Edzard Ernst

Alternatives to Smoking: What Users Ought to Know About Vaping and Nicotine Pouches

Edzard — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 06:47:57 +0000

Smoking kills! Since most people now know about this fact, they have been looking for alternatives that are safe. Here I will discuss two of them: vaping and nicotine pouches. VAPING Vaping devices are electronic nicotine delivery systems that heat liquid into an inhalable aerosol. They have surged in popularity. Despite marketing claims to the […]

The post Alternatives to Smoking: What Users Ought to Know About Vaping and Nicotine Pouches first appeared on Edzard Ernst.

Ebola is back – and so are the quacks offering help

Edzard — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 05:57:15 +0000

During outbreaks of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), public health organizations like the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) combat “infodemics”, i.e. surges of false information and unproven so-called alternative medicine (SCAM) polluting social media (Bedrosian et al., 2016; Fung et al., 2016; Obol & Nzedibe, 2024). Because these […]

The post Ebola is back – and so are the quacks offering help first appeared on Edzard Ernst.

Antidotes in Homeopathy: Classical Doctrine, Clinical Relevance and Scientific Reinterpretation

Edzard — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 07:15:55 +0000

I found an interesting article in the hilarity-prone journal ‘HOMEOPATHY’. I hope it might amuse you: The concept of antidotes in homeopathy holds a central place in classical doctrine and daily clinical practice, yet remains l argely unexplored in scientific literature. Antidotes are traditionally defined as substances, remedies, environmental factors or physiological and emotional influences […]

The post Antidotes in Homeopathy: Classical Doctrine, Clinical Relevance and Scientific Reinterpretation first appeared on Edzard Ernst.

The stupidity of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. runs deeper than I feared

Edzard — Tue, 02 Jun 2026 07:02:29 +0000

For some time, I had suspected that the stupidity of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. runs deep. Just how deep, is a surprise even to me. Let me give you just two examples from a choice of plenty: EXAMPLE No 1 In January 2026, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. released far-reaching new Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2025–2030. […]

The post The stupidity of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. runs deeper than I feared first appeared on Edzard Ernst.

QUACKADEMIA IN FRANCE

Edzard — Mon, 01 Jun 2026 07:27:10 +0000

Quackademia, a term created [as far as I remember] by David Colquhoun for the infiltration of quackery into academia, has often been discussed on this blog, e.g.: Quackademia in Canada: the first bachelor’s degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine Quackademia galore: An Oxford ‘university’ starts a course in ‘veterinary chiropractic’ Quackademia at its most rampant: the […]

The post QUACKADEMIA IN FRANCE first appeared on Edzard Ernst.

DOCTOR STRUCK OFF FOR FAKE MASK AND VACCINE CERTIFICATES.

Edzard — Sun, 31 May 2026 07:35:32 +0000

Guest post by Ken McLeod It seems like it was a century ago, but it’s been only six years since the COVID19 pandemic hit the world. Governments reacted in similar ways implementing severe public health measures such as lockdowns and mandatory wearing of facemasks. When those public health measures hit, they hit hard. The city […]

The post DOCTOR STRUCK OFF FOR FAKE MASK AND VACCINE CERTIFICATES. first appeared on Edzard Ernst.

Calcium, vitamin D, or combined supplementation to prevent fractures and falls? No!

Edzard — Sat, 30 May 2026 06:57:44 +0000

The effect of calcium, vitamin D, or combined supplementation on fractures and falls in adults were assessed in this systematic review and meta-analysis. Randomised clinical trials were eligible, if they compared calcium, vitamin D, or combined supplementation with placebo or no treatment in adults (≥18 years) not receiving drug treatment for osteoporosis. The primary outcome […]

The post Calcium, vitamin D, or combined supplementation to prevent fractures and falls? No! first appeared on Edzard Ernst.

Clinical trials from China cannot be trusted – an update

Edzard — Fri, 29 May 2026 06:45:27 +0000

Ten years ago, I wrote a blog post entitled “Data fabrication in China is an ‘open secret’”. Even though this seems chauvinistic and/or xenophobic, I often quote it (the last time yesterday) because it is, I think, hugely important for interpreting the plethora of studies that currently come out of China. But perhaps it is […]

The post Clinical trials from China cannot be trusted – an update first appeared on Edzard Ernst.

Electroacupuncture for Postherpetic Neuralgia? I have my doubts!

Edzard — Thu, 28 May 2026 07:46:37 +0000

Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) is a refractory neuropathic pain condition with limited therapeutic options. Although electroacupuncture has demonstrated potential analgesic effects, high-quality evidence from rigorous randomized clinical trials remains limited. This multicenter, randomized, sham-controlled clinical trial determined whether electroacupuncture reduces pain severity compared with sham electroacupuncture and evaluated its safety in patients with PHN. It took […]

The post Electroacupuncture for Postherpetic Neuralgia? I have my doubts! first appeared on Edzard Ernst.

“HOMEOPATHY AND I” – an update

Edzard — Wed, 27 May 2026 08:06:13 +0000

Homoeopathy and I is the title of a paper that I published in 2009. My aim was to denounce the popular notion that held I had started my research with a grudge against homeopathy. The honest truth is that – if anything – my attitude was even slightly positive. Here is the key section from […]

The post “HOMEOPATHY AND I” – an update first appeared on Edzard Ernst.