Researchers from Australia's National Health and Medical Research Council have found that homeopathy doesn't work, shutting down claims that it works as an alternative health treatment.
The NHMRC evaluated over 1,800 studies, of which just 225 met the criteria it set to be included in determining whether or not homeopathy was effective. Studies were only included if a controlled setup was in place, meaning a group of people given homeopathic remedies, for instance, is being compared to a similar group but were not administered homeopathic treatment.
Homeopathy interest groups as well as the public were also allowed to submit information for review before preliminary submitted literature were examined and during the review for literature submitted during public consultation. Literature submitted for both preliminary and public consultation were assessed using similar methods utilized in creating overview.
"All medical treatments and interventions should be underpinned by reliable evidence. NHMRC's review shows that there is no good quality evidence to support the claim that homeopathy works better than a placebo," said Warwick Anderson, CEO for NHMRC.
He added that people choosing to rely on homeopathy mainly are putting their health in danger because they're rejecting or delaying treatments that have been proven to be safe and effective. Anderson also recommends that patients must first get advice from healthcare professionals before trying out any homeopathic remedies.
The NHMRC is aware how strong some views are about homeopathy that's why it involved the public and proponents in its assessment by allowing them to submit data and evidence. The findings released by the council were the product of stringently assessing evidence gathered using internationally accepted means.
The Australian Homeopathic Association released a statement following the NHMRC's report, saying homeopathy is one of the most widely used medical systems in the globe. In fact, about one million Australians are turning to homeopathic remedies as a component of their healthcare.
"Homeopathy is not ideally suited to systematic reviews which focus on isolated disease conditions without considering the overall health of the individual," explained the AHA, adding it is disappointed that the NHMRC examined only one type of evidence for its report.
It also pointed out that the Homeopathy Working Committee established by the NHMRC did not have a single trained homeopath despite suggestions from the AHA to include several who are not only well-versed in homeopathy but also possess academic backgrounds relevant to the study.
Homeopathy relies on remedies derived from substances from animal, plants and minerals. Homeopathic treatment comes in various forms like drops, creams, tablets and ointments.
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