Homeopathy is a system of so-called energy medicine developed by German physician Christian Friedrich Samuel Hahnemann (1755-1843). Over the years proponents of homeopathy have put forward various theories concerning homeopathy's alleged ability to cure diverse maladies, but there is little agreement, even among these proponents, as to how homeopathic products might work.
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The May 29, 1999, issue of the British journal The Lancet includes a thoughtful letter from two physicians in the state of Washington who pondered how to respond when a patient asks "Doctor, is wine good for my heart?"
If movie stars and supermodels are our gauge of beauty, teeth should be straight, big, and ultra-white. Community water fluoridation and advances in oral hygiene have led to a major decrease in the incidence of tooth decay and, therefore, in the need for fillings¬historically the mainstay of the dental profession. Dentists have responded to the economic impact of this decrease with an explosion of new procedures and marketing plans. An increase in the profitability of dental practice has resulted.
The American Council on Science and Health (ACSH) recently completed two studies in which experts evaluated environmental health sections of textbooks. Below are summaries of each study's findings.
The First Study
New York, NY, December 23, 1998¬America's high school health textbooks fail to convey sound, accurate, and balanced information about environmental health issues. So says a study published in the November/December issue of the Journal of Health Education. The study was conducted by the American Council on Science and Health (ACSH), a New York-based public health advocacy group.
New York, November 16, 1998 The American Council on Science and Health (ACSH) today rejected the irresponsible and unfounded claims pushed by NBC Chief Medical Correspondent, Dr. Bob Arnot in his book, The Breast Cancer Prevention Diet: The Powerful Food, Supplements, and Drugs That Can Save Your Life. ACSH found that Dr. Arnot s book is a misrepresentation of science and a disservice to women.
The plastic softener found in vinyl toys and medical devices are not harmful to children or adults, according to a distinguished panel of leading physicians and scientists chaired by former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. C. Everett Koop.
The panel, convened by the American Council on Science and Health (ACSH), issued its much-anticipated report after a comprehensive review of the scientific literature concerning the phthalates DEHP and DINP. DEHP and DINP are added to vinyl medical devices and toys, respectively, to provide desirable qualities such as flexibility.
Ben & Jerry's ice cream has a reputation for being the most politically correct item in your freezer. For years the company has decried the dangers of even trace levels of "toxins" in food. It is apparently unaware that toxins, such as arsenic, occur naturally in almonds, cherries, and many other natural foods. Ben & Jerry's might be described as a chemically holier-than-thou company.
"I am now convinced that one of the major problems is that scientists are unwilling to use the four-letter word 'safe.'"
Elizabeth M. Whelan,
president of the American Council on Science and Health.
(The New York Times, August 4, 1999,
"Study Inconclusive on Chemicals' Effects" by Gina Kolata)
If, as a libertarian, Walter Olson ("The Florida Tobacco Jurors: Anything But Typical," Rule of Law, July 12) is truly against government intervention in tobacco regulation, he should favor the arena of litigation. There must be some distinction between liberty and anarchy. While there are justifiable objections to excessive legal fees in frivolous lawsuits, why Mr. Olson would choose to attack a verdict against the tobacco behemoth is a mystery. His quibbling with the plaintiff attorney's jury selection tactic--that Mr.
To the Editor:
The warning issued by Consumers Union concerning the dangers of pesticide residues on American-grown produce confuses real risks with hypothetical ones (news article, Feb. 19). The report will inspire needless fear, despite the group's protestations to the contrary.
A study published in a respected scientific journal initiated a flurry of anti-soda rhetoric. The main message was that adolescent girls' consumption of sodas, especially colas, increases their risk of bone fractures.
ACSH Phthalate Panel:
C. Everett Koop, MD, ScD, Chair;Daland R. Juberg, PhD;Elissa P. Benedek, MD;Ronald W. Brecher, PhD, CChem, DABT;Robert L. Brent, MD, PhD;Morton Corn, PhD;Vincent Covello, PhD;Theron W. Downes, PhD; Shayne C. Gad, PhD, DABT;Lois Swirsky Gold, PhD;F. Peter Guengerich, PhD;John Higginson, MD, FRCP;W. Hans K °nemann, PhD, RIVM;James C. Lamb IV, PhD, DABT;Paul J. Lioy, PhD;Kimberly M. Thompson, ScD
To the Editor, Medscape*
To the Editor:
Sen. Breaux makes some cogent points concerning America's looming energy crisis (Op-ed, Jan. 18). It is unfortunate, however, that he neglects to mention one energy source which would fulfill his criteria of environmental preservation, high efficiency, and domestic sources to reduce our dependence on foreign cartels: nuclear power.
For the past few decades, Americans have been manifesting a chronic condition best described as "chemicalphobia."
All around us, ads brag that products are "100% natural" or "organic" or chemical free." Many consumers think that "chemical" is the opposite of "natural" and the opposite of "good." Viewed in this context, the 100-percent natural Holiday Dinner Menu that the American Council on Science and Health publishes each year comes as quite an eye-opener.
To the Editor:
Contrary to Bennett S. LeBow's statement regarding his new Vector cigarette, there is no reason to imagine that using a zero-nicotine cigarette will help smokers quit (Economics, Jan. 16). Would inhaling fine sugar promote abstinence in someone addicted to cocaine? The "double-whammy", to use his own term, will more likely double smokers' travails than reduce them.
Scientists and physicians associated with the American Council on Science and Health (ACSH) report that California's Proposition 65 (Prop65), a law whose purported intent was to improve the public's health, is misdirected and highly unlikely to effect such improvement. Other states and the U.S. Congress should consider these findings as they deliberate similar prospective "right to know" legislation.
Science is under attack in affluent nations, where antibiotech activists claim consumers are being poisoned by inorganic fertilizers and synthetic pesticides. They also claim that newer genetic engineering technologies decrease biodiversity and degrade the environment. Neither claim is true, but fear-mongering could be disastrous for less-developed nations.
In recent months, many papers have carried articles and letters critical of meat (particularly beef), milk, and milk products. We are told to reduce or eliminate them from our diet to prevent or cure various diseases and environmental problems. But these prescriptions are scientifically invalid and won't achieve their touted goals. They are urged upon us despite the fact that nutritionists have recognized the exceptional dietary merits of meat and milk for over a century.
While Americans blithely go about their business, an insidious and irrational flee from technology is taking place all in the name of "public health." Over the past two months alone, two safe and useful products have been taken away from consumers despite the conclusions that the approved use of those products are safe.
To make matters worse, some manufacturers of these rejected technologies are joining forces with some extreme environmentalist groups and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to protect us from hazards that do not exist.
Officials at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and its subdivision, the National Toxicology Program, announced this week that the artificial sweetener saccharin would no longer appear on their list of "cancer threats."
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