# Whats your take on homeopathy



## Bellaloo12

So i am looking in to more atural ways to treat the kiddies when their poorly or ways to keep colds etc at bay is anyome really into homeopathy or anything like that that they feel is worth looking into thanks x


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## MindUtopia

For colds, I rely on vitamin C and zinc. My daughter takes a vitamin supplement anyway that has added vitamin C and zinc, but in the winter months, we really load up on oranges, satsumas, other citrus fruits. Nuts have lots of zinc, so I also make sure she has plenty of raw nuts in her diet. You might choose not to offer nuts (I think the recommendation is actually no whole nuts before age 5? but personally I do with supervision), but nut butters are also good. Both vitamin C and zinc will reduce the length and severity of the common cold. I personally also take a vitamin C and zinc tablet for myself, plus during the winter, echinacea tablets or tincture. I do find it makes a big difference. The one time I wasn't taking it and got sick, I was sick for two weeks and got a double ear infection! Every other time, it was gone within 3 days and much less severe. I don't personally give my daughter echinacea though, and I'm not sure what the recommendation would be for that. I'd probably talk to a homeopath to get some advice first. I really just try to beef up her diet in the winter when I know she's likely to get sick. It's been a lot better this year (probably because it's her 3rd winter and she's been sick so much every other year that she has more immunity now), but I'd like to think it helps.


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## PamelaBrown

For some people homoeopathy gives the best of the results than any other. But it takes time to cure the disease in comparison with allopathic.


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## DaisyDreamer

MindUtopia is on point with the Vit C (cannot say zinc as I never really purposefully took it but I do eat a lot of raw nuts). If you can get ascorbic acid powder, it's wonderful. Just add a spoonful or two in cold water and drink it down.

I really like my homeopath. I don't see her often but she's generally a knowledgable person about common ailments and how to fix them (although you can find their capsules online for cheaper)


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## LoveCakes

Personally I believe in science, but I think people do get results with homeopathy due to the placebo affect. For it to work with kids you'd need to explain it was a 'medicine' and works in the same way as kissing bumps better


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## DaisyDreamer

LoveCakes said:


> Personally I believe in science, but I think people do get results with homeopathy due to the placebo affect. For it to work with kids you'd need to explain it was a 'medicine' and works in the same way as kissing bumps better

There are scientific studies associated with homeopathy they are just less centralized from big pharma companies the way docs have contracts.

For instance for bowel issues you may be prescribed a HCl booster to help digest foods as well as an enzyme supplement to restore safe gut bacteria where it belongs and wiping out anything that can cause blockages or sluggishness in the intestines.

Same with pain, a homeopath may also be a licensed massage therapist or craniosacraltherapist and can offer a lot more help than a bottle of pain killers.

I think 30,000 years of using these methods trumps "science-that which conquers nature"


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## LoveCakes

Daisy I've no problem with people using them, the op asked for an opinion, I gave it

I agree there probably is bias from well respected publications because the clinical trials often don't follow 'standard' clinical trials procedures which makes it hard to compare with those for western medicine. Most reviews of homeopathy trials found that when they took out trials that were statistically insignificant, biased etc... The effect was common with that of placebos. Homeopathy is often cheaper than drugs so I cant see why the nhs who buy drugs wouldn't support this alternative. Its not like other countries where individual Drs or hospitals get incentives for prescribing certain drugs. In fact most trusts will now push for generic rather than branded drugs.

It reminds me of a nees story recently about branding of pain specific (back/period etc...) painkillers were considered more effective than general ones simply because people believed it ti be so.

I also don't have a full rejection of complementary therapies, massage and acupuncture for example. Homeopathy though has only been around since the 1800 and the dr believed that eating a plant that induced a fever would help cure the one caused by malaria but he accidentally had discovered quinine 

Anyway, I'll say no more I think this os one of those topics people don't tend to change their minds about


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## kajastarlight

I take a mixed approach. Vitamin C to boost immune system, chamomile to relax a mildly upset stomach, and ginger tea for a more upset stomach. But antibiotics for ear infections, and tylonol for a high fever.


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## Midnight_Fairy

Science is good for treating but nature has the beauty to prevent. A fit and healthy person can avoid many things using nature. The autumn provides us with berries to get us through winter. Its common sense! 
I was taking arnica when run down before pregnancy but now relying on diet xx

I also up my kids vit c foods in autumn/winter xx


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## petite ping

I don't believe in homeopathy at all. 

In France the pharmacies are very homoeopathy and it is as big a business here as mainstream medicines contrary to what they would like us to believe. If you went to a pharmacy here asking for say something for teething or a cough for babies - 9 times out of 10 they will give you a homoeopathic remedy. In my experience they do absolutely nothing. The teething gel doesn't work. The cold medicine does nothing to either relieve symptoms or speed up recovery and I always end up going back to the pharmacy for something that will do something. 

Most research show that the "active elements" present in the remedies are in too small quantities to do anything. And there is little no control on what remedies on the market. 

It also depends what you consider homeopathy? It's not the same as natural remedies (like taking vitamin C or probiotics) or natural therapies. 

As lovecakes said the idea is taking a substance that will provoke symptoms of a disease in healthy people will cure the disease in sick people. So to prevent the flu, you could end up taking a remedy containing ground dried duck liver and duck hearts (which is in fact the main ingredient in the best selling homoeopathic flu remedy in France).


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## JennBW

Midnight_Fairy said:


> Science is good for treating but nature has the beauty to prevent. A fit and healthy person can avoid many things using nature. The autumn provides us with berries to get us through winter. Its common sense!
> I was taking arnica when run down before pregnancy but now relying on diet xx
> 
> I also up my kids vit c foods in autumn/winter xx

I totally agree! I also find that if you rely on nature for prevention purposes, it can even help speed up the healing process if you do happen to contract a minor illness like the common cold.


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