Breakthrough for scientific understanding of Homeopathy

This piece is taken from a recent article published by Dana Ullman, MPH.

Dr. Luc Montagnier, the French virologist who won the Nobel Prize in 2008 for discovering the AIDS virus, supports that homeopathic dilutions, which has always been the most challenging aspect in the acceptance of Homeopathy within the the scientific community, whilst being a fundamental principle of the homeopathic medical system says “the high dilutions (used in homeopathy) are right. High dilutions of something are not nothing. They are water structures which mimic the original molecules.”

Montagnier is making reference to his experimental research that confirms one of the controversial features of homeopathic medicine that uses doses of substances that undergo sequential dilution with vigorous shaking in-between each dilution. Although it is common for modern-day scientists to assume that none of the original molecules remain in solution, Montagnier’s research (and other of many of his colleagues) has verified that electromagnetic signals of the original medicine remains in the water and has dramatic biological effects.

Montagnier’s new research is investigating the electromagnetic waves that he says emanate from the highly diluted DNA of various pathogens. Montagnier asserts, “What we have found is that DNA produces structural changes in water, which persist at very high dilutions, and which lead to resonant electromagnetic signals that we can measure….”

There has also been completely separate and recent research, conducted at the respected Indian Institutes of Technology that has confirmed the presence of “nanoparticles” of the starting materials even at extremely high dilutions. Researchers have demonstrated by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), electron diffraction and chemical analysis by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Atomic Emission Spectroscopy.

Dana Ullman, MPH, is America’s leading spokesperson for homeopathy. Read Dana’s full article Luc Montagnier, Nobel Prize Winner takes Homeopathy seriously here.

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Green Daisies Talks: Homeopathy Awareness Week June 2010

Green Daisies Homeopath Candice Joyce RSHom will be available throughout Homeopathy Awareness week which is June 14 – 21 2010 in the London area to provide Introduction talks including a practical guide to the use of Homeopathic remedies at home. Her popular Introductory talks can be tailor made to a specific group or area of interest for instance “Homeopathic Remedies for Labour”; “Homeopathy for Children’s Health” and more.

Recent talks have included “An Introduction to Homeopathy” and “Homeopathy for Stress” at Richmond Carers Centre, and past talks include a talk on “Homeopathy for Women’s health”. Up-and-coming talks include “Homeopathic approaches to Cancer” at Maggie’s Centre, Hammersmith, and “Homeopathy for Autism Spectrum Disorders” for Arnica Network, Kingston and Richmond Carer’s Centre.

Prince’s Foundation for Integrated Health news.

The Prince’s Foundation for Integrated Health has closed down. Read their statement here.

Dr Michael Dixon, medical director for the Prince’s Foundation for Integrated Health, set up by Prince Charles to promote complementary medicine, disputed recent findings in a report by House of Commons Science and Technology Committee, who have said using public money on the highly-diluted remedies could not be justified. Dr Michael Dixon believes homeopathy still has a role in the NHS.

“We should not abandon patients we cannot help with conventional scientific medicine.

“If homeopathy is getting results for those patients, then of course we should continue to use it.”

The report was also disowned by one of the committee’s MPs. Labour’s Ian Stewart said he was dissenting from the report because the MPs had refused to take into account that homeopathy worked for some people and he also said he was concerned by the “balance of witnesses”.

The report acknowledged there was a public appetite for homeopathy with surveys showing satisfaction rates of above 70%.

Research shows Cytotoxic effects of ultra-diluted remedies on breast cancer cells.

Recent research published in the International Journal of Oncology has found Cytotoxic effects of ultra-diluted remedies on breast cancer cells.

Research states:

“We studied four ultra-diluted remedies (Carcinosin, Phytolacca, Conium and Thuja) against two human breast adenocarcinoma cell lines (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231) and a cell line derived from immortalized normal human mammary epithelial cells (HMLE). The remedies exerted preferential cytotoxic effects against the two breast cancer cell lines, causing cell cycle delay/arrest and apoptosis. These effects were accompanied by altered expression of the cell cycle regulatory proteins….. The findings demonstrate biological activity of these natural products when presented at ultra-diluted doses. Further in-depth studies with additional cell lines and animal models are warranted to explore the clinical applicability of these agents.”

Read the abstract in full on International Journal of Oncology website.

Research on Homeopathic remedies to alleviate effects of cancer treatment from 2009:

In April 2009 the Cochrane Collaboration found that effects of radiotherapy and chemontherapy in cancer treatment could be alleviated using Homeopathy.

Some homeopathic medicines may ease the side-effects of cancer treatments without interfering in how they work, a scientific review has concluded.

The Cochrane Collaboration said, while there were few studies, it did appear that some effects of radiotherapy and chemotherapy could be alleviated. It highlighted in particular calendula to prevent dermatitis, and what is known as Traummel S for mouth sores.

But it said further work was needed to confirm these findings.

Eight studies with a total of 664 participants were considered by the group, led by Dr Sosie Kassab, a specialist in complementary cancer therapies at the Royal London Homeopathic Hospital. Three studies looked at preparations to counter the skin reactions of radiotherapy, but only one was deemed to be high quality. This, from France, suggested that calendula – from marigolds – reduced acute dermatitis in breast cancer patients more effectively than the more conventional treatment trolamine. It involved 254 patients.

No interference

One of three studies on treating the side-effects of chemotherapy was deemed high quality.

This found that Traumeel S, a mixture which includes belladonna, arnica, St John’s wort and echinacea, was effective in reducing stomatisis – painful mouth sores – when used as a mouthwash.

Two other studies of homeopathic treatments on menopausal symptoms brought on by cancer treatments were declared to be of high quality but did not provide any evidence that the treatments worked.

There was no evidence to show that any of these treatments interfered with cancer therapies, and indeed one study showed that radiotherapy was less frequently interrupted in the group receiving homeopathic care.

But the Cochrane team acknowledged: “The review found few studies, and most were small.”

“Cutting the NHS spend on homeopathy is not justified.”

1 December 2009

The Health Minister, the Rt Hon Mike O’Brien QC MP, has told the Science and Technology select committee that cutting the NHS spend on homeopathy is not justified and that a body of reputable people, including doctors, believe in it.

Mr O’Brien said cutting the funding would be “illiberal” and “a denial of personal choice”. He also said there were a range of opinions amongst clinicians and scientists which could not be ignored and he told the committee that there was “justification for more research” in homeopathy.

He reiterated that it is up to individual clinicians to decide on the best treatment for their patients and that it was not his job to tell GPs whether or not to prescribe homeopathy. He also clarified that the NHS spend on homeopathic medicines is only £152,000, from a total NHS annual drugs budget of £11 billion.

Mr O’Brien was speaking during the second session of an evidence check on homeopathy. Both sessions (25 November and 30 November) can be viewed on the parliament website.

http://www.facultyofhomeopathy.org/media/news/health_minister_backs_homeopathy.html

Homeopathy for Stress

Stress can take hold in many ways. On the mental and emotional level prolonged stress can lead to fatigue, depression, mood swings and sleeplessness. For many stress may manifest in physical symptoms, like Irritable Bowel Syndrome, back pain, alpoecia or skin conditions like psoriasis. Dealing with stress can be tricky when there are maintaining causes for that stress or stress has been triggered by a traumatic experience; on-going financial worries and debt; unemployment; business instability; caring for loved ones etc. Homeopathy can provide support for people experiencing all from the short term exam nerves type of stress to prolonged stress undermining the health. The appropriate remedy can vary hugely from person to person. Where the stress is chronic in nature (experienced for 3 months or more) it would be of the greatest benefit to book a consultation with a qualified homeopath.

There are several suggested remedies and a guideline on their use for treatment of stress available by emailing candice@greendaisies.co.uk and requesting information on Stress:

Exam stress, panic attacks and phobias: For alleviating the stress of exam nerves and performance anxiety, especially for those who feel debilitated by overwork and who dislike appearing in public homeopathic remedies can be taken as needed up to 5 times in a day. For panic attacks, or after a fright, where there is severe anxiety and restlessness, and even the fear of death a reemdy can be taken as needed to speed recovery and settle nerves. For those experiencing lots of phobias around crowds, narrow spaces, air travel, heights or falling, another remedy may be taken as needed.

Work related stress: Homeopathic remedies may help with stress, anxiety over issues of responsibility, performance at work and fear of failure. Physical symptoms associated with stress can include bloated sensation, wind and symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome, which may also be addressed through homeopathic treatment by treating the whole person rather than the specific complaint or symptom. Business anxiety, especially in very ambitious and driven people especially when there is lots of impatience and irritability, a desire for stimulants (coffee, cigarettes, alcohol, spicy foods), tendency to constipation or diarrhoea alternating with constipation may be helped with homeopathic approaches.

Emotional stress of caring for loved ones: The homeopathic remedy sometimes referred to as “the carer’s remedy” may be of support for those who may have become exhausted or depleted from night-watching loved ones, loss of sleep, and the emotional stress of nursing the sick. There may be a feeling of vertigo and unsteadiness in the legs on the physical plane when this remedy is indicated. One dose half an hour before bed and one the following morning to stimulate the body back into balance.

Visit The Princess Royal Trust for Carers website or follow this link to information and articles on managing stress for carer’s  http://www.carers.org/articles/managing-stress,62,CA.html

Sleeplessness: For those wanting to avoid going down the route of sleeping tablets, there are several remedies that may be useful for anyone who is kept awake at night. For some it may be sleeplessness because the mind is going over and over with anxious thoughts. To address sleeping issues it is always best to seek treatment with a homeopath so that individual symptoms can be addressed.

The rule of thumb with self-prescribing homeopathic remedies is to STOP taking the remedy the moment a reaction has been stimulated. This may be an emotional discharge or in the form of a physical reaction like a runny nose or diarrhoea. Once a reaction has been triggered, the remedy has done it’s job and the body comes back into balance. When a well indicated fails to act it may be that a deeper remedy needs to be prescribed. See a homeopath who can prescribe accordingly.