Homeopathy is a form of āalternative medicineā based on an eighteenth-century pseudoscientific idea that ālike cures likeā (or, in fancier homeopath parlance, āthat which a substance is capable of causing, it is also capable of curingā).
In homeopathic products, ingredients such as deadly nightshade, poison ivy, and liver extract are heavily diluted toĀ minuscule amounts. So miniscule, in fact, that no trace of the original ingredient remains in the final product.
This is the important part: There is no scientific basis for homeopathy.Ā The FDA has not examined the claims of any homeopathic drug, and no valid scientific study has ever shown that homeopathy has any effect on any ailment or symptom whatsoever, beyond that of a placebo. Studies that have claimed to prove the effectiveness of homeopathic products have usually been carried out by the manufacturer of those products, not an independent group. So when the packaging of a homeopathic product boasts about its ability to treat an ailment or symptom, it is merely marketing, not based on science or evidence.
