Placebo

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I think you missed something, or didn't see all the information on placebos. They can have bad side effects. Look at the double blind placebo Interferon studies. Some of the people who recieved the placebo got just as sick as those recieving interferon. This tells me that so very much of healing, and getting ill, is in our minds, or is at least affected by our thoughts. This is why I worried about . If someone has no hope, it can be like a poison. I'm so glad she recieved such good news! "You ARE going to be cured hon!" Love to all, ChrisJackie on <redjaxjm@...> wrote: Yep,, , I have, in my studies been reading about the "placebo" effect and the thing that is so amazing is that when the person believes that

something IS going to cure them,, it usually does,, there IS a mind-body connection.. They have even seen the placebo effect with new allopathic meds as well,, typically the BEST results are seen within the first several months after a drug is released,, then in time,, they lose their effects,, and that makes me wonder if some of the allopathic drugs are a placebo effect too,, but who cares,, I mean ,, if it works, who cares,, I truely hope they do more studies in this area,, as placebo have no side effects and are not harmful as apposed to many other drugs and treatments that ARE harmful... I really like Dr. Weil as he is an MD who has integrated some eastern meds into his practice and has seen some pretty remarkable things... Keep believing and WHO cares if someone "says" it wont work,, if it did, it did,, and phooey on them,, hugs jaxHunter <us2china2@...> wrote: I really don't want to argue with anyone, especially when I know I'm outmatched. I did respond. Hopefully in a civil manner. But as I started to read that, the first thing I noticed was that it was a 2 and a half year old story... if I'd read that when it came out, and believed it, perhaps I'd have stopped taking the Chinese herbals, and just accepted death like the US doctors advised. Fate had me somewhat out of touch with the drug industry's news. Thank the fates! Eat well, sleep well, be well!anne <kanga2@...> wrote: I think our is going to have something to

say about this one!!!! anne (putting up her fireproof shield) There is no proof that herbal remedies help hepatitis C

sufferers http://www.usnews.com/usnews/health/briefs/infectiousdiseases/hb040917c.htm?track=rss9/17/04Chinese herbsThere is no proof that herbal remedies help hepatitis C sufferersBy Helen FieldsNot everyone can tolerate the side effects of interferon, the standard treatment for hepatitis C. That leaves a lot of hepatitis C carriers stuck with fatigue and a less healthy life, which has led many to try herbal treatments. But the data on herbs are inconclusive. A group of Minnesota researchers tried out some traditional Chinese herbal medicines that are used extensively in Asia to treat hepatitis C.What the researchers wanted to know: Do Chinese herbal medicines help hepatitis C patients?What they did: The researchers recruited patients through clinics and advertising. Patients were excluded if they'd

had antiviral treatment recently, if they had other liver disease, or if they consumed more than two alcoholic drinks a day. Forty-five patients entered the study, and 31 made it all the way through the follow-up visits. Half the subjects took a combination of 10 traditional Chinese herbs and the other 10 took a placebo; no one knew whether a patient was getting the herbs or the placebo. Both groups took the tablets twice a day for 12 weeks. At several office visits, the participants were asked how they were doing and had blood taken to check on their liver and kidneys.What they found: The herbal medicines were no different from the placebo. Liver function was the same in people taking herbs and placebo. Neither group had less virus at the end of the trial, and quality of life showed no improvement, either. Side effects were mild, and there were about the same number in the two groups.What it means to you: The

evidence on using herbs for hepatitis C is still shaky.Caveats: This is a very small pilot study. Most of the subjects were middle-aged, white, and male, so the results might not apply to others.Find out more: Information on Radix astragali, one of the 10 herbs in this study, from a database of Chinese herbs http://www.herbasin.com/database/huangqi.htm Bring photos to life! New PhotoMail makes sharing a breeze. Jackie

Bring photos to life! New PhotoMail makes sharing a breeze.