The Effectiveness of Homeopathy - Plausibility?

To be used in response to claims that homeopathy is a discredited system with no evidence showing effectiveness beyond placebo effect.

Letter to the Editor



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Dear Editor,
I recently read with interest the (story, op-ed piece, letter-to-the-editor) about homeopathy published in (or on) your (paper, website, blog).  Sadly, the piece failed to accurately report the facts about the subject.

Homeopathy is a system of medicine that has been practiced for over 200 years with an extensive and laudable clinical record.  Tens of millions of patients currently use it around the world. 
It is not the lack of evidence – pre-clinical or clinical that is the problem for homeopathy.  There are literally hundreds of high quality, basic science, pre-clinical and clinical peer-reviewed studies showing its effects.  The system’s so called ‘implausibility’ is the primary reason for skepticism, even in the face of positive clinical evidence.  For instance a systematic review of clinical trials, published in the British Medical Journal (1991) stated ‘we would accept that homoeopathy can be efficacious, if its mechanism of action were more plausible’. 

The skeptic’s claim of “implausibility” directed at homeopathy arises from the system’s use of very highly diluted medicines.  These medicines are prepared through a series of sequential dilutions of medicinal substances with vigorous shaking at each stage of dilution, a process known as succussion.  Thanks to the work of scientists at institutions like Penn State University, the University of Washington, Stanford University, Moscow State University, and London South Bank University, we now know that the properties and effects of substances are dictated by their molecular structures, not their chemical composition.  Thanks to these same scientists, we also know that ultra-dilutions, like homeopathic remedies, do indeed contain stable and unique molecular structures with recognizable properties (Materials Letters. 62. 2008).

What’s more, there have been numerous high-quality peer reviewed studies showing the biological effects of homeopathic remedies.  The most frequently used experiment on ultra-dilutions has involved basophils.  Basophils are white blood cells involved in the immune response.  One series of experiments conducted in Europe over a period of 25 years on a multi-laboratory basis with independent replications has consistently shown the inhibition of basophil activation by high dilutions of histamine (Inflammation Research. 2009).   Another study, a meta-analysis led by Claudia Witt M.D.  of the Charité University Medical Centre, Berlin evaluated the quality and results of biological experiments with ultramolecular agitated dilutions.  Seventy-three percent of these studies showed an effect with ultramolecular dilutions (Complimentary Therapies in Medicine.  2007).   Yet another study – this one also the subject of repeated experiments over a long period - shows the effect of ultramolecular dilutions of aspirin on blood clotting (Clinical and Applied Thrombosis/Hemostasis.  2008).  And there are others.

No evidence of effectiveness??  Or misplaced and unscientific skepticism of how homeopathy could work?   What is clear - those who choose to attack homeopathy should at least look at the scientific facts first.

Sincerely,