NEW: "Responding to a burst of Reiki from Turkey." In 2024 thirteen clinical studies of Reiki by Turkish researchers were published. Here is how seven journals dealt with critiques of the studies.
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APRIL 2026 NEWS MARCH 2026 NEWS FEBRUARY 2026 NEWS
MAY, 2026
Featured topic: vaccines
Steven Novella (Science-Based Medicine): “Measles surging as vaccine rates drop.”
Paul Offit (Beyond the Noise): “The subtle horror of package inserts.”
New York Times: “FDA blocked publication of research finding Covid and shingles vaccines were safe.”
Cleveland.com: “RFK Jr. defends hepatitis B vaccine rollback at Cleveland forum.”
New Hampshire Bulletin: “Anti-vax bills peter out in New Hampshire State House.”
New York Times: “Kennedy is driving a vast inquiry into vaccines, despite his public silence.”
MS Now: “’Why is RFK Jr. attacking vaccines?’ The answer is not what you think.”
Mother Jones: “HHS refuses to say what an anti-vaccine activist is doing at the agency.” [David Geier]
FactCheck.org: “A timeline of RFK Jr.’s mixed messaging on the measles vaccine.”
AP: “Trump tells agencies to align with study calling for narrower childhood vaccine recommendations.”
Ars Technica: “Analysis of Texas measles outbreak shows just how dangerous virus is.”
Doyon-Plourde et al. (BMJ 2026;393:e088921): “Aluminium adjuvants in vaccines and potential health effects: systematic review.”
Featured topic: other political developments
David Gorski (Science-Based Medicine): “MAHA vs. the FDA: Dredging up old anti-regulation revisionist history” and “How Unbekoming! The central delusion of MAHA.”
Edzard Ernst: “The resurgence of raw milk: politics, ignorance, and public health.”
MS Now: “Before her nomination, Trump’s surgeon general pick called out RFK Jr.’s anti-vaccine work.” “Dr. Nicole Saphier once described ‘Plandemic,’ the viral anti-vaccine film Kennedy financed, as ‘a video full of hoax theories’.”
ProPublica: “Babies are bleeding to death as parents reject a vitamin shot given at birth.”
Associated Press: “Trump’s FDA chief is out after angering pharma CEOs, vaping lobbyists and anti-abortion activists” [Marty Makary].
New York Times: “FDA commissioner Marty Makary resigns after weeks of pressure.”
Washington Post: “RFK Jr. promised a health overhaul led by outsiders. Now many are gone.”
New York Times: “Kennedy fires leaders of key health task force.” [U.S. Preventive Services]
Gary Schwitzer (Health News Review): “'You're fired' is now the catchphrase at federal health agencies.”
Jessica Knurick: “The political purpose of MAHA.”
Featured topic: acupuncture
On Science-Based Medicine,
Mark Crislip:
“Lipstick on fengxi” [discussing “The body’s hidden pathways,” New York Times Magazine, May 11]. “Another attempt to demonstrate that the fiction of acupuncture is based in reality. This time it is the interstitium…what is it about these collagen bundles and sacs of fluid that result in specific structures like acupoints? What is different about the interstitium here but not there that makes it an acupoint or a meridian?...Unexplained is how the semi-random placement of needles into collagen and water will treat virtually any disease, from pain to allergies to migraines, all with different anatomy and physiology. And how does the interstitium explain the near infinite varieties of acupuncture: Japanese, Korean, foot, hand, ear, head and the stupidest of the stupid, Tong Ren. Cause it can’t. Cause acupuncture is fictional.”
David Gorski:
“More credulous nonsense about acupuncture, this time from National Geographic.”
“A blast from the past: The 'interstitium,' the inspiration for that recent awful NYT acupuncture article.” An article from 2018 is reposted and updated in reference to the New York Times story.
Steven Novella:
“NYT epic fail on acupuncture.” “So no – the interstitium does not provide an explanation for how acupuncture works. That is all blatant retconning. Further, there is no credible evidence that acupuncture even works. After thousands of studies, researchers have failed to definitively reject the null hypothesis. The best clinical studies show no difference between true acupuncture and sham acupuncture – it is all placebo. The media, however, has mostly bought into the propaganda and continues to gullibly spread this pseudoscience.”
Edzard Ernst:
“Electroacupuncture for postherpetic neuralgia? I have my doubts!” “In conclusion, the assertion that ‘electroacupuncture provided a statistically significant reduction in pain severity, increased responder rates, and improved pain-related functional outcomes’ is uncritical, promotional and unjustified. I am once again dismayed that a reputable journal publishes such overt rubbish.”
May 7 – Borst, Berns, and Nusse (PNAS 2026. 123 (19) e2613544123): “Acupuncture does not work and has no place in science-based medicine.” The authors responded to a news feature on acupuncture in the PNAS of March 4. “We find this article unbalanced. It lacks a critical analysis of what acupuncture is and ignores whether acupuncture is more than an effective placebo.”
Featured topic: homeopathy
Edzard Ernst:
Udo Endruscheit: “Switzerland's evaluation of homeopathy: The end of an endless loop.” “The Swiss case is often cited by proponents of homeopathy as a model of political and professional acceptance. But the 2026 decision reveals a different lesson: A system that tries to reconcile political expectations with a lack of evidence will eventually reach a point where it can neither move forward nor turn back…And unfortunately that conclusion is not a triumph of evidence. It is the recognition that evidence cannot be replaced by institutional normality. But one thing it certainly isn’t: an endorsement of homeopathy, even if its advocates will once again try to interpret it that way.”
“Reimbursement of homeopathy in Germany: its days are counted.” “The removal of homeopathy from insurance coverage is undoubtedly both scientifically justified and economically imperative. It signals a decisive transition of German medicine towards a more rational, evidence-based healthcare system that prioritizes proven outcomes over tradition.”
“The future of state-funded homeopathy in Europe.” “Across much of Europe, the trend clearly is towards tighter regulation of homeopathy, reduced reimbursement, and greater insistence on sound evidence of benefit. Thus homeopathy is increasingly being pushed out of the public sphere and into private purchase or supplementary insurance. In other words, European public healthcare systems are increasingly treating homeopathy in one of the following ways: obsolete because of lack of evidence, low-priority, non-essential expense.”
“Homeopathy is state-funded in most parts of the world” – TRUE OR FALSE?” “A more accurate statement would therefore be the following: A substantial share of the world’s population lives in countries where homeopathy has some level of state support, mainly because of India, but there is no good evidence to prove that this amounts to a majority of the world population.”
“Homeopathy for the treatment of insomnia: A systematic review and meta-analysis.” “We now have two reviews concluding that there is no good evidence and two implying that homeopathy is effective for insomnia! This clearly demonstrates how easy it is to mislead the public with seemingly rigorous reviews.”
“Homeopathy for chronic non-specific low back pain?” “One the one hand, the authors…should be congratulated for publishing a squarely negative result in the journal ‘Homeopathy’ that is known for publishing even the most implausible positive findings. On the other hand, one might criticise them: why on earth did they ever conceive the hypothesis that homeopathy in general or ‘Lumbar Vertebra LM2 biotherapic’ in particular might be effective for CNSLBP…? I have never met a homeopath who would make such a claim, and one could easily argue that such a trial is an unethical waste of resources.”
“'HOMEOPATHY AND I' – an update.” “The overall point is, I hope, clear: I did not embark on my research into homeopathy aiming to disprove it or to dismiss it outright [a claim I still hear with some regularity]. To begin with (in 1993), I was not only open but positively inclined. At all times, however, I was keen to follow the best available evidence. If my attitudes/verdicts became less and less positive, it is merely because the evidence became more and more overtly negative.”
Other topics
On Science-Based Medicine,
Scott Gavura:
“Hyaluronic acid adulteration.” “Some supplements marketed as hyaluronic acid’ don’t just contain hyaluronic acid. According to a recent release from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, several have been found to contain undisclosed prescription drugs [see April 7 item]… Over-the-counter, oral hyaluronic acid has much less evidence to support its use. While claimed to reduce wrinkles or relieve joint pain, the evidence supporting these claims is limited. Most studies are small, often poorly designed and report modest effects on subjective outcomes that may not translate into meaningful clinical benefit. There’s also a basic biological question: oral hyaluronic acid may not be particularly bioavailable, meaning available in the body after ingestion. It is a large molecule that appears to be broken down during digestion, and there is limited evidence showing meaningful absorption into the bloodstream after oral consumption. Even when present in circulation, hyaluronic acid is cleared rapidly, making it uncertain how much, if any, could reach tissues or joints in an active form and meaningful amount.”
Steven Novella:
“Injectable peptides – the new snake oil.” “Loosening FDA regulations as a gift to wellness influencers and snake oil peddlers will virtually guarantee that no rigorous clinical studies will be done. There is no incentive to do such trials. We may see some in-house studies used to support marketing. Because there is a legitimate orthopedic and sports medicine question here, we may see some serious investigator-initiated research, but without the resources to do the large clinical trials that are really necessary. This is why allowing such products to be sold without proper evidence is a lose-lose proposition. If the product is not safe or effective, then the public is being put at risk and is being cheated out of their money and resources for a useless product. If it does work, we may never know, and it will therefore be impossible to incorporate its use into science-based practice.” See also May 5 item below.
David Weinberg:
“Can ivermectin and mebendazole treat cancer?” “A report posted on the website of The Wellness Company has been generating considerable social media attention for a new cancer treatment…The Wellness Company (TWC) sells supplements and prescription medications via a network of tele-health providers. Peter McCullough, MD, MPH, is the chief scientific officer of TWC…This is a shoddy research study presented as a quality improvement project. This dubious classification functioned as an excuse for lack of interface with relevant regulatory bodies. There is validity to the assertion that ivermectin and mebendazole show anticancer activity in preclinical studies. This study provides no meaningful evidence for or against the efficacy of such treatments in humans with cancer.” See also May 12 item below.
Edzard Ernst:
“Zack Polanski, the hypnotherapist in UK politics.” “Today, there are different schools of hypnotherapy, e.g. Ericksonian hypnotherapy, cognitive behavioural hypnotherapy, curative hypnotherapy. Various different healthcare professionals practise hypnotherapy, including doctors, dentists, psychologists and nurses. Hypnotherapy is used to treat many conditions or symptoms, from pain and stress to irritable bowel syndrome and drug dependency. The evidence from clinical trials is mixed. Most systematic reviews emphasise the often poor-quality of the primary studies…Contrary to what is often claimed, hypnotherapy is not entirely free of adverse effects. It has been associated with the ‘false memory syndrome’ where unpleasant recollections that have never occurred are implanted into the patient’s brain. Hypnotherapy should not be used by patients who suffer from psychoses or personality disorders.”
“The US 'Health Freedom Movement' (HFM).” “In a nutshell, the HFM is a deregulatory, commercially entangled project that uses the language of liberty to erode evidence‑based medicine and to normalise quackery as well as anti‑vaccination politics. To put it bluntly: the HFM does not seem to operate in the best interest of either the individual patient or the collective public health.”
“The effects of Reiki in children with leukemia on pain, vital signs and quality of life.” “If I am correct, the positive outcome is likely to be due to expectation of a positive healing effect and unrelated to any specific effect of Reiki. In any case, it is irresponsible nonsense to recommend Reiki – or any therapy – on the basis of just one positive study. For that one would need several independent confirmations with high quality studies that firmly establish a cause effect relationship. The current study does not fall into that category, and I am not aware of a single trial that does.”
“Intracranial hypotension following spinal manipulation.” “I feel compelled to point out that, considering the multiple risks of upper spinal manipulations and the almost total lack of evidence of benefit from such treatments, the risk/benefit balance of spinal manipulation is clearly not positive. It follows, I think, that it would be wise for patients not to allow such therapies being carried out, and for healthcare professionals to discourage them.”
“Who is for and who against the critical evaluation of so-called alternative medicine?”
“Integrative medicine: ‘Proven interventions should be called medicine. Unproven interventions should be called unproven’.” “The response of proponents usually is that INTEGRATED MEDICINE is so much more than just using alternative treatments. If we look at this claim, we quickly realise that the ‘so much more’ are things stolen …If they feel that important bits of healthcare are being neglected, the proper reaction would be to reform medicine and rectify the situation. Instead the proponents put their money on INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE which undeniably is at least partly an attempt to smuggle unproven treatments into healthcare. I wrote ‘at least partly’ which is, in fact, generous to the extreme! If we look up what the clinics of INTEGRATED MEDICNE actually offer, we quickly realise that it is much more that ‘partly’ – it is their main and lucrative business.”
“Wellness coach dies after 'Kambo detox'.” “Kambo, a waxy substance secreted by the giant leaf frog of the Amazon basin, has traditionally been utilized by indigenous tribes for its intense physiological properties. Its translation into Western ‘detox’ circles strips away its cultural context, replacing it with pseudoscientific promises of physical rejuvenation and mental clarity…In reality, the toll of Kambo can be lethal. Over the past decade, the substance has been increasingly linked to severe health crises, including liver failure, acute heart attacks, and sudden death.”
“Clinical trials from China cannot be trusted – an update.” “Honestly, I had hoped that things would have improved. I am shocked that this is not the case. And I am disappointed that there is not much more being written about this. IT IS A SCANDAL THAT ENDANGERS US ALL! What consequences should we draw? I for one will be extra skeptical about research – particularly about the tsunami of papers from the realm of TCM [traditional Chinese medicine] – that comes from China.”
“Calcium, vitamin D, or combined supplementation to prevent fractures and falls? No!” A review by Massé et al. (BMJ 2026;393:e088050), along with an editorial by Pillay et al. (BMJ 2026;393:s913) were discussed. “The authors concluded that, based on absolute risk reductions and thresholds considered clinically meaningful, this review found little to no benefits from use of calcium, vitamin D, or combined supplementation on the prevention of fractures and falls.”
On McGill Office for Science and Society:
Jonathan Jarry:
“Alex Clark's right-wing wellness podcast reaches new lows.” “Alex Clark’s Culture Apothecary podcast exemplifies what the wellness industry looks like in politically conservative circles. Clark and her guests accuse the birth control pill of causing cancer and blood clots, a wild exaggeration of a well-known and low risk. Her long-term sponsor is Geviti, a private company offering blood tests and AI-generated dietary supplements protocols that legally distances itself from actual medical services.”
May 1 – Amy Lutz (New York Times): “Profound autism is difficult enough without this debunked method.” A mother of an autistic son discussed Facilitated Communication and similar methods. “The most serious harm created by F.C. is that it deprives severely cognitively impaired individuals of the limited control they have over their own lives…It is incumbent on all stakeholders — including autistic people, their families, researchers, clinicians, policymakers and the public that is supposed to hold government accountable — to demand that resources be directed toward evidence-based interventions, not spent on facilitated communication, which offers almost irresistible, but false, hope.” See also May 8 item below.
May 5 – ECRI: “Patients using wellness peptides have no reliable information about whether they are safe or effective, ECRI and ISMP warn.” “ECRI and the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) warn that many compounded peptides heavily promoted in the wellness market have not undergone adequate clinical evaluation. Patients currently using these products have no reliable source of information about whether they work or whether they are safe. Many compounded peptides, including BPC-157, TB-500, Melanotan II, and epitalon, are not approved for human use.”
May 8 – Stuart Vyse (Skeptical Inquirer): Under attack from the armies of autism pseudoscience.” Supporters of Facilitated Communication have attacked Amy Lutz for her editorial (see May 1 item above).
May 12 – Nina Agrawal (New York Times): “More cancer patients are taking ivermectin. Mel Gibson and Joe Rogan might be why.” “Oncologists said they worried their patients may delay or forgo effective therapies while turning to these unproven treatments.” At high doses, ivermectin “could be toxic in humans. It could also interfere with conventional cancer treatments, making them less effective or more toxic.”
May 19 – Carmen Rising (New York Times): “The vaginal wellness boom is here.” “In some cases, experts say, the products can help treat certain symptoms and provide some relief. In others, they can have no effect at all, target the wrong tissue or even complicate existing conditions.”
May 20 – Teddy Rosenbluth (New York Times): “Should you trust your health to a chiropractor?” “Chiropractors advertise their services for a wide range of conditions: back pain, arthritis, diabetes, asthma and ear infections. But what the research says chiropractors are effective at treating doesn’t necessarily match up.”
May 20 – Grace Miller (CBS Local 21 News): “When religion leads to child deaths: Prosecutors set sights on faith-healing church.” “Two Lebanon County parents who said they were part of the Faith Tabernacle Congregation were charged April 22 with the death of their baby. The child would have survived if the parents…sought proper medical treatment…The ‘divine-healing’ church was established in Philadelphia in 1897. Today, there are 8-10 branches of the church in central and western Pennsylvania…”
May 21 – Stierman et al. (National Center for Health Statistics), “Dietary supplement use: United States, August 2021-August 2023.” “Key findings…During August 2021–August 2023, 35.7% of youth ages 0–19 years and 60.2% of adults age 20 and older used any dietary supplement in the past 30 days…Overall, 11.3% of youth used two or more dietary supplements. Overall, 38.7% of adults used two or more dietary supplements…Use of two or more dietary supplements increased among youth and adults from 2013–2014 through August 2021–August 2023.”
May 24 – Elizabeth Dwoskin and Rick Maese (Washington Post): “Tech billionaires used performance drugs in secret. Now they’re selling a revolution.” Christian Angermayer “is the co-founder and funder of the Enhanced Games, a Silicon Valley-backed athletic tournament that breaks a cardinal rule of sports by encouraging athletes to take steroids, hormones, peptides and any legal performance-enhancing drug…Enhanced Games executives insist the competition is a legitimate sports enterprise, but others have cast it as a carefully crafted marketing scheme, designed to turn athletics into advertising for a telehealth business that promotes controversial compounds whose benefits and risks remain unclear.”
May 26 – Nick Tiller (Skeptical Inquirer): “Right, let’s talk about AG1.” AG1, formerly Athletic Greens, is a leading brand of powdered greens. “Like any multivitamin, AG1 may offer a little cover if your diet is poor; like any probiotic, it may nudge aspects of your microbiome in potentially favorable directions. But shifting a few lab-based metrics isn’t the same as meaningfully improving your health, energy, or immunity. It could even hinder your health by creating what economists call a ‘moral hazard,’ where people act more recklessly or take fewer precautions because of a perceived safety net. With AG1 and similar powdered greens, the risk is nutritional complacency. It’s marketed as nutritional insurance, but I suspect its main appeal is that it’s powdered permission to have dessert without finishing your veg.”
May 28 – Joel Luther and others (KFF): “Hantavirus outbreak revives COVID-era false health claims.” “A hantavirus outbreak linked to a Dutch cruise ship in early May was followed by false health claims that mirror patterns documented in previous outbreaks, including unsupported claims that ivermectin is an effective treatment, that the outbreak was planned in advance, and that it was caused by COVID-19 vaccines.”
Additions to previous month
April 9 – Government of Canada: “Think twice before injecting peptides bought online: unauthorized products can seriously harm you.”
April 17 – Guardian: “Inside the CDC's leadership vacuum: Work at a ‘standstill’ and low morale as 80% of top posts remain vacant.”