Most herbal supplements, acupuncture and other “alternative medicine” treatments have no scientific basis for their claims, says R. Barker Bausell, a professor and researcher at the University of Maryland School of Nursing.
Bausell takes aim at such treatments in his new book, “Snake Oil Science: The Truth about Complementary and Alternative Medicine.”
What led you to write this book?
I was recruited to be research director of the NIH-funded Alternative Therapy Research Center. My job was to design and analyze NIH-funded trials of a lot of complementary and alternative medicine.
I began to notice these therapies had some very important similarities to placebos. Both were administered in a setting with an expectation of a result, and none of them have the capability to cure anything.
What do you mean?
In high-quality clinical trials, there?s never any difference between the placebo and alternative therapies, but the scientists are allowed to sort of say whatever they want in the conclusions section. The only trial in alternative therapy that I ever considered using is a placebo-controlled trial. If there?s no placebo, the results will inevitably be, “It works.” If there?s a placebo, the results will be, “You will improve, but so does the placebo group.”
Have you looked into claims about the benefits of vitamins?
I made a decision to stay away from vitamin and mineral supplements. I basically concentrated mostly on therapies that you have to go to somebody to get. I?m not saying there?s no herb out there on an herbalist?s shelves that will help you, but the herbalist is not necessarily going to help.
Your book hit the shelves in November. Who is your audience?
It?s targeted mainly to the general public. It?s more interesting to people to say, “This will help you,” than “This can?t help you.”
