Homeopathic remedies have been used for roughly 200 years as an alternative method to curing ailments – but that doesn’t mean they work.

In recent years, scientists have conducted numerous analyses to determine the effectiveness of homeopathics, all revealing major flaws within the fundamental principles.

Homeopathic remedies are no more effective than placebos, a video from the American Chemical Society explains, and are not only a waste of money, but could be putting your health at risk.

Homeopathic remedies have been used for roughly 200 years as an alternative method to curing ailments – but that doesn’t mean they actually work. In recent years, scientists have conducted numerous analyses to determine the effectiveness of homeopathics, all revealing major flaws within the fundamental principles

This type of alternative medicine represents a distinct category; not all natural or herbal remedies are considered homeopathic.

The term was first coined in 1807 by a German doctor named Samuel Hahnemann, the Reactions video explains, and focuses on three principles: like cures like (the most famous), dilution, and ‘water remembers.’

Hahnemann believed that medicine in his time was doing more harm than good, so he began to conduct experiments on volunteers and himself.

One such experiment included eating the bark of a cinchona tree, which was then used as a treatment for malaria.

Scientists have since found that this bark contains quinine, an antimalarial drug.

After eating some of the bark, Hahnemann experienced symptoms which he likened to those of malaria, spawning the first principle ‘like cures like.’

The doctor thought that if a substance in large doses causes certain symptoms, it can be used in small doses to cure them.

After eating some of the bark, Hahnemann experienced symptoms which he likened to those of malaria, spawning the first principle ‘like cures like.’ The doctor thought that if a substance in large doses causes certain symptoms, it can be used in small doses to cure them

THE FLAWED SCIENCE OF HOMEOPATHIC MEDICINE Homeopathy was built around three principles: 'like cures like,' dilution, and 'water remembers.' The practice was spawned about 200 years ago, and modern reviews of homeopathy studies have concluded that it is only as effective as a sugar pill – a placebo. The first principle, like cures like, suggests that if a particular substance in large doses causes certain symptoms, it can be used in small doses to cure them. This goes hand in hand with the second principle, in which the active ingredient is diluted to extreme amounts, based on a scale that increases by factors of 100. But, recent studies have shown that ‘statistically, beyond a 13C dilution, you have zero chance of finding a single molecule of the active ingredient in your vial,’ the video explains. The third principle of homeopathy claims that ‘water remembers,’ which goes to say that the water can ‘remember’ what has been dissolved in it, passing it along to the patient. There has been no repeatable evidence of this found to date, though. The video cites a review from the US National Institute of Health which said that the key concepts of homeopathy are ‘inconsistent with fundamental concepts of chemistry and physics.’ Advertisement

So, the remedy uses just a tiny amount of the active ingredient.

To explain why homeopathic remedies are problematic, the video points to the example of coffea cruda, an extremely diluted form of unroasted coffee beans used to treat sleeplessness.

This can be made by putting one drop of the coffee bean extract in a vial containing nine drops of water, and then taking a drop from that vial and putting it in another containing nine drops of water.

The process is then repeated sixty times.

The video points to the example of coffea cruda. This can be made by putting one drop of the coffee bean extract in a vial containing nine drops of water, and then taking a drop from that vial and putting it in another containing nine drops of water. The process is then repeated sixty times

Based on Hahnemann’s work, homeopathic remedies use a dilution scale that increases by factors of 100, which is denoted with a ‘C.’ But as the video explains, ‘statistically, beyond a 13C dilution, you have zero chance of finding a single molecule of the active ingredient in your vial’

Based on Hahnemann’s work, homeopathic remedies use a dilution scale that increases by factors of 100, which is denoted with a ‘C.’

But as the video explains, ‘statistically, beyond a 13C dilution, you have zero chance of finding a single molecule of the active ingredient in your vial.’

That means that by the 60th vial, there isn’t any coffee extract left in the solution at all.

The third principle of homeopathy claims that ‘water remembers,’ which goes to say that the water can ‘remember’ what has been dissolved in it, passing it along to the patient.

But, no repeatable evidence of this has been found to date.

According to the video, all of the foundational principles of the practice are ‘bunk,’ citing a review from the US National Institute of Health which said that the key concepts of homeopathy are ‘inconsistent with fundamental concepts of chemistry and physics.’

This type of alternative medicine is not evaluated by the FDA.

And, a 2015 report from the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council looked at the results of roughly 200 studies on the effectiveness of homeopathy.

Through this, they determined that these are no better than a sugar pill, and are not proven effective for any health condition.

This means that some patients could be skipping necessary care and putting their lives at risk.

The video points to the example of a homeopathic asthma inhaler; an untreated asthma attack can be fatal, and a patient turning to this type of remedy is essentially using a placebo.