Edzard Ernst

Switzerland’s Evaluation of Homeopathy: The End of an Endless Loop

Edzard — Fri, 01 May 2026 07:53:13 +0000

Guest post by Udo Endruscheit Two years ago, in a guest post on this blog, I described the long and winding history of homeopathy in Switzerland — a story marked by political expectations, institutional entanglements, and repeated attempts to reconcile a lack of evidence with a desire for legitimacy. I ended that article with the […]

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What’s the science behind acupuncture? – About the recent and most disappointing PANS paper

Edzard — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 06:55:37 +0000

When a top journal like PNAS (Procedings of the Nationsl Academy of Science) publishes an article entitled “What’s the science behind acupuncture?“, I must take notice. Here is my take on the (sadly disappointing) effort: My very short summary of the paper (I do encourange my readers to read it in full) The article starts […]

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UK doctor permanently struck off the medical register for using dangerous quackery

Edzard — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 08:32:18 +0000

I am quite fond of garlic, but not as a cancer therapy. Dr. Mohsen Ali, a former doctor whose UK medical license was revoked by the General Medical Council (GMC) in January 2015, has been permanently struck off the medical register following a Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) investigation into his running of an illegal clinic. […]

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Trump just fired all sitting members of the National Science Board

Edzard — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 07:34:41 +0000

Trump’s anti-science stance is well-known. What we did not know is how far he might venture in this direction. On Friday, April 24, 2026, the Trump administration took the unprecedented step of firing all sitting members of the National Science Board (NSB). This body acts as the governing board for the National Science Foundation (NSF) […]

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Integrating anthroposophical medicine (or other SCAM) into healthcare?

Edzard — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 08:08:39 +0000

The defence of anthroposophical medicine – or of any other unproven modality – as articulated, for example, by figures like Weleda CEO Tina Müller, presents a vision of patient-centred care and economic pragmatism. However, when held against the light of current clinical standards and the principles of evidence-based medicine (EBM), it reveals significant cracks. The […]

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Homeopathy for tonsillitis?

Edzard — Sun, 26 Apr 2026 08:16:13 +0000

Tonsillitis is a common condition predominantly affecting children and adolescents, presenting as acute, recurrent, or chronic infection. This review evaluated the effectiveness of homeopathy for clinical improvement and recurrence prevention across all tonsillitis presentations. A team of scientists searched nine databases and four trial registries for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and non-randomised controlled trials (nRCTs) […]

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Treatment of Hemorrhoids with Individualized Homeopathy

Edzard — Sat, 25 Apr 2026 07:33:32 +0000

This three-month, double-blind, randomized (1:1), placebo-controlled trial evaluated whether individualized homeopathic medicinal products (IHMPs) are superior to placebo in reducing anorectal symptom severity and improving quality of life over 3 months in adults with hemorrhoids, and to assess their safety and tolerability. A total of 134 adults with grade I–III hemorrhoids received either: IHMPs (verum; n […]

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Reiki for cancer? No!

Edzard — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 08:28:02 +0000

This review was aimed at analyzing the scientific evidence on Reiki intervention as a nursing care strategy for people with cancer. For this purpose, the researchers searched six databases, including primary studies, in Portuguese, Spanish and/or English, about the evidence on the use of Reiki intervention as a care strategy for cancer patients, totaling five publications. […]

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Austrian doctor diagnosed a tumor by dowsing and is now in court

Edzard — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 07:55:47 +0000

The case of the 14-year-old girl who died of cancer is now occupying the Klagenfurt Regional Court for the second time. The girl’s parent elected to trust miracle healers and esoteric practitioners. Ultimately, the 14-year-old arrived at the hospital far too late—the cancer was already so advanced that the girl died less than two days […]

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“Homeopathy and Homeopathic Products: Evaluation of Evidence on Their Efficacy and Safety” by the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Medical Products

Edzard — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 08:33:25 +0000

The Spanish Agency for Medicines and Medical Products (AEMPS) has just published a comprehensive technical report entitled “Homeopathy and Homeopathic Products: Evaluation of Evidence on Their Efficacy and Safety”, which categorically concludes that there is no scientific evidence supporting the efficacy of homeopathy as a therapeutic tool. After a systematic review of scientific literature and […]

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