Fernanda Maria Simões da Costa Fujino, Ana Paula Ribeiro, Jane de Eston Armond, Patrícia Colombo de Souza
Quality of life is a fundamental aspect of good health and differs from person to person, highlighting the importance of individualisation, which is one of the principles of homeopathic doctrine. Homeopathy aligns with the principles of the Brazilian public health system, reflecting the latter's ethos of universality, accessibility, care coordination, and comprehensiveness, offering a whole-person approach to health care. Homeopathy's individualised approach and expanded view of the health-disease process, with emphasis on healthy lifestyle guidance, contributes to the promotion of individual good health and quality of life. These attributes of homeopathy make it a valuable therapeutic option, with relevance to the health service of Brazil as well as to that of other countries across the world.
{"title":"Homeopathy as a Means to Improve Quality of Life.","authors":"Fernanda Maria Simões da Costa Fujino, Ana Paula Ribeiro, Jane de Eston Armond, Patrícia Colombo de Souza","doi":"10.1055/s-0044-1785521","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0044-1785521","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Quality of life is a fundamental aspect of good health and differs from person to person, highlighting the importance of individualisation, which is one of the principles of homeopathic doctrine. Homeopathy aligns with the principles of the Brazilian public health system, reflecting the latter's ethos of universality, accessibility, care coordination, and comprehensiveness, offering a whole-person approach to health care. Homeopathy's individualised approach and expanded view of the health-disease process, with emphasis on healthy lifestyle guidance, contributes to the promotion of individual good health and quality of life. These attributes of homeopathy make it a valuable therapeutic option, with relevance to the health service of Brazil as well as to that of other countries across the world.</p>","PeriodicalId":13227,"journal":{"name":"Homeopathy","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2024-05-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141160338","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Protocol Standardization of Homeopathic Medicines' Preparation and Dosing for Experimental Model Systems In Vitro.","authors":"Nilanjana Basu, Simran Tandon","doi":"10.1055/s-0044-1786513","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0044-1786513","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":13227,"journal":{"name":"Homeopathy","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2024-05-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140916435","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Background: Prior vaccination is often studied for its impact on individuals' post-infection prognosis. Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy (AYUSH) medicines, advised by the Government of India as prophylaxis during the first wave of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, were consumed by the masses in 2020. A study was therefore undertaken to observe any association between the prior usage of AYUSH prophylactic medicines and post-infection severity as reported by recovered COVID-19 individuals.
Methods: This was a retrospective, multi-centre, cohort study conducted in 21 cities of India from 5th August to 30th November 2020. Data from recovered COVID-19 patients, of either sex or any age, captured information about AYUSH prophylactic medicines intake prior to infection, disease severity, symptomatology, duration of complaints, etc. The study participants were grouped into AYUSH intake and non-intake. Primary composite outcome was the disease clinical course. Secondary clinical outcomes were the rate of and time to clinical recovery.
Results: Data of 5,023 persons were analysed. Ayurveda or homeopathic prophylactic medicines were consumed by more than half of the study participants: that is, 56.85% (n = 1,556) and 56.81% (n = 1,555) respectively. The overall adjusted protective effect (PE) of AYUSH prophylactic intake against moderate/severe forms of COVID-19 disease was 56.7% (95% confidence interval [CI], 48.7 to 63.50; p < 0.001). Adjusted PE for homeopathy and Siddha was 52.9% (95% CI, 42.30 to 61.50; p < 0.001) and 59.8% (95% CI, 37.80 to 74.10; p < 0.001), respectively. A statistically significant association was found between AYUSH prophylactic medicine intake and clinical recovery more frequently by the 3rd day of illness (χ2 = 9.01; p = 0.002). Time to resolution of symptoms in the AYUSH intake group was on average 0.3 days earlier than in the non-intake group (p = 0.002).
Conclusion: AYUSH prophylactics were associated with statistically significant levels of protection against COVID-19 disease severity. Amongst these, previous intake of homeopathy or Siddha medicines was associated with some protection against moderate/severe illness and with a somewhat quicker clinical recovery. Prospective studies with experimental research design are needed to validate the findings of this study.
Study registration: Clinical Trials Registry-India (CTRI/2020/08/027000).
{"title":"Association between Usage of Prophylactic AYUSH Medicines and Disease Severity in COVID-19 Patients: A Retrospective Cohort Study.","authors":"Anupriya Chaudhary, Debadatta Nayak, Swati Pandey, Vipul Shastri, Madhuri Kamble, Vidya Pendse, Vismay Prajapati, Brijesh Vaidya, Heenal Rohit, Swaroopa Beedmani, Nutan Presswala, Tejaswini Patole, Ramesh Bawaskar, Vaishali Shinde, Mohua Datta, Gunjan Rai, Umakanta Prusty, Partha Pratim Pal, Siva Prasad Goli, Amulya Ratna Sahoo, K C Muraleedharan, Pooja Prakash, Ashish Mahajan, Anuradha Singh, Reetha Krishnan, Navin Pawaskar, Amit Srivastava, Gouri Devi Ningthoujam, Ravi Kumar Sadarla, Ranjit Sonny, Liyi Karso, Subhamoy Sarkar, Sunil Prasad, Ashish Kumar Shrivastava, Avinash Kumar, Nitesh Kumar, Ch Raveendar, Bsj Raja Kumar, Vspk Sastry, Asha Dasari, K Samson Sundeep, Subhash Kaushik, Padmalaya Rath, Shweta Gautam, Ratan Chandra Shil, Trupti Laxmi Swain, G Ravi Chandra Reddy, S Pradeep, S Stevenson, Gurudev Choubey, Lipipushpa Debata, Anil Khurana","doi":"10.1055/s-0044-1779693","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0044-1779693","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong> Prior vaccination is often studied for its impact on individuals' post-infection prognosis. Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy (AYUSH) medicines, advised by the Government of India as prophylaxis during the first wave of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, were consumed by the masses in 2020. A study was therefore undertaken to observe any association between the prior usage of AYUSH prophylactic medicines and post-infection severity as reported by recovered COVID-19 individuals.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong> This was a retrospective, multi-centre, cohort study conducted in 21 cities of India from 5th August to 30th November 2020. Data from recovered COVID-19 patients, of either sex or any age, captured information about AYUSH prophylactic medicines intake prior to infection, disease severity, symptomatology, duration of complaints, etc. The study participants were grouped into AYUSH intake and non-intake. Primary composite outcome was the disease clinical course. Secondary clinical outcomes were the rate of and time to clinical recovery.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong> Data of 5,023 persons were analysed. Ayurveda or homeopathic prophylactic medicines were consumed by more than half of the study participants: that is, 56.85% (<i>n</i> = 1,556) and 56.81% (<i>n</i> = 1,555) respectively. The overall adjusted protective effect (PE) of AYUSH prophylactic intake against moderate/severe forms of COVID-19 disease was 56.7% (95% confidence interval [CI], 48.7 to 63.50; <i>p</i> < 0.001). Adjusted PE for homeopathy and Siddha was 52.9% (95% CI, 42.30 to 61.50; <i>p</i> < 0.001) and 59.8% (95% CI, 37.80 to 74.10; <i>p</i> < 0.001), respectively. A statistically significant association was found between AYUSH prophylactic medicine intake and clinical recovery more frequently by the 3rd day of illness (χ<sup>2</sup> = 9.01; <i>p</i> = 0.002). Time to resolution of symptoms in the AYUSH intake group was on average 0.3 days earlier than in the non-intake group (<i>p</i> = 0.002).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong> AYUSH prophylactics were associated with statistically significant levels of protection against COVID-19 disease severity. Amongst these, previous intake of homeopathy or Siddha medicines was associated with some protection against moderate/severe illness and with a somewhat quicker clinical recovery. Prospective studies with experimental research design are needed to validate the findings of this study.</p><p><strong>Study registration: </strong> Clinical Trials Registry-India (CTRI/2020/08/027000).</p>","PeriodicalId":13227,"journal":{"name":"Homeopathy","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2024-05-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140876325","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Suham Nowrooz Mohammad, Andreia Adelaide G Pinto, Rodrigo Augusto da Silva, Ivana Barbosa Suffredini, Alexander L Tournier, Steven J Cartwright, João Sarkis Yunes, Leoni V Bonamin
Introduction: The control of cyanobacterial toxicity and growth by homeopathic potencies was described in Part 1 of this two-part report. Here, a parallel approach characterized the physico-chemical features of the potencies used and the liquid media treated with them, correlating these results with their respective biological effects.
Objectives: Our objective was to establish if physico-chemical parameters can track homeopathic potencies in seawater or artificial seawater medium (ASM)-1 and to discover whether these parameters correlate with previously described biological effects.
Method: Artemia franciscana (brine shrimp) cysts were cultivated in seawater challenged with Raphidiopsis raciborskii extract and treated with different homeopathic potencies chosen from a screening process. Cultures of R. raciborskii maintained in ASM-1 were also treated with previously screened homeopathic potencies, and their growth was monitored as a function of time. The physico-chemical properties of the treated media (seawater or ASM-1) were evaluated by their interaction with solvatochromic dyes and changes in pH, conductivity and temperature.
Results: Coumarin 7 was found to be a marker for Nitric acidum 6cH and Isotherapic (R. raciborskii extract) 200cH in seawater (analysis of variance [ANOVA], p = 0.0015). Nile red was found to be a marker for Nitric acidum 200cH and Mercurius solubilis 30cH in ASM-1 (ANOVA, p ≤ 0.001). An increase in pH of ASM-1 and endothermic effects were observed after these treatments (two-way ANOVA, p = 0.0001). Seawater and ASM-1 to which potencies had been added were also subjected to a constant unidirectional 2,400 Gauss static magnetic field and found to have enhanced effects on the solvatochromic dyes tested.
Conclusion: Homeopathic potencies were specifically traceable in aqueous media using solvatochromic dyes, especially when the samples were subjected to a magnetic field. Results from monitoring other physical parameters, such as pH and temperature, were less specific in relation to potency tracking. However, potency-induced endothermic effects might provide valuable thermodynamic data relating to the nature of potencies.
{"title":"Environmental Homeopathy: Homeopathic Potencies Regulate the Growth and Toxicity of Raphidiopsis raciborskii (cyanobacteria) and Can be Tracked Physico-Chemically. Part 2: Physico-chemical Results.","authors":"Suham Nowrooz Mohammad, Andreia Adelaide G Pinto, Rodrigo Augusto da Silva, Ivana Barbosa Suffredini, Alexander L Tournier, Steven J Cartwright, João Sarkis Yunes, Leoni V Bonamin","doi":"10.1055/s-0044-1780527","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0044-1780527","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong> The control of cyanobacterial toxicity and growth by homeopathic potencies was described in Part 1 of this two-part report. Here, a parallel approach characterized the physico-chemical features of the potencies used and the liquid media treated with them, correlating these results with their respective biological effects.</p><p><strong>Objectives: </strong> Our objective was to establish if physico-chemical parameters can track homeopathic potencies in seawater or artificial seawater medium (ASM)-1 and to discover whether these parameters correlate with previously described biological effects.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong> <i>Artemia franciscana</i> (brine shrimp) cysts were cultivated in seawater challenged with <i>Raphidiopsis raciborskii</i> extract and treated with different homeopathic potencies chosen from a screening process. Cultures of <i>R. raciborskii</i> maintained in ASM-1 were also treated with previously screened homeopathic potencies, and their growth was monitored as a function of time. The physico-chemical properties of the treated media (seawater or ASM-1) were evaluated by their interaction with solvatochromic dyes and changes in pH, conductivity and temperature.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong> Coumarin 7 was found to be a marker for <i>Nitric acidum</i> 6cH and Isotherapic (<i>R. raciborskii</i> extract) 200cH in seawater (analysis of variance [ANOVA], <i>p</i> = 0.0015). Nile red was found to be a marker for <i>Nitric acidum</i> 200cH and <i>Mercurius solubilis</i> 30cH in ASM-1 (ANOVA, <i>p</i> ≤ 0.001). An increase in pH of ASM-1 and endothermic effects were observed after these treatments (two-way ANOVA, <i>p</i> = 0.0001). Seawater and ASM-1 to which potencies had been added were also subjected to a constant unidirectional 2,400 Gauss static magnetic field and found to have enhanced effects on the solvatochromic dyes tested.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong> Homeopathic potencies were specifically traceable in aqueous media using solvatochromic dyes, especially when the samples were subjected to a magnetic field. Results from monitoring other physical parameters, such as pH and temperature, were less specific in relation to potency tracking. However, potency-induced endothermic effects might provide valuable thermodynamic data relating to the nature of potencies.</p>","PeriodicalId":13227,"journal":{"name":"Homeopathy","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2024-05-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140867348","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Suham Nowrooz Mohammad, Andreia Adelaide G Pinto, Rodrigo Augusto da Silva, Ivana Barbosa Suffredini, Alexander L Tournier, Steven J Cartwright, João Sarkis Yunes, Leoni V Bonamin
Introduction: Cyanobacteria are microorganisms found in many parts of the world and several genera, such as Raphidiopsis raciborskii, are producers of cyanotoxins. Homeopathic potencies have been found to modulate toxicity in different biological models, and the present study endeavors to discover whether this might also be the case with cyanobacteria.
Objectives: Our objective was to investigate the possible effects of homeopathic potencies on the resilience of Artemia franciscana (brine shrimp) embryos to saxitoxin (STX; cyanotoxin) and on controlling the growth of R. raciborskii in vitro.
Method: A. franciscana cysts were cultivated in seawater in 96-well plates to evaluate the hatching rate and vitality, plus the gene expression of heat shock proteins (HSPs), after being challenged with R. raciborskii extract containing 2.5 µg/L of STX and treated with different homeopathic potencies. Untreated wells were used as controls ("base-line"). Potencies were chosen from a screening process based on seven selected homeopathic preparations according to the similitude of STX symptoms (Sulphur, Zincum metallicum, Nitric acidum, Plumbum metallicum, Mercurius solubilis, Phosphoric acidum, Isotherapic from R. raciborskii extract; all at 6cH, 30cH and 200cH). Cultures of R. raciborskii maintained in an artificial seawater medium were equally treated with screened homeopathic potencies selected from the same list but specifically for their growth control as a function of time.
Results: A 15% lower rate of hatching of A. franciscana cysts was observed after treatment with Nitric acidum 6cH in comparison with baseline (p = 0.05). A complete toxicity reversal was seen after treatment with Isotherapic 200cH, with a 23-fold increase of Hsp 26 gene expression (p = 0.023) and a 24-fold increase of p26 gene expression (p ≤ 0.001) in relation to baseline. Nitric acidum 200cH and Mercurius solubilis 30cH limited the exponential growth of cyanobacteria up to 95% and 85% respectively (p ≤ 0.003) in relation to baseline. Succussed water presented only a transitory 50% inhibition effect.
Conclusion: Isotherapic 200cH improved A. franciscana bioresilience to STX; Nitric acidum 200cH and Mercurius solubilis 30cH showed the optimal performance on limiting R. raciborskii growth. The results point to the potential of homeopathic potencies to mitigate environmental problems related to water quality.
{"title":"Environmental Homeopathy: Homeopathic Potencies Regulate the Toxicity and Growth of Raphidiopsis raciborskii (cyanobacteria) and can be Tracked Physico-Chemically. Part 1: Biological Results.","authors":"Suham Nowrooz Mohammad, Andreia Adelaide G Pinto, Rodrigo Augusto da Silva, Ivana Barbosa Suffredini, Alexander L Tournier, Steven J Cartwright, João Sarkis Yunes, Leoni V Bonamin","doi":"10.1055/s-0044-1780526","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0044-1780526","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong> Cyanobacteria are microorganisms found in many parts of the world and several genera, such as <i>Raphidiopsis raciborskii</i>, are producers of cyanotoxins. Homeopathic potencies have been found to modulate toxicity in different biological models, and the present study endeavors to discover whether this might also be the case with cyanobacteria.</p><p><strong>Objectives: </strong> Our objective was to investigate the possible effects of homeopathic potencies on the resilience of <i>Artemia franciscana</i> (brine shrimp) embryos to saxitoxin (STX; cyanotoxin) and on controlling the growth of <i>R. raciborskii in vitro</i>.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong> <i>A. franciscana</i> cysts were cultivated in seawater in 96-well plates to evaluate the hatching rate and vitality, plus the gene expression of heat shock proteins (HSPs), after being challenged with <i>R. raciborskii</i> extract containing 2.5 µg/L of STX and treated with different homeopathic potencies. Untreated wells were used as controls (\"base-line\"). Potencies were chosen from a screening process based on seven selected homeopathic preparations according to the similitude of STX symptoms (<i>Sulphur</i>, <i>Zincum metallicum</i>, <i>Nitric acidum</i>, <i>Plumbum metallicum</i>, <i>Mercurius solubilis</i>, <i>Phosphoric acidum</i>, Isotherapic from <i>R. raciborskii</i> extract; all at 6cH, 30cH and 200cH). Cultures of <i>R. raciborskii</i> maintained in an artificial seawater medium were equally treated with screened homeopathic potencies selected from the same list but specifically for their growth control as a function of time.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong> A 15% lower rate of hatching of <i>A. franciscana</i> cysts was observed after treatment with <i>Nitric acidum</i> 6cH in comparison with baseline (<i>p</i> = 0.05). A complete toxicity reversal was seen after treatment with Isotherapic 200cH, with a 23-fold increase of <i>Hsp 26</i> gene expression (<i>p</i> = 0.023) and a 24-fold increase of <i>p26</i> gene expression (<i>p</i> ≤ 0.001) in relation to baseline. <i>Nitric acidum</i> 200cH and <i>Mercurius solubilis</i> 30cH limited the exponential growth of cyanobacteria up to 95% and 85% respectively (<i>p</i> ≤ 0.003) in relation to baseline. Succussed water presented only a transitory 50% inhibition effect.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong> Isotherapic 200cH improved <i>A. franciscana</i> bioresilience to STX; <i>Nitric acidum</i> 200cH and <i>Mercurius solubilis</i> 30cH showed the optimal performance on limiting <i>R. raciborskii</i> growth. The results point to the potential of homeopathic potencies to mitigate environmental problems related to water quality.</p>","PeriodicalId":13227,"journal":{"name":"Homeopathy","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2024-05-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140856203","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-05-01Epub Date: 2023-11-01DOI: 10.1055/s-0043-1771374
Parker Pracjek, Alastair C Gray, Rachael Doherty, Denise Straiges
Background: More than 670 million people have been infected by COVID-19. This case series reports 8 of 55 cases in a broader study of COVID-positive clients who sought homeopathic care for symptoms. Existing studies of homeopathy and COVID-19 have sometimes failed to employ the underpinning theoretical framework of homeopathy-the genus epidemicus. Special focus has been placed on standout symptoms not often reported in conventional medical outlets, known among homeopaths as "strange, rare and peculiar" (SRP) symptoms. The Homeopathy Help Network (HHN) team of practitioners noted SRP symptoms across dozens of cases and studied how they shifted collectively as different variants of the virus emerged.
Methods: COVID-positive individuals self-selected for individualized care for their symptoms using homeopathy. They received tele-health consultations and individualized homeopathy interventions in an out-patient homeopathy clinical setting. Clients were seen by individual professional homeopathy practitioners and students under supervision working at the HHN in the United States. Cases for the series were hand-picked with the aim of being an average representation of the more than 4,000 COVID-positive cases seen by members of the HHN. Cases in the full compendium are grouped according to a predominant case feature: Multiple remedies, Posology, Time ill, Single remedy resolution, Hospitalization and, in this case series, SRP symptoms.
Results: SRP symptoms included: continually on the verge of unconsciousness; dark green stools; very low pulse alternating with tachycardia; sensation of strong or burning chemical smells; sensation of inhaling water through the nose; recurring electric shock sensations in head or extremities; yellow-green stools.
Conclusion: Collective SRP symptoms from the pandemic provided the opportunity to study the hallmark features of COVID-19 in depth. The importance of these symptoms highlights the applicability of Hahnemannian principles and good case-taking practices.
{"title":"Strange, Rare and Peculiar Symptoms of COVID-19 Cases Managed by Practitioners of the Homeopathy Help Network.","authors":"Parker Pracjek, Alastair C Gray, Rachael Doherty, Denise Straiges","doi":"10.1055/s-0043-1771374","DOIUrl":"10.1055/s-0043-1771374","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong> More than 670 million people have been infected by COVID-19. This case series reports 8 of 55 cases in a broader study of COVID-positive clients who sought homeopathic care for symptoms. Existing studies of homeopathy and COVID-19 have sometimes failed to employ the underpinning theoretical framework of homeopathy-the <i>genus epidemicus</i>. Special focus has been placed on standout symptoms not often reported in conventional medical outlets, known among homeopaths as \"strange, rare and peculiar\" (SRP) symptoms. The Homeopathy Help Network (HHN) team of practitioners noted SRP symptoms across dozens of cases and studied how they shifted collectively as different variants of the virus emerged.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong> COVID-positive individuals self-selected for individualized care for their symptoms using homeopathy. They received tele-health consultations and individualized homeopathy interventions in an out-patient homeopathy clinical setting. Clients were seen by individual professional homeopathy practitioners and students under supervision working at the HHN in the United States. Cases for the series were hand-picked with the aim of being an average representation of the more than 4,000 COVID-positive cases seen by members of the HHN. Cases in the full compendium are grouped according to a predominant case feature: Multiple remedies, Posology, Time ill, Single remedy resolution, Hospitalization and, in this case series, SRP symptoms.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong> SRP symptoms included: continually on the verge of unconsciousness; dark green stools; very low pulse alternating with tachycardia; sensation of strong or burning chemical smells; sensation of inhaling water through the nose; recurring electric shock sensations in head or extremities; yellow-green stools.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong> Collective SRP symptoms from the pandemic provided the opportunity to study the hallmark features of COVID-19 in depth. The importance of these symptoms highlights the applicability of Hahnemannian principles and good case-taking practices.</p>","PeriodicalId":13227,"journal":{"name":"Homeopathy","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2024-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11027477/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"71423331","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-05-01Epub Date: 2023-07-03DOI: 10.1055/s-0043-1769734
Emma Macías-Cortés
Background: Menopause is a physiological event that marks the end of a woman's reproductive stage in life. Vasomotor symptoms and changes in mood are among its most important effects. Homeopathy has been used for many years in treating menopausal complaints, though clinical and pre-clinical research in this field is limited. Homeopathy often bases its prescription on neuropsychiatric symptoms, but it is unknown if homeopathic medicines (HMs) exert a neuroendocrine effect that causes an improvement in vasomotor symptoms and mood during menopause.
Objectives: The study's objectives were to address the pathophysiological changes of menopause that could help in the understanding of the possible effect of HMs at a neuroendocrine level, to review the current evidence for two of the most frequently prescribed HMs for menopause (Lachesis mutus and Sepia officinalis), and to discuss the future directions of research in this field.
Methods: An extensive literature search for the pathophysiologic events of menopause and depression, as well as for the current evidence for HMs in menopause and depression, was performed.
Results: Neuroendocrine changes are involved in the pathophysiology of vasomotor symptoms and changes in mood during menopause. Gonadal hormones modulate neurotransmitter systems. Both play a role in mood disorders and temperature regulation. It has been demonstrated that Gelsemium sempervirens, Ignatia amara and Chamomilla matricaria exert anxiolytic effects in rodent models. Lachesis mutus and Sepia officinalis are frequently prescribed for important neuropsychiatric and vasomotor symptoms. Dopamine, a neurotransmitter involved in mood, is among the constituents of the ink of the common cuttlefish, Sepia officinalis.
Conclusion: Based on all the pathophysiologic events of menopause and the improvement in menopausal complaints that certain HMs show in daily practice, these medicines might have a direct or indirect neuroendocrine effect in the body, possibly triggered via an as-yet unidentified biological mechanism. Many unanswered questions in this field require further pre-clinical and clinical research.
背景:更年期是一个生理现象,标志着女性生殖阶段的结束。血管运动症状和情绪变化是其最重要的影响之一。多年来,顺势疗法一直被用于治疗更年期症状,但这一领域的临床和临床前研究十分有限。顺势疗法通常以神经精神症状为处方依据,但顺势疗法药物(HMs)是否会产生神经内分泌效应,从而改善更年期血管运动症状和情绪,目前尚不得而知:该研究的目的是探讨更年期的病理生理变化,以帮助了解顺势疗法在神经内分泌层面可能产生的影响,回顾目前两种最常用的更年期处方顺势疗法(Lachesis mutus 和 Sepia officinalis)的证据,并讨论该领域未来的研究方向:方法:对更年期和抑郁症的病理生理学事件以及 HMs 治疗更年期和抑郁症的现有证据进行了广泛的文献检索:结果:神经内分泌的变化参与了更年期血管运动症状和情绪变化的病理生理学过程。性腺激素可调节神经递质系统。两者都在情绪紊乱和体温调节中发挥作用。研究表明,半枝莲、枳实和洋甘菊在啮齿类动物模型中具有抗焦虑作用。Lachesis mutus 和 Sepia officinalis 是治疗重要的神经精神和血管运动症状的常用处方药。多巴胺是一种与情绪有关的神经递质,也是墨鱼墨汁的成分之一:结论:根据更年期的所有病理生理事件以及某些 HMs 在日常实践中对更年期症状的改善,这些药物可能对人体有直接或间接的神经内分泌作用,可能是通过一种尚未确定的生物机制触发的。这一领域的许多未解之谜还需要进一步的临床前和临床研究。
{"title":"Understanding Why Homeopathic Medicines are Used for Menopause: Searching for Insights into Neuroendocrine Features.","authors":"Emma Macías-Cortés","doi":"10.1055/s-0043-1769734","DOIUrl":"10.1055/s-0043-1769734","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong> Menopause is a physiological event that marks the end of a woman's reproductive stage in life. Vasomotor symptoms and changes in mood are among its most important effects. Homeopathy has been used for many years in treating menopausal complaints, though clinical and pre-clinical research in this field is limited. Homeopathy often bases its prescription on neuropsychiatric symptoms, but it is unknown if homeopathic medicines (HMs) exert a neuroendocrine effect that causes an improvement in vasomotor symptoms and mood during menopause.</p><p><strong>Objectives: </strong> The study's objectives were to address the pathophysiological changes of menopause that could help in the understanding of the possible effect of HMs at a neuroendocrine level, to review the current evidence for two of the most frequently prescribed HMs for menopause (<i>Lachesis mutus</i> and <i>Sepia officinalis</i>), and to discuss the future directions of research in this field.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong> An extensive literature search for the pathophysiologic events of menopause and depression, as well as for the current evidence for HMs in menopause and depression, was performed.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong> Neuroendocrine changes are involved in the pathophysiology of vasomotor symptoms and changes in mood during menopause. Gonadal hormones modulate neurotransmitter systems. Both play a role in mood disorders and temperature regulation. It has been demonstrated that <i>Gelsemium sempervirens</i>, <i>Ignatia amara</i> and <i>Chamomilla matricaria</i> exert anxiolytic effects in rodent models. <i>Lachesis mutus</i> and <i>Sepia officinalis</i> are frequently prescribed for important neuropsychiatric and vasomotor symptoms. Dopamine, a neurotransmitter involved in mood, is among the constituents of the ink of the common cuttlefish, <i>Sepia officinalis</i>.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong> Based on all the pathophysiologic events of menopause and the improvement in menopausal complaints that certain HMs show in daily practice, these medicines might have a direct or indirect neuroendocrine effect in the body, possibly triggered via an as-yet unidentified biological mechanism. Many unanswered questions in this field require further pre-clinical and clinical research.</p>","PeriodicalId":13227,"journal":{"name":"Homeopathy","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2024-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9749623","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-05-01Epub Date: 2023-08-31DOI: 10.1055/s-0043-1770725
Kathrin Büttner, Janna Oelkers, Onno Burfeind, Joachim Krieter, Irena Czycholl
Background: Mastitis-metritis-agalactia (MMA) syndrome occurs in the first days post-partum and causes piglet losses mainly due to malnutrition. One possibility for prophylaxis of MMA is via homeopathy. In this veterinary study, the effectiveness of a prophylactic administration of homeopathic remedies for the prevention of the occurrence of MMA in swine was evaluated.
Methods: In a randomised and blinded study, 60 sows were examined. Sows were randomly distributed in two groups: the experimental group (CL/LL) received a prophylactic administration of the complex homeopathic remedies Caulophyllum Logoplex and Lachesis Logoplex, and the placebo group was administered a sodium chloride (NaCl) solution in the same injection scheme as the experimental group. Clinical signs of MMA, behavioural changes, as well as production parameters, were recorded beginning with the day of farrowing until 5 days post-partum.
Results: The treatment group showed no significant effect on the occurrence of MMA in sows (CL/LL: 56.67% MMA positive sows; NaCl: 53.53% MMA positive sows). Treatment group had also no significant effect on health parameters (vaginal discharge, raised rectal temperature, shortage of milk) or behavioural parameters (impaired feeding behaviour and impaired general condition). For the production parameter average weight gain, statistically significant effects in the treatment group were detected.
Conclusions: Prophylaxis with the homeopathic remedies Caulophyllum Logoplex and Lachesis Logoplex showed neither an improvement in MMA prevention nor an improvement in health parameters or behavioural traits in the present herd of sows.
{"title":"Randomised Controlled Trial on Prophylaxis of Mastitis-Metritis-Agalactia Syndrome in Swine using Caulophyllum Logoplex and Lachesis Logoplex.","authors":"Kathrin Büttner, Janna Oelkers, Onno Burfeind, Joachim Krieter, Irena Czycholl","doi":"10.1055/s-0043-1770725","DOIUrl":"10.1055/s-0043-1770725","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong> Mastitis-metritis-agalactia (MMA) syndrome occurs in the first days post-partum and causes piglet losses mainly due to malnutrition. One possibility for prophylaxis of MMA is via homeopathy. In this veterinary study, the effectiveness of a prophylactic administration of homeopathic remedies for the prevention of the occurrence of MMA in swine was evaluated.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong> In a randomised and blinded study, 60 sows were examined. Sows were randomly distributed in two groups: the experimental group (CL/LL) received a prophylactic administration of the complex homeopathic remedies <i>Caulophyllum Logoplex</i> and <i>Lachesis Logoplex</i>, and the placebo group was administered a sodium chloride (NaCl) solution in the same injection scheme as the experimental group. Clinical signs of MMA, behavioural changes, as well as production parameters, were recorded beginning with the day of farrowing until 5 days post-partum.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong> The treatment group showed no significant effect on the occurrence of MMA in sows (CL/LL: 56.67% MMA positive sows; NaCl: 53.53% MMA positive sows). Treatment group had also no significant effect on health parameters (vaginal discharge, raised rectal temperature, shortage of milk) or behavioural parameters (impaired feeding behaviour and impaired general condition). For the production parameter average weight gain, statistically significant effects in the treatment group were detected.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong> Prophylaxis with the homeopathic remedies <i>Caulophyllum Logoplex</i> and <i>Lachesis Logoplex</i> showed neither an improvement in MMA prevention nor an improvement in health parameters or behavioural traits in the present herd of sows.</p>","PeriodicalId":13227,"journal":{"name":"Homeopathy","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2024-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10128067","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-05-01Epub Date: 2023-10-19DOI: 10.1055/s-0043-1771024
Nilima S Bangar, Selvan Ravindran, Shamim A Shaikh, Nilesh Shah, Rashmi S Tupe
Background: The growing interest in identifying the mode of action of traditional medicines has strengthened its research. Syzygium jambolanum (Syzyg) is commonly prescribed in homeopathy and is a rich source of phytochemicals.
Objective: The present study aims to shed light on the anti-glycation molecular mechanism of Syzyg mother tincture (MT), 30c, and 200c on glycated human serum albumin (HSA) by multi-spectroscopic and microscopic approaches.
Methods: The phytochemicals and antioxidant potential of the Syzyg formulations were estimated by the high-performance liquid chromatography and spectroscopic technique, respectively. Glycation was initiated by incubating HSA with methylglyoxal, three Syzyg formulations, and the known inhibitor aminoguanidine in separate tubes at 37°C for 48 hours. The formation of glycation adducts was assessed by spectrofluorometer and affinity chromatography. The structural modifications were analyzed through circular dichroism, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, turbidity, 8-anilinonapthalene-1-sulfonic acid fluorescence, and nuclear magnetic resonance. Further, the formation of the aggregates was examined by thioflavin T, native-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and transmission electron microscopy. Additionally, the functional modifications of glycated HSA were determined by esterase-like activity and antioxidant capacity. The binding analysis of Syzyg formulations with glycated HSA was evaluated by surface plasmon resonance (SPR).
Results: Syzyg formulations MT, 30c, and 200c contained gallic acid and ellagic acid as major phytochemicals, with concentrations of 16.02, 0.86, and 0.52 µg/mL, and 227.35, 1.35, and 0.84 µg/mL, respectively. Additionally, all three formulations had remarkable radical scavenging ability and could significantly inhibit glycation compared with aminoguanidine. Further, Syzyg formulations inhibited albumin's structural and functional modifications. SPR data showed that Syzyg formulations bind to glycated HSA with an equilibrium dissociation constant of 1.10 nM.
Conclusion: Syzyg formulations inhibited the glycation process while maintaining the structural and functional integrity of HSA.
{"title":"Homeopathic Formulations of Syzygium jambolanum Alleviate Glycation-Mediated Structural and Functional Modifications of Albumin: Evaluation through Multi-Spectroscopic and Microscopic Approaches.","authors":"Nilima S Bangar, Selvan Ravindran, Shamim A Shaikh, Nilesh Shah, Rashmi S Tupe","doi":"10.1055/s-0043-1771024","DOIUrl":"10.1055/s-0043-1771024","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong> The growing interest in identifying the mode of action of traditional medicines has strengthened its research. <i>Syzygium jambolanum</i> (<i>Syzyg</i>) is commonly prescribed in homeopathy and is a rich source of phytochemicals.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong> The present study aims to shed light on the anti-glycation molecular mechanism of <i>Syzyg</i> mother tincture (MT), 30c, and 200c on glycated human serum albumin (HSA) by multi-spectroscopic and microscopic approaches.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong> The phytochemicals and antioxidant potential of the <i>Syzyg</i> formulations were estimated by the high-performance liquid chromatography and spectroscopic technique, respectively. Glycation was initiated by incubating HSA with methylglyoxal, three <i>Syzyg</i> formulations, and the known inhibitor aminoguanidine in separate tubes at 37°C for 48 hours. The formation of glycation adducts was assessed by spectrofluorometer and affinity chromatography. The structural modifications were analyzed through circular dichroism, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, turbidity, 8-anilinonapthalene-1-sulfonic acid fluorescence, and nuclear magnetic resonance. Further, the formation of the aggregates was examined by thioflavin T, native-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and transmission electron microscopy. Additionally, the functional modifications of glycated HSA were determined by esterase-like activity and antioxidant capacity. The binding analysis of <i>Syzyg</i> formulations with glycated HSA was evaluated by surface plasmon resonance (SPR).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong> <i>Syzyg</i> formulations MT, 30c, and 200c contained gallic acid and ellagic acid as major phytochemicals, with concentrations of 16.02, 0.86, and 0.52 µg/mL, and 227.35, 1.35, and 0.84 µg/mL, respectively. Additionally, all three formulations had remarkable radical scavenging ability and could significantly inhibit glycation compared with aminoguanidine. Further, <i>Syzyg</i> formulations inhibited albumin's structural and functional modifications. SPR data showed that <i>Syzyg</i> formulations bind to glycated HSA with an equilibrium dissociation constant of 1.10 nM.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong> <i>Syzyg</i> formulations inhibited the glycation process while maintaining the structural and functional integrity of HSA.</p>","PeriodicalId":13227,"journal":{"name":"Homeopathy","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2024-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49677033","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Background: Pre-diabetes (PD) contributes importantly to the disease burden worldwide and is a precursor to stroke, cardiovascular diseases, as well as type-2 diabetes mellitus.
Objective: In this project, the efficacy of individualized homeopathic medicines (IHMs) was explored against placebos in the treatment of PD.
Methods: A 6-month, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial was conducted at the outpatient departments of a homeopathic medical college and hospital in India. Sixty participants with PD were randomized to receive either IHMs (n = 30) or identical-looking placebos (n = 30). Concomitant care measures were advised to both groups of participants in terms of dietary advice, yoga, meditation and exercise. The primary outcome measures were fasting blood sugar (FBS) and the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT); the secondary outcome was the Diabetes Symptom Checklist-Revised (DSC-R) score. All the outcomes were measured at baseline and after 3 and 6 months of treatment. Inter-group differences and effect sizes (Cohen's d) were calculated using two-way repeated measures analysis of variance models after adjusting baseline differences using analysis of co-variance on the intention-to-treat data.
Results: Between-group differences for FBS were statistically significant, favoring IHMs against placebos (F1,58 = 7.798, p = 0.007), but not for OGTT (F1,58 = 1.691, p = 0.199). The secondary outcome, DSC-R total score, favoring IHMs significantly compared with placebos (F1,58 = 15.752, p < 0.001). Calcarea Carbonicum, Thuja occidentalis and Sulphur were the most frequently prescribed medicines. No harm or serious adverse events were recorded from either of the participant groups.
Conclusion: IHMs produced significantly better results than placebos in FBS and in DSC-R scores but not in OGTT. Independent replications with larger sample sizes are warranted to substantiate the findings.
{"title":"A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial to Evaluate the Efficacy of Individualized Homeopathic Medicines in Pre-diabetes.","authors":"Nilanjana Guha, Shubhamoy Ghosh, Sanjukta Mandal, Aakash Deep Das, Chithra Palanisamy, Shukdeb Maiti, Priyanka Ghosh, Navin Kumar Singh, Munmun Koley, Subhranil Saha","doi":"10.1055/s-0043-1769506","DOIUrl":"10.1055/s-0043-1769506","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong> Pre-diabetes (PD) contributes importantly to the disease burden worldwide and is a precursor to stroke, cardiovascular diseases, as well as type-2 diabetes mellitus.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong> In this project, the efficacy of individualized homeopathic medicines (IHMs) was explored against placebos in the treatment of PD.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong> A 6-month, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial was conducted at the outpatient departments of a homeopathic medical college and hospital in India. Sixty participants with PD were randomized to receive either IHMs (<i>n</i> = 30) or identical-looking placebos (<i>n</i> = 30). Concomitant care measures were advised to both groups of participants in terms of dietary advice, yoga, meditation and exercise. The primary outcome measures were fasting blood sugar (FBS) and the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT); the secondary outcome was the Diabetes Symptom Checklist-Revised (DSC-R) score. All the outcomes were measured at baseline and after 3 and 6 months of treatment. Inter-group differences and effect sizes (Cohen's <i>d</i>) were calculated using two-way repeated measures analysis of variance models after adjusting baseline differences using analysis of co-variance on the intention-to-treat data.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong> Between-group differences for FBS were statistically significant, favoring IHMs against placebos (<i>F</i> <sub>1,58</sub> = 7.798, <i>p</i> = 0.007), but not for OGTT (<i>F</i> <sub>1,58</sub> = 1.691, <i>p</i> = 0.199). The secondary outcome, DSC-R total score, favoring IHMs significantly compared with placebos (<i>F</i> <sub>1,58</sub> = 15.752, <i>p</i> < 0.001). <i>Calcarea Carbonicum</i>, <i>Thuja occidentalis</i> and <i>Sulphur</i> were the most frequently prescribed medicines. No harm or serious adverse events were recorded from either of the participant groups.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong> IHMs produced significantly better results than placebos in FBS and in DSC-R scores but not in OGTT. Independent replications with larger sample sizes are warranted to substantiate the findings.</p><p><strong>Trial registration: </strong> CTRI/2019/10/021711.</p>","PeriodicalId":13227,"journal":{"name":"Homeopathy","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2024-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10063405","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}