Why is outright quackery still so popular?

[Archae]

I watched a show on History International the other night, and there were two ads that ran several times.

"Colon Flow" (Not "Colon Blow.") :-)
Take this pill and it'll act like Drain-O on your shit.

Some sort of bracelet that "improves energy."

Drugstores, especially the big chains, have lots of quack products in them.

Every time, and I do mean *EVERY FUCKING TIME* these products are tested under proper scientific protocols, they fail.
So why are they still available? Are people that stupid that they buy this shit?

[arcane1]

1. To answer your last question:

Yes.

Though technically I'd say it's not so much stupidity as it is being unable to smell bullshit.

[Maru Kitteh]

58. I have a brother-in-law who once worked as a CAD drafter, reasonably eduated and yet wears a copper

bracelet to "keep from getting arthritis."

The guy is a paradox. He's able to carry on a conversation on many topics with reasonable skill and knowledge. While he's no genius, he is at least a little above average intelligence - and yet, he spends his days out in his shop soaking up Glen Beck and Rush, and a couple of years ago this magic bracelet showed up.

I think some people are not consistently smart or foolish.

[arcane1]

59. Indeed, none are truly immune from being fooled n/t

[Obamanaut]

2. We also believe politicians when they tell us they will change things

and make everything better.

Members of congress tell us this every two (or six) years, and we believe them, providing them with a nice career. We vote for the 'name you know' time after time, because that name tells us what we want to hear.

Snake oil, strings and mirrors.

[H2O Man]

3. Respectfully disagree.

I saw an ad on television for those braclets. They improve balance, as well as intensifying the flow of energy. This must be true, if it is on television.





* I do suspect that the energy flow is from the idiot's wallet to the seller's bank account, increasing the balance.

[Canuckistanian]

33. Don't ever put those bracelets on backwards

Or else the "flow" might just reverse itself. And you wouldn't want that.

[H2O Man]

52. In my opinion,

at least 50% of the people reported "missing" on shows like Nancy Grace have actually done just that. If you keep it on too long, you simply disappear.

These braclets have captured an energy force greater than an atomic bomb! People MUST read the instructions carefully.

[mikeytherat]

50. I love those ads. How the snakeoil salesman in them probably took 2 weeks of martial arts classes,

just enough to learn pressure points and balance.

mikey_the_rat

[woo me with science]

55. I doubt he even needed to do that.

He gets them off balance the first time because they weren't expecting it.

Then they put the bracelet on and he does it again. Of course you are better at keeping your balance when you are expecting someone to throw you off.

[Posteritatis]

4. Combination of lousy education and the idea that opinions can never be wrong

Confronted with the evidence of their failure, all someone needs to do is deny the existence or validity of the tests, because after all we all know there's a conspiracy by Big Pharma to suppress the idea that wearing magnets on your wrist will cure your cancer or whatever other murdering bullshit people like the peddle.

[devils chaplain]

5. A few reasons...

First, wishful thinking. People want to believe there's a simple, affordable solution to their problems.

Second, a distrust (often reasonable) of the mainstream pharmaceutical industry that leads people to seek other alternatives.

Finally, and probably most importantly, there seems to be a lack of critical thinking overall in this country as of late. Examples of this are all over the place.

[thelordofhell]

6. The Placebo Effect

[nadinbrzezinski]

8. and that is of scientific value too

But also comes from the need of people to beleive

[MedicalAdmin]

53. A recnt study found that the placebo effect works even when it is known

to be a placebo. I don't have ink because I'm not at the office but Ill find it later.

Placebo effect is real but basically unstudied . And it likely won't be.

[Capitalocracy]

71. Placebo effect generates a "feeling" of wellness.

But people sell these things as if it generates results. It's flat-out dangerous.

[Maru Kitteh]

76. What control would one use in a trial of placebo?

[Hannah Bell]

7. because the incurable ills of capitalism are pushed into the body & mind.

and manifest as psychosomatic illness.

[NNN0LHI]

9. Remember when the fad was for people to shock themselves with gas grill igniters for pain?

My dad used to put copper pads in his shoes that some huckster sold him. They were so heavy he could barley lift his feet up to take a step.

Don

[gratuitous]

10. Because the alternative is so unpalatable

Persons in chronic pain go to doctors, who try one thing or another. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. If it works, the problem is solved, though it might have cost some money. If it doesn't work, it still costs money. Being in pain sucks. Now, here comes Dr. Feelgood on the TV with a nostrum or a trinket that is "guaranteed" to bring relief for only 20 smackers. That's a lot less than it costs to go see a real doctor!

We also do a horrible job of educating our people about good health and proper nutrition. Hell, you can't even advocate for healthier kids and better eating habits without ninnies like the former half-term governor of our least populous state screeching about government interference in child rearing.

Is our society fucked up beyond repair? It's certainly fucked up. And as long as some people are making gobs of money off that fucked uppance, it will continue.

[delightfulstar]

11. There are better ways...

Namely natural things that can be picked up at any health food place. It's amazing what can happen if you straignten out something as simple as a vitamin deficiency, for example. Dietary changes can help, too. There's no need to blow $50-100 on a bottle of "quack" pills from a late-night infomercial. It's all a marketing scam, IMHO.

[Archae]

12. I know what you mean.

I take a little extra iron, I've cut down on sweets, and I exercize on my new stationary bicycle a half-hour a day.

And I feel better.

I'm not taking the latest "diet pill" that would give me the shits, or buying the latest "exercize" gizmo that would do nothing but shake my glasses off, or eating fad "low-calorie diet meals" that aren't much more than birdseed.

[DCKit]

22. You have GOT to watch the recent episode of "South Park" featuring the "Shake Weight". nt

[PBS Poll-435]

29. 'It has been 6 hours since our last workout'

"Harder"

"Change Arms"

"Almost There"

"Splash"

[eShirl]

42. Ellen had one of those on her show

Holding it with both hands: "Wow. It feels like I'm working muscles I've never used before." :rofl:

[Manifestor_of_Light]

68. "Dynamic Inertia"

That's what I'm doing when I'm holding the bed down so it doesn't fly away.

:rofl: :boring:

[lildreamer316]

57. SNL did a good one also.

http://www.hulu.com/watch/143264/saturday-night-live-shake-weight-dvd

[Robyn66]

61. Harder...Faster...Here is your cab fare

LOVE that episode!!!!

[HysteryDiagnosis]

13. Prostaglandins

J Ethnopharmacol. 2008 Sep 2;119(1):145-52. Epub 2008 Jun 27.
In vitro and in vivo anti-inflammatory effects of taheebo, a water extract from the inner bark of Tabebuia avellanedae.

Byeon SE, Chung JY, Lee YG, Kim BH, Kim KH, Cho JY.
School of Bioscience and Biotechnology, and Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Kangwon National University, Hyoja-2-dong, Chuncheon 200-701, South Korea.
Abstract

AIM OF STUDY: Tabebuia spp. (Bignoniaceae) are native to tropical rain forests throughout Central and South America and have long been used as a folk medicine to treat bacterial infection, blood coagulation, cancer and inflammatory diseases. In this study, we aimed to demonstrate the ethnopharmacological activity of Tabebuia avellanedae in various in vitro and in vivo inflammatory conditions.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: To do this, LPS-stimulated macrophages and arachidonic acid or croton oil-induced mouse ear edema models were employed.

RESULTS: The water extract (taheebo) of Tabebuia avellanedae significantly suppressed the production of prostaglandin (PG) E(2) and nitric oxide (NO), and blocked the mRNA expression of their catalyzing enzymes (cyclooxygenase and inducible NO synthase , respectively), in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. The blockade of inflammatory mediators by taheebo seemed to be the result of the interruption of extracellular signal-related kinase (ERK) activation, according to immunoblotting analysis and the NO assay, where LPS strongly induced the phosphorylation (a hallmark of activation) of ERK, and U0126, a selective ERK inhibitor, was found to strongly inhibit PGE(2) production. Similarly, oral administration of taheebo (100mg/kg) for 1 week completely diminished mouse ear edema induced by arachidonic acid, an activator of COX-II, but not croton oil, an activator of lipoxygenase.

CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that the ethnopharmacological action of taheebo may be due to its negative modulation of macrophage-mediated inflammatory responses by suppressing PGE(2) production. Thus, this water extract may be developed as a new therapeutic remedy for various inflammatory diseases such as arthritis and atherosclerosis.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

14. STDs

J Ethnopharmacol. 2010 Aug 9;130(3):552-8. Epub 2010 Jun 2.
An antimicrobial investigation of plants used traditionally in southern Africa to treat sexually transmitted infections.
van Vuuren SF, Naidoo D.

Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Witwatersrand, Parktown, South Africa. [e-mail]
Abstract

AIM OF THE STUDY: Eighteen plants were assessed for antimicrobial activity against pathogens associated with prevalent urogenital/sexually transmitted infections. Plant selection was based on information obtained from the ethnobotanical literature.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Dried plant material was submerged in a 1:1 mixture of methanol and dichloromethane for 24 h. Aqueous extracts were prepared by submerging dried plant material in sterile distilled water for 24 h followed by lyophilization. Essential oils were distilled from the two aromatic plant species (Tarchonanthus camphoratus and Croton gratissimus). Antimicrobial activity was assessed using the micro-well minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) assay with specific modifications to facilitate fastidious growth of pathogens.

RESULTS: Tarchonanthus camphoratus (solvent extract) showed the most significant broad spectrum activity with MIC values ranging between 0.50 and 0.70 mg/ml against five of the six pathogens tested. Other noteworthy activity was found for Hypericum aethiopicum (root) at 0.3 mg/ml (Neisseria gonorrhoeae).Polygala fruticosa and the solvent root extract of Hypericum aethiopicum showed highest sensitivities towards Gardnerella vaginalis at 0.2 mg/ml. Efficacy of the solvent extracts against the pathogen Oligella ureolytica demonstrated antimicrobial activity (MIC values <or=1.0 mg/ml) for seven plant species. The highest activity noted against Ureaplasma urealyticum was for Psidium guajava (solvent extract) at 0.8 mg/ml. In general the aqueous extracts displayed mostly poor anti-STI activity. The most noteworthy susceptibility for the aqueous extracts was noted with the plant extract Syzygium cordatum (MIC value 0.1 mg/ml against Candida albicans). The most noteworthy activity for the essential oils was observed for Tarchonanthus camphoratus (0.8 mg/ml) against Oligella ureolytica.

CONCLUSIONS: Antimicrobial activity was observed for a number of the plant samples against at least one or more pathogen, thus validating the ethnobotanical use as an anti-infective to treat sexually transmitted diseases.
Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

[JVS]

15. Because we live in a land run by horrible fuckwads who keep us from getting real medical attention.

DUH!

[Maru Kitteh]

77. ding ding ding.......... we have a wwiinnnah!

[HysteryDiagnosis]

16. Immunity and inflammation

Inflamm Allergy Drug Targets. 2010 Dec 24.
Micronutrients at the Interface Between Inflammation and Infection Ascorbic Acid and Calciferol: Part 1, General Overview with a Focus on Ascorbic Acid.
Ströhle A, Wolters M, Hahn A.
Institute of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Leibniz University of Hannover, Am Kleinen Felde 30, D-30167 Hannover, Germany. [e-mail].
Abstract

As elements of the antioxidant system, cofactors of enzymes, components of transcription factors, and epigenetic modulators, micronutrients, such as vitamins and trace elements, influence various metabolic processes that are directly associated with immune functions. Specifically, the micronutrients vitamins C and D have been shown to have significance immune function. Therefore, the objective of this review is to elucidate interactions between micronutrients and the immune system. In the initial section of this review, we present a general overview of interactions between the immune system and micronutrients, with a focus on the immunobiologically relevant functions of vitamin C. Immune competent cells accumulate vitamin C against a concentration gradient, with a close relationship between vitamin C supply and immune cell activity, especially phagocytosis activity and T-cell function. Accordingly, one of the consequences of vitamin C deficiency is impaired resistance to various pathogens, while an enhanced supply increases antibody activity and infection resistance.
PMID: 21184650

[HysteryDiagnosis]

17. Diabetes and dyslipidemia

J Nutr. 2011 Jan;141(1):17-23. Epub 2010 Nov 24.
Diosgenin, the Main Aglycon of Fenugreek, Inhibits LXR{alpha} Activity in HepG2 Cells and Decreases Plasma and Hepatic Triglycerides in Obese Diabetic Mice.
Uemura T, Goto T, Kang MS, Mizoguchi N, Hirai S, Lee JY, Nakano Y, Shono J, Hoshino S, Taketani K, Tsuge N, Narukami T, Makishima M, Takahashi N, Kawada T.
Laboratory of Molecular Function of Food, Division of Food Science and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Uji, Kyoto 611-0011, Japan.
Abstract
Trigonella foenum-graecum (fenugreek) can ameliorate dyslipidemia, but the detailed mechanism is unclear. In this study, we examined the effects of fenugreek on hepatic lipid metabolism, particularly lipogenesis, which is enhanced in obesity and diabetes, in diabetic obese KK-Ay mice. KK-Ay mice were fed a control high-fat diet (HFD; 60% of energy as fat) (C group) or an HFD containing 0.5% or 2% fenugreek (0.5F and 2.0F groups, respectively) for 4 wk. Hepatic and plasma TG and mRNA expression levels of lipogenic genes were lower in the 2.0F group at 4 wk (P < 0.05), but not in the 0.5F group, than in the C group.

The hydrolyzed saponin fraction, but not the saponin fraction per se, in fenugreek inhibited the accumulation of TG in HepG2 cells. We fractionated the hydrolyzed saponin into 15 fractions by HPLC and examined the effect of these fractions on TG accumulation in HepG2 cells. Fraction 11 inhibited TG accumulation in HepG2 cells and we determined by liquid chromatography tandem MS that the active substance contained in fraction 11 is diosgenin. Diosgenin (5 and 10 μmol/L) inhibited the accumulation of TG and the expression of lipogenic genes in HepG2 cells.

Moreover, diosgenin inhibited the transactivation of liver-X-receptor-α, as measured using a luciferase assay system and by gel mobility shift assay. These findings suggest that fenugreek ameliorates dyslipidemia by decreasing the hepatic lipid content in diabetic mice and that its effect is mediated by diosgenin. Fenugreek, which contains diosgenin, may be useful for the management of diabetes-related hepatic dyslipidemias.

[Bluenorthwest]

18. When the President openly speaks of invisible beings who tell

him that some people are 'sanctified' and others are not, and the ones who are sanctified should have more rights than others, you can ask about quackery? I have no human rights because folks like Obama pray to Harvey the Rabbit and that Bunny is a Bigot. He uses ritual words like 'sacrament' in public discourse, as a way to denigrate others.
Compare to that, the magneto bracelet seems benign.

[Vickers]

34. Dang, I wish I would've written that post.

:thumbsup:

[Fumesucker]

38. Ouch, that one's gonna leave a mark..

:toast:

[Warren DeMontague]

78. No

Shit. :applause:

[HysteryDiagnosis]

19. Anti-cancer activity

Br J Nutr. 2010 Nov;104(9):1288-96. Epub 2010 Jun 15.
In vivo modulation of 4E binding protein 1 (4E-BP1) phosphorylation by watercress: a pilot study.
Syed Alwi SS, Cavell BE, Telang U, Morris ME, Parry BM, Packham G.
Cancer Sciences Division, School of Medicine, Cancer Research UK Centre, Southampton General Hospital, The Somers Cancer Research Building (MP824), University of Southampton, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK.

Abstract
Dietary intake of isothiocyanates (ITC) has been associated with reduced cancer risk. The dietary phenethyl ITC (PEITC) has previously been shown to decrease the phosphorylation of the translation regulator 4E binding protein 1 (4E-BP1). Decreased 4E-BP1 phosphorylation has been linked to the inhibition of cancer cell survival and decreased activity of the transcription factor hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF), a key positive regulator of angiogenesis, and may therefore contribute to potential anti-cancer effects of PEITC. In the present study, we have investigated the in vitro and in vivo effects of watercress, which is a rich source of PEITC.

We first demonstrated that, similar to PEITC, crude watercress extracts inhibited cancer cell growth and HIF activity in vitro. To examine the effects of dietary intake of watercress, we obtained plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells following the ingestion of an 80 g portion of watercress from healthy participants who had previously been treated for breast cancer.

of PEITC in plasma samples from nine participants demonstrated a mean maximum plasma concentration of 297 nm following the ingestion of watercress. Flow cytometric analysis of 4E-BP1 phosphorylation in peripheral blood cells from four participants demonstrated significantly reduced 4E-BP1 phosphorylation at 6 and 8 h following the ingestion of watercress. Although further investigations with larger numbers of participants are required to confirm these findings, this pilot study suggests that flow cytometry may be a suitable approach to measure changes in 4E-BP1 phosphorylation following the ingestion of watercress, and that dietary intake of watercress may be sufficient to modulate this potential anti-cancer pathway.
PMID: 20546646

[slackmaster]

20. Because people become fanatics about their pet quack remedies

The only thing more annoying that someone who insists that you MUST use echinacea, DMSO, or ear candles is a reformed drunk.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

21. Apoptosis

Food Chem Toxicol. 2010 Nov 26.
Rosmanol potently induces apoptosis through both the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway and death receptor pathway in human colon adenocarcinoma COLO 205 cells.

Cheng AC, Lee MF, Tsai ML, Lai CS, Lee JH, Ho CT, Pan MH.
Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences, Chang Jung Christian University, Tainan 71101, Taiwan.
Abstract


Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), a culinary spice and medicinal herb, has been widely used in European folk medicine to treat numerous ailments. Many studies have shown that rosemary extracts play important roles in anti-inflammation, anti-tumor, and anti-proliferation in various in vitro and in vivo settings. The roles of tumor suppression of rosemary have been attributed to the major components, including carnosic acid, carnosol, and rosmarinic acid, rosmanol, and ursolic acid. This study was to explore the effect of rosmanol on the growth of COLO 205 human colorectal adenocarcinoma cells and to delineate the underlying mechanisms. When treated with 50μM of rosmanol for 24h, COLO 205 cells displayed a strong apoptosis-inducing response with a 51% apoptotic ratio (IC(50) ∼42μM).

Rosmanol increased the expression of Fas and FasL, led to the cleavage and activation of pro-caspase-8 and Bid, and mobilized Bax from cytosol into mitochondria. The mutual activation between tBid and Bad decreased the mitochondrial membrane potential and released cytochrome c and apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) to cytosol. In turn, cytochrome c induced the processing of pro-caspase-9 and pro-caspase-3, followed by the cleavage of poly-(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) and DNA fragmentation factor (DFF-45). These results demonstrate that the rosmanol-induced apoptosis in COLO 205 cells is involvement of caspase activation and involving complicated regulation of both the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway and death receptor pathway.
Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

23. Intestinal motility

Pharmacological basis for the medicinal use of black pepper and piperine in gastrointestinal disorders.
Mehmood MH, Gilani AH.
Natural Product Research Division, Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Aga Khan University Medical College, Karachi, Pakistan.
Abstract

Dried fruits of Piper nigrum (black pepper) are commonly used in gastrointestinal disorders. The aim of this study was to rationalize the medicinal use of pepper and its principal alkaloid, piperine, in constipation and diarrhea using in vitro and in vivo assays. When tested in isolated guinea pig ileum, the crude extract of pepper (Pn.Cr) (1–10 mg/mL) and piperine (3–300 μM) caused a concentration-dependent and atropine-sensitive stimulant effect.

In rabbit jejunum, Pn.Cr (0.01–3.0 mg/mL) and piperine (30–1,000 μM) relaxed spontaneous contractions, similar to loperamide and nifedipine. The relaxant effect of Pn.Cr and piperine was partially inhibited in the presence of naloxone (1 μM) similar to that of loperamide, suggesting the naloxone-sensitive effect in addition to the Ca(2+) channel blocking (CCB)-like activity, which was evident by its relaxant effect on K+ (80 mM)-induced contractions. The CCB activity was confirmed when pretreatment of the tissue with Pn.Cr (0.03–0.3 mg/mL) or piperine (10–100 μM) caused a rightward shift in the concentration–response curves of Ca(2+), similar to loperamide and nifedipine.

In mice, Pn.Cr and piperine exhibited a partially atropine-sensitive laxative effect at lower doses, whereas at higher doses it caused antisecretory and antidiarrheal activities that were partially inhibited in mice pretreated with naloxone (1.5 mg/kg), similar to loperamide. This study illustrates the presence of spasmodic (cholinergic) and antispasmodic (opioid agonist and Ca(2+) antagonist) effects, thus providing the possible explanation for the medicinal use of pepper and piperine in gastrointestinal motility disorders.
PMID: 20828313

[WillowTree]

24. Often it's more a matter of desperation than stupidity,

[HysteryDiagnosis]

25. Alfalfa

Pharm Biol. 2010 Oct 25.
Phytochemical and pharmacological potential of Medicago sativa: A review.
Bora KS, Sharma A.
L.R. Institute of Pharmacy, Solan, Himachal Pradesh, India.

Abstract
Context: Many herbal remedies have so far been employed for the treatment and management of various ailments since the beginning of human civilization. Medicago is an extensive genus of the family Leguminosae, comprising about 83 different species. Medicago sativa (Linn.) has long been used as traditional herbal medicine in China, Iraq, Turkey, India and America for the treatment of a variety of ailments. Objectives: The aim of this review was to collect all available scientific literature published and combine it into this review. The present review comprises the ethnopharmacological, phytochemical and therapeutic potential of M. sativa. Methods: The present review includes 117 references compiled from major databases as Chemical Abstracts, Science Direct, SciFinder, PubMed, Dr. Dukes Phytochemical and Ethnobotany, CIMER, and InteliHealth.

Results: An exhaustive survey of literature revealed that saponins, flavonoids, phytoestrogens, coumarins, alkaloids, amino acids, phytosterols, vitamins, digestive enzymes and terpenes constitute major classes of phytoconstituents of this plant. Pharmacological reports revealed that it is used as neuroprotective, hypocholesterolemic, antioxidant, antiulcer, antimicrobial, hypolipidemic, estrogenic, and in the treatment of atherosclerosis, heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes and menopausal symptoms in women. Conclusion: M. sativa seems to hold great potential for in-depth investigation for various biological activities, especially their effects on central nervous and cardiovascular system.

Through this review, the authors hope to attract the attention of natural product researchers throughout the world to focus on the unexplored potential of M. sativa, and it may be useful in developing new formulations with more therapeutic value.
PMID: 20969516

[HysteryDiagnosis]

26. Rotavirus

BMC Infect Dis. 2010 Aug 25;10:253.
Probiotics in the treatment of acute rotavirus diarrhoea. A randomized, double-blind, controlled trial using two different probiotic preparations in Bolivian children.
Grandy G, Medina M, Soria R, Terán CG, Araya M.
Paediatric Centre Albina Patiño, Department of Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Cochabamba, Bolivia. [e-mail]

Abstract
BACKGROUND: Evidence suggests that probiotics reduce rotavirus diarrhoea duration. Although there are several probiotic strains potentially useful, daily practice is often limited by the type and number of products locally available. In general, information about combined products is scarce. In this study we compare the effect of two probiotic products in the treatment of diarrhoea in children less than 2 years of age.

METHODS: A Randomized double-blind controlled clinical trial in children hospitalized for acute rotavirus diarrhoea, in the Paediatric Centre Albina Patino, Cochabamba, Bolivia.Participants were children aged 1 - 23 months, who were randomly assigned to receive one of three treatments: Oral rehydration therapy plus placebo; Oral rehydration solution plus Saccharomyces boulardii; or Oral rehydration solution plus a compound containing Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Bifidobacterium longum and Saccharomyces boulardii. Sample size was 20 per group and the outcomes were duration of diarrhoea, of fever, of vomiting and of hospitalization.

RESULTS: 64 cases finished the protocol. On admission, patients' characteristics were similar. Median duration of diarrhoea (p = 0.04) in children who received the single species product (58 hours) was shorter than in controls (84.5 hrs). Comparing children that received the single probiotic product and controls showed shorter duration of fever (18 vs 67 hrs) (p = 0.0042) and the mixed probiotic of vomiting (0 vs 42.5 hrs) (p = 0.041). There was no effect on duration of hospitalization (p = 0.31). When experimental groups were merged, statistical significance of changes increased (total duration of diarrhoea, fever and vomiting P = 0.025, P = 0.025 and P = 0.014, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS: Both products decreased the duration of diarrhoea compared to oral rehydration solution alone. This decrease was significant only for the single species product which also decreased the duration of fever. With the multiple species product there was no vomiting subsequent to the initiation of treatment. The quantity of probiotic bacteria needed for optimum treatment of gastroenteritis remains to be determined, particularly when multiple species are included in the product.Trial registration:

ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT00981877Link: https://register.clinicaltrials.gov/prs/app/action/SelectProtocol/sid/S0002653/selectaction/View/ts/2/uid/U0000N04
TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical trials NCT ID: NCT00981877

[HysteryDiagnosis]

27. Cute diarrhoea

Ann Trop Paediatr. 2010;30(4):299-304.
Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium bifidum stored at ambient temperature are effective in the treatment of acute diarrhoea.
Rerksuppaphol S, Rerksuppaphol L.
Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Srinakhariwirot University, 62 Mo 7, Rangsit-Nakorn Nayok Road, Nakorn Nayok, Thailand. [e-mail].
Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Probiotics have demonstrated potential to reduce duration of diarrhoea and frequency of watery stools. Probiotics such as Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium bifidum (Infloran(®)) are usually maintained at a storage temperature of 4°C which is generally not feasible in tropical or sub-tropical countries.

AIM: The efficacy of Infloran(®) for treatment of acute diarrhoea when stored at 28-32°C (room temperature) was evaluated.

METHODS: This was a double-blind, randomised study of infants and children aged 2 months to 7 years with acute diarrhoea. Patients were randomly assigned to receive Infloran(®) stored at 4°C, at room temperature, or to a placebo group. Duration of diarrhoea was a primary outcome, while the number of stools, hospital stay and requirement for rehydration fluid were secondary outcomes.

RESULTS: Probiotics shortened duration of diarrhoea (34.1 and 34.8 hrs when stored either at 4°C or at room temperature, respectively, and 58 hrs with placebo, p<0.01) and reduced the number of stools (7.3 and 8 vs 15.9 with placebo, p<0.01).

CONCLUSION: Administration of probiotics is beneficial as additional treatment of acute diarrhoea and efficacy is not affected by storage temperature.
PMID: 21118623

[ohheckyeah]

35. There's nothing

cute about diarrhea.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

45. I'd like to agree with you more but I just can't. n/t

[GoCubsGo]

63. It's a shame they're treating probiotics as some cure-all, and stickinging them in everything

Most people don't need those probiotics to make their digestive tracts "normal", as so many of the products containing them purport to do. They need a healthy diet and exercise. Heck, most people wouldn't even need Metamucil, let alone Activia yogurt, if they just ate their fruits and veggies AND regular yogurt, and went for a walk for 45 minutes a day.

Not bashing probiotics. Just saying they're being used unnecessarily these days.

[Raine]

28. Those are not the only "quakery" ads on TV

what about the ones for prescription drugs like Lunista (used for sleep) which they admit can leave you with periods of not remembering what you did. Along with so many other side-effects I can't even list them all, the big one being death. :wow: Also all kinds of ads for get rich quick schemes, products that are supposed to make you happy, slim, muscular etc etc. There is this kind of crap all around us, you just have to be cynical and skeptical of EVERYTHING.

[Still Blue in PDX]

30. Isn't Lunesta the one that advises "If you or a loved one has suffered death . . . "?

:eyes:

[OneGrassRoot]

41. So true. n/t

[boppers]

31. Because education is not popular?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dihydrogen_monoxide_hoax

[Zanzobar]

32. Minute <<--- Sucker

[SidDithers]

36. Because people really are that stupid ...

I'm reminded of that fact daily, when I read some of the crap that gets posted here.

Sid

[Archae]

37. Another big factor...

Celebrity or sports star testimonials.

Pay some has-been some money to say wonderful things about the product, better yet, have the celebrity actually a believer in the product.

[PufPuf23]

39. I am on two generic (cheap) meds Rxed by by doctor since 1989.

The doctor is younger and more conservative than me.

I was a prominent professional and his parents lived several houses away from me in an upper middle class area when he finished his internship and joined a prominent family medical group in a regional city (Redding, CA). The wife of one of my employees was a nurse in the company and later I had my employees on Blue Cross and the locals and others used the same office because of the connections. Now over 20 years later, Wayne's wife is still a nurse there but I live 140 miles or 3 hours away, and have no employees no insurance nor wife anymore and my health is not that good. I am an uncooperative and uninsured (after Cadillac med and dental plans) client that takes several Rxed meds that are more a problem, yet palative, because of potential withdrawal. I am a cranky pay as I go person with no insurance on meds I feel dependent but my ancestors would not have heard of much less used or been in exposed to to by medical formula of the time. I have to be careful with my doctor of over 20 years because if I raise a question, the cost willl be thousands in tests I cannot afford now. I retain the relationship becuase of time and the access to medical care. I will pay more than pay as I go now under the new HC plan.

For younger people: this type of situation was never a question in my youth. I played along with the game for over 30 years and have less security and ability to pay health care in my life. I cannot afford crappy insurance but pay as I go because they know me for such a long time. I still pay less than deductibles under what insurance is available.

[ReadTomPaine]

40. These are a clever alternative to those "Energy Bracelets"

http://skepticbros.com/placebo-bands

One of the funny testimonials:

"Wow what a product. I received them (one for each member of my family) within a cpl of days of ordering and as soon as I put it on, it did exactly as it was advertised to do….absolutely nothing except start conversations about what a pile of rubbish some other similar products claim to be able to do. Setting a few people straight on the subject did make me feel good about myself though.Thats what I call a result. Well done skepticbros"

Note that all their profits are donated for scientific research. Cool stuff!

[eShirl]

44. ha! on their order page

the hands displaying each different color of Placebo Band are playing Rock Paper Scissors Lizard Spock

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iapcKVn7DdY

[xchrom]

43. a lot of science aversion going on all around us.

dress something up with the right surroundings -- and bingo -- you can make people believe it.

[GoCubsGo]

64. Yup.

Anyone who remembers even basic Biology knows that you don't need to go on a fast or special diet, or take any sort of substance to "detoxify". One's liver and kidneys already do that for us if they are healthy.

[Capitalocracy]

72. with all the charlatans pretending to be scientific institutions these days

no wonder people aren't too keen on science... it's getting to the point where you have to do hours of research to even determine whether a study presented as fact on the news was conducted by actual scientists or carbon energy whores, Mormon anti-gay pseudoscientists, or snake-oil salesmen.

[The Straight Story]

46. Probably because we are told X will heal us from dr's, and then they pull the meds later

Cause they are killing people.

[SidDithers]

49. Doctors even say that cigarettes will kill you...

stupid doctors.

Sid

[The Straight Story]

65. They didn't at one time - follow the money

Now they will give you chantix - oops, that has serious problems as well - even worse than smoking in some cases.

[quaker bill]

47. A friend of my father

ran an ad for a "guaranteed bug killer, kills all bugs, 100 percent, $10.00" with mailing instructions.

If you sent him the $10.00, you received two 4" pieces of a wood 2 by 4, one marked "a" and the other marked "b" with instructions, "place bug on block "a" and strike with block "b"....

No fraud, no false advertizing. He actually made a bit of money every time he ran the ad. Today, one could advertise this as a "totally organic" bug killer, kills all bugs, 100 percent effective. Of course, you would need to use untreated lumber....

[RegieRocker]

48. Hopium?

[Hannah Bell]

51. same reason people keep buying "hope & change." seriously.

[Odin2005]

54. On our local top-40 radio station an ad for a weight loss scam runs constantly.

I am so sick of hearing BS about "Liquid Protein".

[Mopar151]

75. Whey

Let milk go sour, there you are....

[Bandit]

56. Are people that stupid that they buy this shit?

Does the new Republican Majority in the House answer that question for you?

[Mudoria]

60. People still believe 9/11 was inside job too

[lonestarnot]

67. Yes they do.

[pitohui]

62. because quack care is better than NO care

i went w.out health insurance/care for 15 years, you'd better believe when i had a serious health problem that i could not afford to get treated i went to a witch doctor/crystal healer/whatever you wanna call him -- "magical" care is better than no care, if only for the power to help me meditate and calm my mind and get a handle on the pain

try having chronic pain for 20 years and then get back to me and bitch me out for trying ANYTHING, EVERYTHING

science has failed us, politics/economics have failed us -- there are shockingly few new discoveries in health over the past two decades, and many of the newest drugs/treatments are far out of the realm of what a real working person could ever pay for anyway, so the discoveries are to no purpose except to extend the lifespans of the greedy, evil rich (dick cheney is the poster boy for this, i know folks who died in their 50s of similar heart issues but he has lived longer than i think even he expected because he's rich and has money)

all the science in the world means NOTHING when it is not available to real suffering human beings now

you can shit on the guy selling the colon rinse but what does it cost? like $15? and if you don't have $15, he (or another colon cleanse believer) will give you a damn recipe so you can make it yourself for PENNIES

one of my friends was dx'd w. terminal cancer in the late 1950s, told to go home to die, she lived another 40 years, gave all the credit to coffee enemas and crystal magic -- do you think she was better off believing bullshit and having a good frame of mind and SURVIVING, or do you think she should have just laid down and died as per medical science? EVERYBODY else in her study was dead within 18 months of the dx...


before you crap on the quacks, try some of the stuff...don't use it as an excuse to walk away from modern medical tech, which does save lives, but get real -- don't be afraid to use it with the modern stuff or (if you're refused care because you're too damn poor for a doc to care about your life) don't be afraid to experiment

don't die because you're too damn embarrassed to try something cheap and harmless to help yourself

i'm a firm believer in "if it can't hurt, and the price is right? why not?"

medical science left me to die at age 19, and that was just the FIRST time, all because science seems to mainly exist to pick my pockets and all i had to be picked was laundry lint

THAT'S why quacks exist, because the fucking quacks have a heart and actually want you to live

[StarsInHerHair]

66. you're all wrong-it's there because Clinton deregulated the vitamin &

"nutritional suppliment" industries..........but the situation greatly resembles some 1930s films, when the guy who played the Wizard of Oz Frank Morgan(I think) would ride into town with a gypsy/circus wagon and sell placebos and 'snake oil' to the towns' people. Then he'd sneak out of town before they realized they'd been played.

[somone]

69. Coming Soon Near You: Vaginal steam bath (LAT)

http://articles.latimes.com/2010/dec/20/health/la-he-v-steam-20101220

Vaginal steam bath finds a place among Southern California spa options
A Korean treatment for the vaginal area is said to aid health and fertility. What's missing is evidence.
By Sari Heifetz, Special to the Los Angeles Times

Pungent steam rises from a boiling pot of a mugwort tea blended with wormwood and a variety of other herbs. Above it sits a nude woman on an open-seated stool, partaking in a centuries-old Korean remedy that is gaining a toehold in the West.

Vaginal steam baths, called chai-yok, are said to reduce stress, fight infections, clear hemorrhoids, regulate menstrual cycles and aid infertility, among many other health benefits. In Korea, many women steam regularly after their monthly periods.

There is folk wisdom — and even some logic — to support the idea that the carefully targeted steam may provide some physiological benefits for women. But there are no studies to document its effectiveness, and few American doctors have even heard of it. "It sounds like voodoo medicine that sometimes works," said Dr. Vicken Sahakian, medical director of Pacific Fertility Center in Los Angeles.

Niki Han Schwarz believes it worked for her. After five steams, she found she had fewer body aches and more energy. She also became pregnant eight months ago at the age of 45 after attempting to conceive for three years. Han Schwarz and her husband, orthopedic surgeon Charles Schwarz, are determined to introduce vaginal steam baths to Southern California women. Their Santa Monica spa, Tikkun Holistic Spa, offers a 30-minute V-Steam treatment for $50. (The identical treatment is available for men, to steam the perineal area.)....

[enuegii]

79. Fifty bucks?

Why not just throw the herbs in a pot of boiling water, drop trou, climb up on the range and squat?

Might be a bit hard to explain if someone happened to walk in, though.

[Capitalocracy]

70. Fully agree with you!

And there's a reason they're always coming up with new ones, precisely because they can't stand up to scientific scrutiny. Some of them end up in lawsuits and pulled off the market... but never before making an insane amount of money.

You know, I can't help but thinking these things would be a hell of a lot less popular if PEOPLE COULD AFFORD TO ACTUALLY GO TO A DOCTOR!
sorry about the caps, but this really gets to me

[burning rain]

73. I think it's various forces coming together.

(1) Hard economic times: extra incentive for seeking cheaper "cures." (2) Poor education. (3) Traditional, and often ill-considered, American distrust of big institutions: big government, big pharma, the AMA, the medical establishment, etc. Look at how airheads like Jenny McCarthy promote distrust of medical science. The extreme right used to be in on this, too, though this tendency has lost ground (one can cite Jesse Helms' promotion of the quack cancer cure Laetrile as a past example).

[Lucian]

74. All that stuff is worthless.

Doesn't work, like you said, but there are idiots out there who will buy them.

But then again, I think all homeopathy stuff is worthless.

[spinbaby]

80. My father in-law bought those bracelets

He's elderly, tends to believe anything he sees on TV, and has severe balance problems. Unsurprisingly, he still falls down a lot with the bracelets, but is convinced they work. What he really needs is a walker (he won't use one) and a good decluttering, so he doesn't fall over crap in his house.

$28 with shipping for two strips of silicon with steel findings.

[Name removed]

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