As yet, however, science has not been able to explain the precise mechanism of action of ultra high dilutions in the body. Although homeopathy has been criticised for this, knowing how a medicine works has never been a pre-requisite for its use. For example, aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) is one of the most widely used drugs in the world, yet it was used for over 70 years before its mechanism of action was discovered in 1971.
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Did you know?
- The evidence base for homeopathy was subjected to a comprehensive review, commissioned by the Swiss government, which was published in 2011. This scientifically authoritative report offered an unambiguous endorsement of the evidence base for homeopathy, concluding that it is clinically effective, cost effective and safe
- 75 per cent of laboratory experiments have found that substances as dilute as homeopathic medicines have specific effects on living cells
- Four out of five major systematic reviews of Randomised Controlled Trials (RCTs) in homeopathy have concluded (with certain caveats) that homeopathy has an effect greater than placebo