Health

News, commentary, critique, reviews, research from medicine, pseudomedicine and health.

Placebo Effect

Pacemakers don’t work when they’re switched off – we should doubt studies that say otherwise

Mike Hall -
Among the many odd claims made about the placebo effect is that pacemakers work even before they're switched on - which obviously isn't true
Health

Moroccan Argan oil is an interesting traditional product, but it’s certainly no panacea

Alice Howarth -
Argan oil from Morocco is said to have all manner of health benefits, from preventing hair loss to boosting the immune system - all based on little to no evidence
Alternative Medicine

Animals, acupuncture and alt-med: the Brazilian penguin being subjected to Enya

Natália Pasternak -
A recently rescued penguin in Rio de Janeiro is being treated with acupuncture, cannabinoids and music therapy - despite a total lack of evidence
Placebo Effect

The evidence for pill colour impacting placebo effects gets flimsier the more you examine it

Mike Hall -
The idea that the colour of a pill influences what placebo response you get is based on a succession of badly designed or badly interpreted trials
Health

The secret to a year-round tan – eating so many carrots you turn orange?

Alice Howarth -
Viral claims suggest a new way to give your skin that sun-kissed glow: eating so many carrots you turn orange from carotenosis.
Nutrition

The real-world harm of nutritional misinformation

Maeve Hanan -
Fad diets and dubious claims about nutrition have always been popular, but with social media, avoiding bad food advice seems harder than ever
Placebo Effect

Does the colour of a pill really influence what kind of placebo effect you’ll experience?

Mike Hall -
It's said that pill colour influences what placebo effect people experience, but the primary source for this claim is flimsy at best
Placebo Effect

Religion is simply a powerful placebo – offering priests a sense of ritual, but little else

Colin Brewer -
Theatrical but ultimately ineffective, religion may be the ultimate placebo effect - as 17th Century priest Jean Meslier realised 300 years ago
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