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On Science-Based Medicine,

Jann Bellamy:

“'Naturopathic medicine' in crisis.” “A scathing federal assessment, foundering naturopathic programs, poor job prospects, abysmal earnings, and staggering student debt pose threats to the future of ‘naturopathic medicine’.”

Scott Gavura:

“Science vs. hype: The unproven promise of NAD+ IV therapy.” “The main takeaway from this newer research is that it raises questions about the whole rationale for monitoring and supplementing at all. It could be that blood NAD+ levels may not be a useful marker of aging or lifestyle-related health changes, despite claims to the contrary. It could also be that raising levels with supplementation has no meaningful medicinal or therapeutic effects. While this research alone doesn’t rule out the idea of NAD supplements, it does give us greater reason to question the relevance and usefulness of this supplement. Compared to where we were in 2021, I’m even more skeptical of the therapeutic potential for NAD.”

Steven Novella:

“WHO and the death of evidence-based medicine.” “In short, this is an epic failure on the part of the WHO. They have allowed themselves to be hijacked by an agenda to promote profitable snake oil. This is ultimately entirely about supporting a fraudulent industry projected to be worth $369 billion by 2032. This will likely have a net harm to the health of the people they purport to serve. This also represents the failure of evidence-based medicine to enforce its own standards, and to police its domain. EBM has become a marketing term. It means whatever people want it to mean, which is often – I can cherry-pick evidence to show that my treatment works; therefore it’s evidence-based, even if the treatment itself makes zero scientific sense.” See also Edzard Ernst and June 30 items below.
“NYT article on Rapid Prompting Method.” Rapid Prompting is a variant on the pseudoscientific method of Facilitated Communication, supposedly enabling nonverbal children to produce sophisticated communications. “The stakes here are actually quite high, and we have a clear and unequivocal answer – these methods do not work, the facilitator is the true author, and the children these methods claims to help and just being abused. Such methods are terrible for everyone involved. The wishy-washy false balance of this NYT article will expand this harm. The net effect of such articles are always to drive desperate parents in search of the false hope being presented. It is profoundly frustrating that even when rigorous science provides us a clear answer, we cannot fully put such nonsense to bed.”

David Weinberg:

“A shoddy, ethically-challenged cancer study gets published…for now.” The study, by Peter McCullough’s The Wellness Company, concerned ivermectin and mebendazole. “The fact that such methodological and ethical concerns escaped the editors and peer reviewers does not speak highly of their standards and/or process. Peer review is an imperfect process, and sometimes things slip through the cracks. Kudos to the editors for responding quickly to the outcry from the international medical community. We will patiently wait to see how this Expression of Concern is resolved.”

Edzard Ernst:

“An excellent BMJ editorial sharply criticised the WHO’s stance on so-called alternative medicine (SCAM).” “It is good that the BMJ editorial concurs with my assessment. The question is, will it have an effect? Considering the multiple times we had to criticise the WHO for its irresponsible stance on SCAM, it would be high time for adopting an evidence-based attitude.”
“Iridology: it’s dangerous pseudo-diagnostic.” “Iridology is a diagnostic practice whose foundational maps were constructed through uncontrolled post hoc observation, without anatomical, physiological, or embryological basis. Decades of controlled investigation – including the most recent government-commissioned systematic review applying GRADE methodology – have failed to demonstrate diagnostic accuracy beyond chance, and no credible mechanism links iris features to systemic organ pathology.”
“Research ethics and integrity in so-called alternative medicine (SCAM).” The paper discussed is Sultanaamin et al., Integrative Medicine Research, 2026, 101385. “Yet, I fear that it is a small or even tiny step. The reason for my fear is that several important issues related to research ethics and integrity in SCAM are left untouched by the authors. In my view, the one of the most important amongst them is the SCAM researcher him/herself. As often discussed on this blog, SCAM research is unique amongst all areas of medical research for being populated by individuals who have a strong ideological bias in favour of SCAM. These (pseudo)scientists tend to abuse science by trying to prove that their beliefs are correct. Rather than trying to falsify their hypotheses, they would bend over backwards to show that their favourite SCAM is effective.”
“Trustworthiness, Integration, and Standardization in SCAM – the desperate call for double standards in healthcare.”
“Official German assessment of osteopathy for non-specific low back pain.” “The IGeL‑Monitor reiterates its previous (2018) position: with current data one cannot reliably endorse osteopathy as an effective out‑of‑pocket intervention for non‑specific low back pain…I nevertheless would like to add one important point: back pain is the one condition for which the evidence is relatively sound. There are many other conditions for which osteopathy is being relentlessly promoted as an effective therapy with even less or no reliable evidence at all.”
“The Church of England promotes 'conversion therapy'.” “Conversion therapy is a form of so-called alternative medicine (SCAM) that attempts to change an individual’s sexual orientation from homosexual or bisexual to heterosexual, or to change their gender identity from transgender or non-binary to cisgender. The practice is built on the false premise that being LGBTQ+ is a mental illness or a developmental flaw that can and should be ‘cured’.”
“Extraordinary claims need extraordinary evidence – a few thoughts about biological plausibility.” “EBM [evidence-based medicine] has revolutionized healthcare, but evaluating evidence in a vacuum can carry the risk of validating the absurd. To minimise this risk, we might consider integrating biological plausibility into EBM, a possibility that has long been discussed by many experts in the field. This approach is not a rejection of EBM, but a vital safeguard for it which ensures that the evidence aligns with and strengthened by fundamental science and existing knowledge. By demanding extraordinary evidence for extraordinary claims, medicine can better protect its resources, maintain intellectual integrity, and ensure that clinical practice rests on a foundation that is both statistically sound and scientifically reasonable.”
“Yes, plausibility matters, but biological plausibility is not everything.” “Ultimately, in my view, not a dogmatic stance but a balanced integration of both biological and clinical plausibility should underpin rational decisions about which medical hypotheses to pursue, adopt, or discard.”
“SCAM [so-called alternative medicine]-use and all-cause mortality among US adults.” “This study might be used as a textbook example for an elementary lesson on: ‘CORRELATION IS NOT CAUSATION’. It seems highly unlikely that any SCAM has specific effects on longevity. Any type of regular physical exercise might have an effect, but this would not be specific to yoga and pilates. A likely explanation for some of the observed results is that SCAM users are more health conscious. The authors of the paper are well aware of this confounder when they state that SCAM users ‘were younger, more educated, higher income, less likely to smoke, more physically active, and reported better self-rated health than non-users.’ My message to consumers: if you want to live a long life, forget about SCAM and adopt a healthy life-style.”
“Why do people use unproven treatments?” Eight reasons are discussed.
“Causality: how to prove it, and shy is it important?” “These 4 examples illustrate the fundamental problem: SCAM proponents routinely mistake correlation for causation, or propose causal mechanisms that have no basis in established physics, chemistry, or biology. Without satisfying the above-mentioned criteria, these claims remain unproven speculation rather than scientific fact.”
“Religiosity and health.” “Much of the evidence relies on observational studies, making it difficult to be sure about causality: healthier or more socially integrated people may be more likely to be religiously active. Measures of religiosity and spirituality are heterogeneous, ranging from attendance to private practices to diffuse ‘spiritual well‑being,’ which complicates comparisons and may inflate positive findings. In other words, the effects of religiosity on health are less than certain or clear.”
“How unethical is chiropractic?” Seven major issues are discussed.
“Useful tips for examining health claims.” “The Medical Journalists’ Association (MJA) has outlined six practical tips to help scrutinise health claims responsibly and accurately. They are primarily meant for journalists but, I think, they are also useful for the general public, particularly when dealing with health claims in the realm of so-called alternative medicine (SCAM)…If I may, I will add an 7th to the six by the MJA. It is one that I have issued many times previously and that is, I think, essential in SCAM: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!”
“Chris Boyle and 'British Supplements': Anti-regulation, culture war and conspiracy as marketing tools.” “By promoting unproven remedies to severely ill patients and actively cultivating distrust in evidence-based medicine and regulatory bodies, British Supplements not only financially exploit vulnerable consumers, it also endanger the health of those who might believe in their unsubstantiated claims.”
“The role of exercise in the management of pain.” “While these exercises seem particularly effective, the most remarkable finding is, in my view, that practically ALL types of exercise work for practically ALL types of pain.” Tai chi and yoga were among the exercises discussed.
“Fasting: the effects might be complex.” “This interesting and well-reported study supports the idea that fasting does not just ‘burn fat’ uniformly; it shifts energy stores differently across organs and fat depots. Visceral fat appears more responsive and more durable in its reduction than subcutaneous fat, which is relevant because visceral fat is more strongly linked to cardiometabolic risk. Because this was a case report with one participant, the findings are best viewed as hypothesis-generating rather than definitive.”
“The rise of Chutzpah-Based Medicine (CBM).” “In CBM, double-blind trials are replaced by double-down charisma. Why wait 10 years for evidence when you can assert a medical breakthrough in 15 seconds on video with dynamic lighting, an unbuttoned linen shirt, and absolute, unshakable certainty? Here is an overview of the core tenets and leading luminaries of this revolutionary field.” Four “ambassadors” of CBM are: Gwyneth Paltrow, Mehmet Oz, Joseph Mercola, and Deepak Chopra. “While Evidence-Based Medicine requires years of arduous testing, CBM offers immediate answers, simple villains, and premium-priced remedies. Why let a clinical trial get in the way of an excellent means of getting rich quickly?”
“Educational deficits of the German Heilpraktiker and the dangers caused by them.” Heilpraktikers are German practitioners of alternative medicine. “The state has allowed this two-tier medical landscape to persist – one built on rigorous science, and another shielded by a legal loophole. In trying to uphold the constitutional freedom of occupation, the German legislative framework inadvertently compromises a far more fundamental duty: the protection of the public from dangerous quacks. This leaves a nation known for ‘playing it safe’ in the ironic position of legally sanctioning pseudo-scientific nonsense within its healthcare system.”
“Kneipp medicine: popular, lucrative and totally unproven.” “It is a naturopathic system based on hydrotherapy, exercise, nutrition, phytotherapy and lifestyle regulation. It has a long history and is popular, particularly in Germany…The authors concluded that, despite its historical and cultural significance, Kneipp medicine lacks robust scientific validation from high-quality RCTs to substantiate its medical efficacy as a comprehensive therapeutic approach. Consequently, its contemporary relevance appears to be primarily rooted in traditional, wellness and commercial contexts rather than evidence-based healthcare and medical practice….The lack of reliable clinical trials to test the many modalities under the Kneipp umbrella is, in my view, hugely shameful for those who earn a living from recommending it to patients.”
“Biohacking.” “And yet biohacking boils down to a pitifully vulgar story: fear mutated into commerce. Fear of mortality, fear of decline, fear of being ordinary. SCAM [so-called alternative medicine] supplies the myths that soothe those fears; biohacking supplies products to monetize them. Together they form a perfect alliance of wishful thinking and premium fees.”
“The financial burden resulting from SCAM [so-called alternative medicine] in oncology.”
“Canadian tribunal rejects chiropractic claims due to a lack of effectiveness.” “This case exposes a core criticism surrounding the chiropractic business model: the tendency to treat patients much longer than medically required through open-ended treatment cycles that lack the backing of reliable evidence.”

On McGill Office for Science and Society:

Jonathan Jarry:

“Mikhaila Peterson is reinventing medicine badly.” “In trying to figure out what is making her sick, Mikhaila Peterson has publicly promoted misguided notions regarding the carnivore diet, mould, mitochondria, and psychiatric drugs. Her podcast is a way for her to get free appointments with people she mistakenly regards as health experts, and she monetizes it by receiving sponsorships from companies selling beef organ supplements and mould detection kits. She regularly promotes doubt in medical doctors, vaccines, and a number of safe and effective interventions like the vitamin K shot given to newborns.” Edzard Ernst also discussed Peterson: “Mikhaila Peterson, it seems to me, is a savvy entrepreneur and influencer with a biology degree and a knack for rebranding pure quackery as medical breakthroughs, reinventing medicine badly and absolving herself of the inconvenient requirement of evidence for health claims. In a word, she is a high-profile ambassador for CBM – Chutzpa-based Medicine.”

“Can science even test prayers?” “Scientific studies of intercessory prayer for better health usually show no effect. Studying the efficacy of prayer arguably should not be done by scientists as it is impossible to prove that the control group was not prayed for by anyone, and it tests an alleged divinity that will not behave the way a medication does.”

Julia Nevski:

“The Barbie drug your dermatologist has never heard of.” “An unlicensed tanning drug is circulating on TikTok with links to melanoma, priapism, and renal failure — and most of the physicians who should know about it don't. Melanotan II is a pharmacology story. It's also a story about who we trust now, and why.”

Joe Schwarcz:

“Resveratrol supplements: Trifling facts, lots of conjecture.” “So, what are people getting when they are scoffing large doses of resveratrol supplements spurred by the gushy stories about resveratrol in red wine? Nothing other than a chance of gastrointestinal symptoms and the risk of interaction with prescription drugs they may be taking.”
“Forget the supplements and bring on the berries.” “We're all interested in slowing the aging process, but the notion that any simple intervention will have a dramatic effect is primitive thinking…I remain unconvinced about the value of dietary supplements, be they NAD+ boosters or polyphenol formulations. But if I am asked whether I eat berries regularly, I have no hesitation in answering. ‘I do. Every day. A 150-gram mix’.”
“Creatine a supplement with a rare commodity: evidence.” “Creatine differs from the vast majority of dietary supplements in the sense that it comes with a sound biochemical rationale and reproducible evidence. If I were a serious weightlifter, hockey player or Olympic sprinter, I would be taking it.”
“Turmeric tea is tasty but it will not do anything for your health” (video with transcript). “Basically, taking all the clinical trials together, there is no basis for making any recommendation about taking turmeric supplements.”

July 7 – Richard Sima (Washington Post): “What to know about the safety of this popular supplement for arthritis.” A new study found that “using glucosamine may be linked to accelerated progression and higher mortality in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.”

July 14 – Andrew Kolodny (Washington Post):’It’s an opioid’: My patients are becoming addicted to this ‘supplement’.” “That warning [from the FDA] reflects a basic pharmacologic fact. Kratom’s principal active compound is an opioid that activates the same brain receptors as heroin and prescription painkillers. Like other opioids, kratom is highly addictive: Repeated use leads to tolerance, dependence and the need for progressively higher doses. As the FDA put it, kratom ‘isn’t just a plant — it’s an opioid’.”

July 15 – Ken McLeod (Quackwatch): “Be wary of Barbara O'Neill's health recommendations.” “Barbara O’Neill offers faith-based health advice at lectures around the world that are costly to attend and likely to endanger her faithful followers. While some of the media coverage of O’Neill has been informative and appropriately critical, some coverage has been irresponsibly promotional. Clips of O’Neill’s lectures dating back to 2012 have been promoted on social media by online scammers seeking to profit off her fame without her authorization, in some cases using AI-generated content inventing new health advice ostensibly offered by O’Neill. Consumers should be wary of health advice offered by the real Barbara O’Neill or AI-generated replicas of her.”

July 15 – Federal Trade Commission: “FTC approves final order against TruHeight for deceptive and unsubstantiated advertising of supplements for kids and teens.” “The order finalized by the Commission settles allegations, brought by the FTC in April 2026, that TruHeight and its two principals, Eden Stelmach and Justin Rapoport, deceptively advertised the effectiveness of a range of supplements that claim to boost height growth in children and teenagers. The complaint also alleged that TruHeight and its principals relied on reviews that were written by their own employees and vendors, or by consumers who were offered a free product or discount in return for writing a 5-star review.”

July 21 – Arijeta Lajka and others (New York Times) (video with transcript): “The fake influencers selling wellness on your feed.” “The New York Times found hundreds of A.I.-generated doctors, healers and wellness influencers on social media touting the health benefits of supplements to American consumers. Many of these hyperrealistic looking ads promise medical miracles, and appear to be targeting older women, while making misleading health claims for a profit.”

Addition to previous month

June 30 – Philips and others published “WHO's misguided push for complementary and alternative medicine” (BMJ. 2026 Jun 30;393:e100062). “Despite claiming evidence must precede integration, the strategy also allows member states to fund and integrate CAM before standard efficacy and public safety data exist, which is ethically and methodologically indefensible…Acceptance of some CAM interventions owes more to political invention, nationalism, or decolonial movements than to evidence in many places…The randomised controlled trial is not colonial oppression; it distinguishes interventions that work from those that do not…WHO’s strategy insufficiently distinguishes CAM as traditional knowledge for hypothesis generation from validated knowledge that is ready for integration.”

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