they use it and rely on its health benefits.
“It is just placebo”
fact: Homeopathy has been used successfully on babies, young children and animals. In these cases the patients have no idea what medication they are taking, so the placebo argument does not hold.
“There is no evidence”
fact: There is scientific evidence supporting homeopathy as an effective medical therapy. Of 163 randomised controlled trials (RCTs) in homeopathy more have been positive (67) than negative (11). RCTs are seen as the “Gold” standard for proof of medical efficacy.
“Homeopathy is dangerous”
fact: This couldn’t be further from the truth. When used appropriately homeopathy is extremely safe as it produces no dangerous side-effects and can be used in conjunction with conventional medicines. In comparison the European Commission estimated in 2008 that adverse reactions to conventional drugs kill 197,000 EU citizens each year.
“Conventional medicine is more effective than homeopathy”
fact: A clinical evidence survey carried out by the British Medical Journal found that out of 3,000 medical treatments provided on the NHS, 50% were classified as having “unknown effectiveness”.
“Homeopathic medicines can’t work because they are so highly diluted”
fact: “High dilutions of something are not nothing. They are water structures which mimic the original molecules. It’s not pseudoscience. It’s not quackery. These are real phenomena which deserve further study.” Professor Luc Montagnier, French virologist and Nobel Laureate, speaking in 2010
“Homeopathy does not work”
fact: In a study conducted at the NHS Bristol Homeopathic Hospital 70.7% of 6,544 follow-up patients, treated for a wide range of chronic medical complaints, reported positive health changes.
“Homeopathy is expensive and a drain on NHS finances”
fact: The total amount spent on homeopathy in the NHS is approximately £4 million per year, representing just 0.0004% of the total NHS budget. In contrast the NHS spends £230 million annually on SSRIs (anti-depressants) which have been shown to be effective for only a small minority of patients.