Anti-woo commentators are a bunch of smug and condescending...

[haele]

316. That sounds like corruption in the monitoring of the process.

The scientific process itself is not wrong. What is wrong is when bias or profit is induced into the process and affects the results.

Drugs are being recalled because science proves them wrong. Treatments are discontinued because science proves them wrong.

So, yes - there are drugs and treatments in which results in one experiment are fantastic - but they're not able to be replicated.
And there are also drugs and treatments in which results are fantastic, but they end up being orphan drugs/treatments that are only good for a specific subset of conditions, or they are indirect conflict with a corporate point of view. And in both those cases, there is a profit induction into the decision made whether or not to promote those drugs or treatments, and they usually fall by the wayside.
It's not Science that does that, it's PEOPLE. Science and modern medicine developed Lorenzo's Oil. Corporations determined whether or not it was manufactured and went to market.

It's the Profit Margin.

And in the alternative medicine "marketplace", it's the same situation. I knew someone who came up with a "all natural" asthma treatment for a particular situation, so I'll relate what happened in the example below (the names being changed because there's still litigation involved):

Jane McGoody, an experienced RN with a PhD in botany, a BA in Colonial History, and an interest in herbal medicines living in New Hampshire researched and came up with this great treatment for a particular chronic immune system condition that has had success in the clinic she also works at. UNH has done initial lab tests on the treatments, and finds her science sound. However, the companies that fund the Bio-Medical department that can do further research, Lilly and Pfizer brush her off, and there's no money to do more advanced tests or even double-blinds.
So Ms. McGoody, wanting to help, publishes her findings on the internet. She gets contacted by a plethora of alternative medicine companies. Since she knows that one of the critical components is her treatment used the seed pods of a specific type of Queen Anne's Lace grown in New Hampshire just before the end of flowering when a particular chemical and hormone mixture was at a specific balance, she finds and chooses to partner with a reputable alternative therapies company that is willing to both work quickly with her to bring it to market, and promises to "be as true as possible" to her formulary directions when producing and distributing the new packaged treatment.
But, as usual, once you start bringing in marketing and mass production, you lose control and the motivation to maintain strict quality control. The supplier of herbal supplements in the alternative medicine practices, needs to both mass produce the treatment and make a profit. So, what's the difference between that particular strain and condition of Queen Anne's Lace - which would necessitate careful planting, cultivation, and harvesting by hand - and just planting and harvesting a couple dozen acres of generic Queen Anne's Lace more inexpensively out of a hopscotch of fallow burn areas in Brazil, shipping the entire plant (not just the critical seed pods, but leaves, roots, and stems) to China where they'll be processed in pill form along with equally "similar" components required for that treatment.

The mass-produced treatment no longer works the way Ms. McGoody had developed it. At best, it's a partial cure for the problem it had been developed for. In fact, there's some serious side effects that are damaging the liver and kidney functions of some people who are using the treatment. The formulary hasn't "changed"; there's the same ratio of components in the treatment that there were in Ms.McGoody's treatment, however, the components are not the same. They can't be the same; soil, seasonal, and weather conditions affect the chemical compound of natural components, and leaves and roots are not the same as seed pods.
And then, the copy-cats started up. "Queen Anne's Lace" was the new immune system therapy, good for weight loss and insomnia, too, depending on whomever was pushing their new product. Didn't matter where the plant was grown, how much or what part of the plant was used, or how it was processed - it was all natural, so it was all good. Pills made from twigs and sawdust were being sold for $50/$60 for a "90 day supply" at GNC from a MLM company with celebrities and athletes "vouching" for it's miracle properties. Alternative Medicine is an unregulated market, and Dr. McGoody, for all her good intentions, had just discovered the new profitable new magic herb of the year.

Y'know, all the good intentions of natural medicines and alternative therapies tend to come from the times they work - for whatever reason. If you do your research, source your own herbs, and work with a doctor (or at least have access to an understanding clinic with good diagnostic services and labs), and maintain medically sound follow-up, alternative medicine will probably work - for you and those immediately around you being treated for similar problems. However, once money gets involved, all bets are off. And there is no FDA that says "pull it off the market" if something is seriously dangerous in the alternative medicine market. In Europe, or in places where public health is not so profit driven, yes, alternative medicine is good. I'd be far more accepting of alternative therapies in countries where they are tested, monitored, and out in the open.

But here in the US (or even in Canada) - I'd consider the difference between trusting the quality of prescription medicine and alternative medicine in treating what ails me - I'd research the actual medication to make sure it's in alignment with what the doctor diagnosed (and I'm a stickler for test results after being screwed by a worker's comp doctor), and then decide if I'll go with it or suggest an alternative choice. But then, I'm a big one for research, test results, and informed decisions.

Haele