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One of the main criticisms I hear from skeptics regarding nutritional supplements, herbal remedies, chiropractic, acupuncture, homeopathy, etc. is that these methods of healing are unscientific.  Now, I could debate that point on many specific alternative medicine treatments, but what I must object to is the HUGE double standard being applied. 

What those who are hung up on the science (or lack thereof) behind alternative medicine seem to be completely oblivious to is the fact that conventional medicine is far from scientific.  In fact, if you restricted healthcare to only those treatments and practices that have been verified as being effective and safe by a consensus of extensive amounts of research, there wouldn’t be a whole lot of healthcare of any kind going on!  Have you ever noticed how many times the popular media will report on the findings of some large-scale study only to report on the exact opposite findings from another large scale study within a few months or a few years later? 

But let me get a little “multiple personality disorder” here and argue one of the points that the conventional medicine afficionados always seem to fall back on: “But ALL medications undergo rigorous scientific evaluation as to their safety and efficacy before they are approved for sale.  Nutritional supplements and herbs aren’t regulated at all.”  Well, if that’s true, what’s been going on lately with the drugs getting pulled off the market because of “minor” little side-effects, such as a high rate of DEATH when they start being used by the general public?  Yes, all drugs must go through a long testing process before they are cleared by the FDA for sale in the U.S. (and by similar agencies in other countries).  The problem is that there is a strong temptation to falsify research results when there are billions of dollars on the line.  This temptation might be stifled if the FDA was a better watchdog over drug trials, but the FDA has been deficient in it’s policing of the drug industry.

Among other things, “The FDA cannot fulfill its mission because its scientific base has eroded and its scientific organizational structure is weak.”  In addition “The FDA cannot fulfill its mission because its scientific workforce does not have sufficient capacity and capability.”  Now, you may think I’m being harsh with those statements, but you’ll notice that they were in quotes.  Where did those quotes come from?  They were from a 60 page report entitled “FDA Science And Mission At Risk.” Is this the work of some conspiracy-theory nut-job?  Perhaps it’s from some alternative medicine political action committee?  No!  The report was prepared by the FDA itself on the request of FDA commissioner Edward Von Eschenbach! 

But then, we don’t really NEED the FDA to police the pharmaceutical industry.  If you can’t trust a multibillion dollar industry to put truth and public health above profits, who can you trust?

Is a conventional medical treatment supported by tainted research any more reliable than an alternative medicine treatment that has little to no research supporting it? Again, if we limit healthcare to only those interventions that are truly scientific, there’s not going to be much healthcare of any kind going on.

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