Archivo Médico de Camagüey (Jun 2018)
Analysis about homeopathy as a science or pseudoscience
Abstract
Background: homeopathy is a therapeutic system where organic, mineral, or vegetal substances are administrated which can produce the same symptoms in healthy person that the disease to treat. Objective: to analyze the backgrounds of homeopathy, some research that try to demonstrate its effectiveness and the main ideas of the detractors of this theory. Methods: this bibliographic review was conducted through search Scholar Google by typing these words: homeopathy, homeopathy remedies and water´s memory. Thirty original articles and 15 bibliographic reviews were chosen for the word homeopathy; 26 original articles and 12 bibliographic reviews for the combination of words homeopathy remedies, as well as 30 original articles and 10 bibliographic reviews for the combination of words water´s memory. Those 123 references were analyzed to check the ones that would be useful for the achievement of the article’s objective, choosing those that appear as bibliographical references. Development: the theory of homeopathy, the diseases’ causes and the way to prepare homeopathic medicine are tackled. Also some research about homeopathy in the world is analyzed, where the existence of favorable results to homeopathic products can be noticed. Besides, possible mechanisms of action of homeopathy are explained and some reasons for which some people are septic with homeopathic medicine are showed. Conclusions: Research about homeopathy must continue. DeCS:HOMEOPATHY; MEDICAMENTOUS DISEASE IN HOMEOPATHY; HOMEOPATHY BROADCASTING; VITAL FORCE IN HOMEOPATHY; REVIEW LITERATURE AS TOPIC.
