Homeopathy Myth vs. Fact

By Nader Soliman, MD

Integrative Medicine Center

. http://www.alternativemedicinecenter.info/

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Homeopathy Myth vs. Fact

Homeopathy is a system of medical therapy that uses extremely small doses of various substances that are present in nature to help induce healing in our body. Many people confuse homeopathic remedies with herbal drugs, simply because many homeopathic remedies are prepared from herbal products. The fact is that homeopathic remedies and herbal drugs are completely different. Herbal drugs act in a very similar way to our traditional western medicine drugs by attacking the disease process on their own to achieve symptom suppression. Homeopathy, on the other hand, simply stimulates the immune system to become more efficient. Thus, homeopathy enables the defensive mechanism of the human body to take a more aggressive action against the cause of the disease. Unlike both traditional western drugs and herbal drugs, homeopathy lacks any side effects and complications.

The homeopathic pharmacopoeia of the United States was written into federal law in 1938 under the federal food, drug, and cosmetic act. So, unlike herbal products the FDA oversees the homeopathic industry.

The principle that extremely minute doses can help our immune system is no stranger to traditional western medicine. Just look at two common interventions namely vaccination and allergy shots. Both use the same principle of homeopathy by introducing extremely diluted substances into the human body to incite a reaction against that same substance.

One of the homeopathic principles is the Law of Similars. This law states “like cures like,” or that a medicine can cure a sick person if it can cause similar sickness in a healthy person. For instance, you might have noticed what happens to your eyes when you peel an onion. Watering, burning, and itching of your eyes are common results. In addition, your nose will run and sneezing is frequent. When you suffer from a cold you develop the same symptoms. The administration of ultra-diluted dose of the homeopathic remedy Allium cepa (red onion) would help your body heal itself.

The idea that minute doses of a certain substance can counteract the symptoms induced by exposure to toxic amounts of the same substance is one of the cornerstones of homeopathy. Though this is widely ridiculed by opponents of homeopathy, the fact is that traditional western medicine uses the same principle.

Homeopathy is medicinal system aiming at provoking a strong reaction from the immune system to promote natural healing process.