Science Media Centre

In a head-to-head debate article in this week’s BMJ, UK academics argue the case for and against doctors recommending homeopathic products to their patients. Dr Peter Fisher, Director of Research at the Royal London Hospital for Integrated Medicine, says the research to date shows some evidence of benefit and claims recent reviews — such as […]

Recent claims that certain plant-derived chemicals can fight cancer are not backed up by the evidence, says a natural remedies expert. The SMC collected the following expert commentary regarding the coverage of salvestrol compounds linked above. Feel free to use these quotes in your reporting. If you would like to contact a New Zealand expert, […]

A paper published recently in the Archives of Disease in Childhood has shown that the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) for children may not be as harmless as many think. The paper, which looked at CAM-associated adverse events in Australia between January 2001 and December 2003, found 39 adverse events: among them, 64% […]

Kiran Chug of the Dominion Post writes that a medical expert is warning the public that complementary therapies not only don’t cure cancer, but some might even cause harm. Professor Shaun Holt said in a public lecture yesterday that the efficacy of complementary therapies are not supported by scientific evidence. An excerpt: (read in full […]