Edzard Ernst

The Resurgence of Raw Milk: Politics, Ignorance, and Public Health

Edzard — Fri, 15 May 2026 07:35:06 +0000

I remember it well: when I was a kid, I went every day in the evening to a nearby farm to fetch a litre of luke warm raw milk. I was lucky; I never caught tuberculosis or any other infection that is transmitted in this way. Today, raw milk has become the centrepiece of a […]

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I just published another book – it’s about my mother

Edzard — Thu, 14 May 2026 06:20:06 +0000

I just published another book. It is almost entirely unrelated to medicine; it’s about my mother, her past, and her relationship to (and at times entanglement with) Nazi ideologies. For a long time, I avoided this undertaking – perhaps because it compels me to link personal memories with historical abysses, or perhaps because it raises […]

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The US “Health Freedom Movement” (HFM)

Edzard — Wed, 13 May 2026 05:58:04 +0000

The US “Health Freedom Movement” (HFM) is a coalition of activists, alternative practitioners, supplement and device manufacturers, and libertarian or populist politicians who oppose strong government regulation of healthcare. They claim to defend the individual’s right to choose any treatment or product they consider beneficial, especially so-called alternative medicine (SCAM). Its roots lie in resistance […]

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Chemtrails, stupidity and the ‘far-right’

Edzard — Tue, 12 May 2026 11:21:22 +0000

In a world where logic is fast becoming optional, chemtrails are all the rage. A good example is Andrea Whitehead (AW). She was a Reform UK candidate for the 2024 United Kingdom General Election. Apparently, she is convinced that airplane vapor trails might actually be sinister chemicals sprayed as part of a Bill Gates-led global […]

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Homeopathy for the Treatment of Insomnia: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Edzard — Mon, 11 May 2026 07:50:16 +0000

Insomnia is a prevalent disorder that is associated with substantial impairment. Homeopathy has been proposed as a complementary treatment for insomnia, but its clinical effects remain uncertain. This systematic review assessed the efficacy, effectiveness, and safety of homeopathic treatments for insomnia. Prospective comparative studies evaluating any homeopathic preparation for insomnia were included. Searches in MEDLINE, […]

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10 May 1933: Where they burn books, they will ultimately burn people

Edzard — Sun, 10 May 2026 13:08:38 +0000

Exactly ninety-three years ago, on May 10, 1933, Nazi Germany staged one of its earliest and most symbolic assaults on intellectual freedom. Presented as a spontaneous outburst of student zeal, the book burnings were in fact a carefully orchestrated campaign to “purify” German culture and bring it into line with National Socialist ideology. The initiative […]

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Intracranial Hypotension Following Spinal Manipulation

Edzard — Sun, 10 May 2026 08:36:08 +0000

Spinal manipulative therapies, including chiropractic and osteopathic maneuvers, are widely practiced for musculoskeletal complaints. However, serious complications such as cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak with subsequent intracranial hypotension (IH) have been described. The pathophysiological mechanism is presumed to involve mechanical stress on the spinal dura during high-velocity movements, leading to dural tears, particularly in the cervicothoracic […]

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UK Local Elections: Holocaust Denier as Reform Councillor

Edzard — Sat, 09 May 2026 08:14:24 +0000

On the same day as we celebrated the defeat of the Nazis 81 years ago, a Holocaust denier has been elected to public office. In the Sefton Council UK local elections held this week, Jay Leslie Cooper, a Reform UK candidate for Bootle West ward, secured a seat with 705 votes. This outcome is remarkable […]

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“Homeopathy is state-funded in most parts of the world” – TRUE OR FALSE?

Edzard — Fri, 08 May 2026 07:57:09 +0000

Following my post about the decline in homeopathy-use in Europe, several people dismissed it by saying something like this: Who cares about Europe? Across the globe, homeopathy is state-funded in a majority of countries!!! This is NOT correct. A correct description of the situation would be that homeopathy is currently state-funded or reimbursed in a […]

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The Future of State-Funded Homeopathy in Europe

Edzard — Thu, 07 May 2026 07:23:21 +0000

For decades, European health systems have maintained an uneasy coexistence between evidence-based medicine and a range of so-called alternative medicines (SCAMs). Among the most prominent has been homeopathy. That evidence free ride seems now coming to an end. Driven to some degree by budget pressure and by a much larger extend by a stronger emphasis […]

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