Land of the Free, Home of the Brave » Quackery

There is No Such Thing as “Alternative Medicine”

Margaret Romao Toigo — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 19:02:48 +0000

One must automatically assume that so-called “alternative” remedies are worthless (and maybe even dangerous in some instances) for the simple reason that they are marketed as “alternative” because there is no such thing as “alternative medicine.”

There is medicine that has been proven safe and effective through a scientifically rigorous, multi-step clinical trials process.

There is also medicine whose safety and efficacy are still being investigated. Because it’s unethical to sell experimental treatments, people who are participating in legitimate clinical trials get the treatments for free, and some are even paid for their time and trouble, and get their associated expenses reimbursed. (Are there any so-called “alternative” practitioners who operate that way?)

And then there are numerous substances, devices, and methods that have already been tested and found to be ineffective but are marketed as “alternative” remedies — unless or until the FDA removes them from the market due to safety concerns.

Before the Dietary Supplement and Health Education Act of 1994, so-called “alternative” remedies were called snake-oil, quackery and health fraud, and those who peddled such nostrums were called charlatans, quacks, and even criminals.

Now, under the DSHEA — unless or until it is repealed — charlatans, snake-oil peddlers and quacks have the “health freedom” to ply their trade and cash in on the woefully misinformed.

Yet, so-called “alternative” remedies are still just as worthless, and potentially dangerous, as snake-oil was before the DSHEA — it just has a new, “politically correct,” and far more marketable, name.

Hitler rants about vaccines and autism

Margaret Romao Toigo — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 14:20:40 +0000

Yet another parody using that old Hitler movie. This one’s about JB Handley (as Hitler) and the antivax kooks over at Age of Autism.

Coutesy of Heraldblog.

Join Me in this Mad Echo Chamber

Margaret Romao Toigo — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 14:54:41 +0000

I am lonely, oh so lonely, here in this lonely place. If anyone would care to join me in being largely ignored — except by spammers — just let me know.

(BTW, this is a test to see if anyone’s paying attention.)

Some facts about Zinc:

Zinc is an essential nutrient and zinc deficiency — which is quite rare in North America — can cause rather serious health problems.

Zinc can be toxic at high dosages. Symptoms of zinc toxicity include nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, and headaches. The maximum daily intake of zinc is 7 mg for 1 to 3 year-olds, 12 mg for 4 to 8 year-olds, 23 mg for 9 to 13 year-olds, 34 mg for 14 to 18 year-olds, and 40 mg for adults, including pregnant or lactating mothers.

Zinc can cause adverse interactions with several drugs, such as antibiotics, diuretics, and the arthritis drug penicillamine.

Zinc supplements may be useful if one is not getting sufficient zinc from foods like red meat, poultry, beans, nuts, crab, lobster, oysters, whole grains, and dairy products, but that’s all zinc supplements do. Zinc supplements are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.