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Echinacea isn’t a homeopathic treatment, nor are essential oils, neti pots, or chiropractor visits. If you have an inkling that homeopathy isn’t part of mainstream medicine, you're right. But the oddities go deeper than you might think.
Homeopathy is not synonymous with home remedies, alternative treatments, or any general term like that. It’s a specific, outdated method of preparing medicines.
Here’s how it works: you examine your symptoms and search through a homeopathy guidebook for a substance that could cause the same symptoms. For instance, if my allergies are flaring up and my eyes are itchy, I might choose onion extract, since onions make the eyes sting.
Assuming I'm a trained homeopath, I would then prepare the remedy to alleviate my itchy eyes. I’d add a drop of onion extract to water and then shake it thoroughly, a process known as 'succussing.' This is supposed to transfer some 'healing vibrations' from the onion extract into the water. I then take a drop of that mixture and repeat the process. By the end, the concoction is thought to be infused with the onion's healing energy, though in reality, these 'healing vibrations' are purely imaginary.
The finished product likely doesn't include any onion extract, either. According to homeopaths, this is a positive aspect because it ensures the medicine is completely safe. After all, it won’t cause your eyes to water. In fact, some homeopathic remedies are derived from highly toxic substances, so the absence of the active ingredient is actually a good thing.
Usually, yes. However, there have been cases where some homeopathic teething tablets contained dangerously high doses of belladonna, which reportedly led to the deaths of ten babies.
Certain medicines labeled as 'homeopathic' intentionally retain their active ingredients. For instance, homeopathic arnica gel, used for bruises and soreness, does contain a notable amount of extract from the plant Arnica montana. However, the arnica tablets available on the same shelf do not.
I assure you, I'm not fabricating any of this.
Yes, all of this is entirely legal. You will indeed find homeopathic 'medicines' on the shelves of mainstream drugstores, not just in some witchy apothecary shop in a trendy neighborhood, but right in Target alongside the cold medications. Surprisingly, the FDA treats homeopathic remedies as legitimate drugs.
That's correct—they aren't part of the wild west supplement market, where almost anything can go as long as an asterisk is added. Homeopathic treatments are considered legitimate drugs, and the label must clearly state (in fact, it has to state) that they are capable of treating or curing a specific illness.
The entire homeopathy industry started back in the 1700s, when it seemed like a reasonable alternative to practices like bloodletting and dangerous, ineffective medicines. When the FDA began enforcing proof of safety and efficacy for drugs in 1962, it chose not to enforce these rules for homeopathic medicines, which were already used by only a small number of people.
However, the homeopathic industry is thriving today, as manufacturers can claim their 'medicines' are safe, while making unsubstantiated claims about their ability to treat diseases. For example, regular cold medications aren't suitable for toddlers, so homeopathic alternatives have filled that niche. These remedies don’t actually help sick children, but they’re theoretically safe and provide an easy way to relieve parents of their money.
So, if you’re using a neti pot for your allergies, or taking echinacea hoping it might alleviate your cold, go ahead—results may vary—but don’t label them as homeopathic remedies. The real homeopathic medicines are much more ineffective.
