Some contest it, accusing it of being devoid of any scientific basis. Others aim to demonstrate its effectiveness by starting from irrefutable results. We try to shed light on the efficacy of homeopathy and look with transparency at the two sides of the same coin which is the cure devised by Professor Samuel Hahnemann . 

The debate on the effectiveness of homeopathy 

Why is the effectiveness of homeopathy a debate that raises discordant words and thoughts behind it? Homeopathy uses preparations that have an individualized composition , designed for the individual, with the history of his personal health: each prescription is different in terms of timing, methods and dilutions. This factor already precludes the indispensable tools for producing large-scale evidence about the efficacy of homeopathy.

Not only that: homeopathy is placed on the same level as so-called “unconventional” medicines, an area in which chiropractic, traditional Chinese medicine, Ayurvedic, and even naturopathy are included. The prescientific character of these systems makes them, in the eyes of many doctors devoted to official medicine, invalid, since they are developed with intuitive or inductive procedures, far from the logic of modern science. 

Scientific evidence of the effectiveness of homeopathy exists. For example, it is enough to consult a database such as PubMed  to find valid ones. This database contains research carried out in countries where homeopathy is not hindered by institutions, such as the United States, India, Brazil, Great Britain. In other areas of the world, homeopathy does not find institutional support, because this would affect precarious equilibrium and would mean giving access to this discipline in hospitals , in the academic world , setting hand to the funds for public research, going to touch the interest of more than one pharmaceutical company. 

Unquestionable scientific data attest to the effectiveness of homeopathy: the homeopathic substances administered stimulate the body’s reaction, directing it towards healing from various ailments, especially chronic ones (rheumatic diseases, migraines ) . The scientific literature also shows positive findings in cases of patients undergoing chemotherapy.

If you want to get a more complete idea of ​​the controversy surrounding the efficacy of homeopathy , we recommend an international debate published in Human and Experimental Toxicology.

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Opinions on homeopathy efficacy 

The doubts that come from official medicine with respect to homeopathy derive from an overview of the discipline, which is perceived as a rigid set of precepts dictated by its founder. For many doctors trained in Italian universities, the principles of homeopathy remain firm in the Hahnemannian tradition and therefore in obvious contrast with the progress of the biological sciences. It is then perceived as a discipline that promises effective results in the short term, an “easy” science that enchants and persuades people in difficulty. 

According to a recent report in the Telegraph , a hundred scientists from the British Medical Association (BMA) have compared homeopathy to a kind of witchcraft and have requested that its reimbursement be lifted by the National Health System. Detractors of homeopathy such as these British doctors are absolutely convinced that what is administered contains nothing .. But let’s clarify a fundamental point: homeopathy is based on the principle of homeopathic dilution and on the idea that a substance dissolved in water retains its essence. For the skeptics this is an absurd belief, based on an alleged “memory of water”. The reasoning ends logically: a homeopathic preparation cannot do good, much less harm. 

But how are the successes of the treatments explained by the detractors? Simple psychological suggestion. Illnesses such as colds and headaches can heal spontaneously: what happens, according to “official” doctors, is that the patient goes to the doctor when the symptoms are more acute and, as the latter regress, the person attributes the credit to the homeopathic medicine . 

We will keep you informed on this hot pool of controversy, with the intention of moving away from the logic of interests, but wanting to give priority to well-founded news that can prove useful in terms of the personal health of each of us. 

Image | Sculpture by Samuel Hahnemann (Scott Circle)