The QuackCast. Revenant Edition

The QuackCast. Revenant Edition


Science-Based Reviews of SCAM: Supplements Complementary and Alternative Medicine


Quackcast 235: TCPM Tongue Diagnosis

Tongue diagnosis: a fictional diagnostic used to make a fictional diagnosis so a fictional therapy can be used. Read More...

Quackcast 234: Best Hospital Eye Roll

US News best hospitals chock full of SCAMs. Read More...

Quackcast 233: More Unneeded Adjectives

Science needs no adjectives Read More...

Quackcast 232: Boosting. What To Do

Boosting the immune system. I canna do it Captain. Read More...

Quackcast 231: Make Acupuncture Great Again

Where a negative study is spun as positive. Same as it ever was at the Annals of Internal Medicine. Read More...

Quackcast 230: Adjectives

Is powerful an adjective for placebo? Nope. Read More...

Quackcast 229: Eradication Isn’t Extinction. Too Bad

Some ramblings about smallpox and polio. Read More...

Quackcast 228: Spontaneous Human Combustion

Lets see what the medical literature has to say on spontaneous human combustion, shall we? Read More...

Quackcast 227: I Reject Your Medical Reality and I Substitute Death

Denying reality and substituting his own worked for Adam Savage. Not so much as an approach to COVID.

References and text at

https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/i-reject-your-medical-reality-and-i-substitute-death/
Read More...

Quackcast 226: Madonna?!?

Remembering the old days of Madonna, courting, and naloxone use.
Read More...

Quackcast 225: Courage

If I were King of the Vaccines. Some thoughts on influenza vaccine, hospitalization, death and courage. Read More...

Quackcast 224: The Good. The Bad. The Ugly.

Chiropractic neck manipulation can lead to stroke. Chiropractors deny that reality, amoung others.

Read More...

Quackcast 223: Acupuncture Myths

Acupuncturists use evidence to debunk acupuncture myths. I am underwhelmed. Read More...

Quackcast 222: Part of a Complete Breakfast

Thoughts on what the Cochrane review on masking really said. Read More...

Quackcast 221: Bovine Pancreatic Insuffciency

Does fluvoxaime have effects on COVID 45? Nope. No reason it should. Read More...

Quackcast 220: Diagnostic Reflections

At the end of a long and storied career, thoughts on making the diagnosis. Read More...

Quackcast 219: Serologies

Just because the serology is positive doesn't mean you have the disease. Read More...

Quackcast 218: The Beekeeper. Sentinal Chicken?

Does bee venom have theraputic effects? Nurp. Read More...

Quackcast 217: Some Sepsis Stuff

Some failed approaches to sepsis, real and alternative Read More...

Quackcast 216: Alternative Reproduction?

SCAMs for contraception, fertility and abortion? Nope. Read More...

Quackcast 215: Homeopathy and COVID 45: The Toothless Old Man Laughs

As Billy Preston noted, “Nothin’ from nothin’ leaves nothin'”. And so it is with Homeopathy and COVID 45. Catholicon. Read More...

Quackcast 214: Zeno's Paradox

Time says acupuncure is making it into mainstream medicine. Nope Read More...

Quackcast 213: A Pox on all our houses

Some monkeypox ramblings. Read More...

Quackcast 212: Yes. I Remember it Well. A COVID 45 Retrospective

With faltering memory, questionable opinions, and sketchy references, an infectious disease revenant reflects on the last 2.5 years of COVID 45. Grizzly bear assault free. As in no assault, not the price of a Grizzly bear assault. Read More...

Quackcast 211: Vitamin C and Sepsis. All Sound and Fury? Much Ado About Nothing?

Is intravenous vitamin C helpful in sepsis? I hope so, but past experience renders me skeptical. Read More...

Quackcast 210: Treating the Terrain of Chronic Sinus Infections. A LAc of understanding.

Acupuncture Today. “Das ist nicht nur nicht richtig; es ist nicht einmal falsch!” It is because they LAc an understanding of medicine. Read More...

Quackcast 209: Influenza Vaccine and Health Care Workers. More than one way to skin a literature

There are many ways to apply the medical literature. For me it starts with the premise that health care workers may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm. Read More...

Quackcast 208: Spinal Manipulation for Back and Neck Pain: Does It Work? Annotated.

Spinal Manipulation for Back and Neck Pain: Does It Work? You would think it does if you read the article but not if you actually read the literature. Read More...

Quackcast 207: Board Disciplinary Actions. What Naturopaths Really Do Not Want You To Know

Disciplinary actions against ND’s in Oregon by the Board. How to find them and what they are. Read More...

Quackcast 206: Chinese BioMedical Research: Sturgeon’s Law In Action

A Chinese government investigation has found that 80%, yes eighty percent, of Chinese biomedical research is fabricated. I bet that is an underestimate for Traditional Chinese Pseudo-Medicine. Read More...

Quackcast 205: Acupuncture’s Big Myth

That there is a thing called acupuncture. Read More...

Quackcast 204: It’s Hard Out There for a Psychic

There is no difference between a psychic scam and a pseudo-medical SCAM. Read More...

Quackcast 203: Reiki and Therapeutic Touch. Compare and Contrast

An update on a popular pseudo-science. Read More...

Quackcast 202: Blue Light. Special?

To summarize: The truth of blue light? Who cares? Read More...

Quackcast 201: When should I get the influenza vaccine?

What is the best month to get the flu jab. Read More...

Quackcast 200: Infectious Diseases and Cancer

The many ways cancer and infection interact. Read More...

Quackcast 199: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Systemic Exertion Intolerance Disease Speculation

Is CFS a hibernation state? Read More...

Quackcast 198. Leech Therapy.

The middle ages lives on. Read More...

Quackcast 197: Science-Based Politics

A hodgepodge touching on a few aspects exploring issues and controversies in science, medicine, and politics Read More...

Quackcast 196: Acupuncture and Endorphins: Not all that Impressive

Is the pain relief from acupuncture mediated by endorphins? Only if you consider electrical shocks acupuncture. Read More...

Quackcast 195: The New Chiropractic. And I thought SBM had an uphill battle.

Is a chiropractor still a chiropractor when new and improved? Read More...

Quackcast 194: About Herbs. An app to avoid.

An app to avoid. Read More...

Quackcast 193: Chiropractic moves into Transportation

The solution to chronic pain is NOT chiropractic Read More...

Quackcast 192: Dry Needling

Dry Needling sure isn't acupuncture. Nope. Not at all. Read More...

Quackcast 191: Vaginal Seeding. Ew. That’s nuts. Hmmm, interesting.

Musings on the microbiome. Read More...

Quackcast 190: Chiropractic, Blind Pigs and Acorns

A review of chiropractic case report shows a profound lack of medical knowledge Read More...

Quackcast 188: April Fool Cannot Surpass SCAM

April Fools jokes are always less wack-a-loon than any SCAM Read More...

Quackcast 187: Oregon Health & Science University SCAM Day

Medical students hearing proselytizing propaganda by proponents of pseudo-medicine. Read More...

Quackcast 186: Acupuncture for Coronary Artery Disease

Nothing quite the hubris of using magic on potentially fatal diseases. Read More...

Quackcast 185: Chiropractors, Naturopaths, Concussions and Senate Bill 1535

Naturopaths and chiropractors lack the education, the training, and the understanding of medicine and neurology to diagnose and treat concussion. Their therapies are at best useless and can result in strokes in one of our most vulnerable populations, children. Perfect for taking care of childhood concussion. Not. Read More...

Quackcast 184: Curse Removal from the Annals

Most SCAM are the medical equal of a curse removal. Read More...

Quackcast 183: Fog of Medicine

Diagnostic error: a problem for medicine, a defining characteristic of SCAM. Read More...

Quackcast 182: Lyme Testing

Proving an infectious disease is not as easy as one would like. Read More...

Quackcast 181: Influenza Eye Roll

Yearly flu nonsense by some Family Practice residents. Read More...

Quackcast 180: SCAM Cell Therapies

Stem Cells that are not. Read More...

Quackcast 179: Acupuncture/TCPM Crapfest

Some more awful and unethical acupuncture studies. Read More...

Quackcast 178: A liquid that was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea.

A look at some ND web sites. Read More...

Quackcast 177: More Lyme ‘Guidelines’

Guidelines based on very poor quality evidence. We call that belief. Read More...

Quackcast 176: Worst Homeopathy Study. Ever.

Really. Worst homeopathy study ever. Read More...

Quackcast 175: Medicine in the Magic Kingdom of Cascadia

Oregon Health & Sciences University inches towards becoming Oregon Health & Pseudo-Sciences University Read More...

Quackcast 174: Medical Theater

It looks good but does nothing. Read More...

Quackcast 173: Do You Believe in Magic? Oregon Does.

To decrease narcotic use, Oregon is going to turn to magic. Read More...

Quackcast 172: Naturopathic Medical Magic in the NW

The Oregon legislature has declared that naturopaths are primary care providers. Next up, pi = 3.14. Read More...

Quackcast 171: Ethical Failures

IRBs keep approving unethical SCAM trials Read More...

Quackcast 170: Chiropractic and Stroke: The question is not answered

Chiropractic loves the studies that prove nothing about whether snapping a neck like a hanging causes a stroke. Read More...

Quackcast 169: Leaky Gut

A culture-bound syndrome? Read More...

Quackcast 168: Chiropractic Nose Balloons

Hobbit condoms inflated in the nose. Read More...

Quackcast 167: Lyme Testimony

Testimony in favor of protecting 'creative' lyme doctors. Read More...

Quackcast 166: What Should We Do in the Absence of Evidence?

There is always evidence. It just may stink on ice. Read More...

Quackcast 165: Mediocre Expectations

More on if acupuncture 'works'. Read More...

Quackcast 164. FDA and Homeopathy: Part Two.

Friends, FDA, countrymen, lend me your ears;
I come to bury Homeopathy, not to praise it.
The evil that homeopaths do lives after them;
The good is oft interred with their bones;
So let it be with Homeopathy. The noble
Ullman
Hath told you homeopathy was effective:
If it were so, it was a grievous fault,
And grievously hath Homeopathy answer’d it.
Here, under leave of Ullman and the rest–
For Ullman is an honourable man;
So are they all, all honourable men–
Come I to speak in Homeopathy’s funeral.
It was my nostrum, faithless and worthless to me:
But Ullman says it was effective;
And Ullman is an honourable man.
He hath brought many provings home to HPUS
Whose prescriptions did the general coffers fill:
Did this in Homeopathy seem effective?
When that the ill have died, Homeopathy hath wept:
Efficacy should be made of sterner stuff:
Yet Ullman says it was effective;
And Ullman is an honourable man.
You all did see that on the Cochrane
I thrice presented Homeopathy a meta-analysis,
Which he did thrice refuse: was this efficacy?
Yet Ullman says it was effective;
And, sure, he is an honourable man.
I speak not to disprove what Ullman spoke,
But here I am to speak what I do know.
Edward De Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford. Sort of.
Read More...

Quackcast 163: Lyme: Two Worlds Compared and Contrasted

Comparing the approach of the IDSA with ILADS. Who will reign supreme? Read More...

Quackcast 162: Bias and Spin

Bias determines conclusions. Read More...

Quackcast 161: Traditional Chinese Pseudo-Medicine Hodgepodge

A variety of studies reviewed. Read More...

Quackcast 160: Do two half-truths add up to a complete truth or a complete falsehood?

A bit about flu and measles. Read More...

Quackcast 159: Gut Check

Update on probiotics. Read More...

Quackcast 158: Mel asks and I do my best to answer.

Responding to an acupuncturist. Read More...

Quackcast 157: Acupuncture Odds and Ends

A bunch of acupuncture studies evaluated. Read More...

Quackcast 156: Homeotoxicology

An even weirder form of homeopathy. Read More...

Quackcast 155: In the Spirit of Choosing Wisely

How to choose a SCAM wisely. Read More...

Quackcast 154: Why Get A Flu Shot?

A quick review of the benefits of the flu vaccine. Read More...

Quackcast 153: Infinite Variety?

So many kinds of acupuncture. Which one is the chosen one? Read More...

Quackcast 152: Placebo Speculations

More on the nature of the placebo effect Read More...

Quackcast 151: Chaperones Needed

You Docs and acupuncture: do they read the literature? Read More...

Quackcast 150a: Rationalizing the Ridiculous

How do people justify offering nonsense? Read More...

Quackcast 150: Ebola SCAMs

Variations of homeopathy to treat Ebola Read More...

Quackcast 149: That's so Chiropractic

Chiropractic research and more. Read More...

Quackcast 148: Yet another plague panic

Ebola is the least of out worries. Read More...

Quackcast 147: Why People Continue to Use SCAMs

Some research on why people are mislead by their experience. Read More...

Quackcast 146: The Truth?

Why do major medical insitutions lie to their patients? Read More...

Quackcast 145: TCM Hodegepodge

Traditional Chinese Medicine Update. Read More...

Quackcast 144: Astrology, Alchemy, ESP and Reiki. One Of These Is Not Like The Other

Medicine embraces nonsense other fields avoid. Read More...

Quackcast 143: More Dialogs

The solution to US health care does not lie in adding magic. Read More...

Quackcast 142: Cochrane Reviews: The Food Babe of Medicine?

The Cochrane reviews: goofy and disingenuous. Read More...

Quackcast 141: Moxibustion

Burning mugwort does nothing but burn mugwort. Read More...

Quackcast 140: Hickey

Cupping evaluated. Read More...

Quackcast 139: Agnotology: The Study of Ignorance

Ignorance is a lot more than bliss Read More...

Quackcast 138: Acupuncture Vignettes

A hodgepodge of acupuncture studies evaluated. Read More...

Quackcast 137: I want to draw your attention to a special added attraction not advertised on the outside

Earthing for Earthlings Read More...

Quackcast 136: Motivations

Why we do what we do. Read More...

Quackcast 135: I Visited a Chickasaw Healer and All I Got Was an Elk Sinew and Buffalo Horn Bracelet

More humor from the Altlantic Monthly, except they were not trying to be funny. Read More...

Quackcast 134: Urinary Tract Infections Cause Depression. Directors Cut.*

Garbage in Garbage out his how you demonstrate acupuncture efficacy. Read More...

Quackcast 132: Acupuncture Wack a Mole

More lousy acupuncture studies mis-interpreted. Read More...

Quackcast 131: 5 out of 4 Americans do not understand statistics.

Statistics makes my head hurt. p of 0.05 is not so significant after all. Read More...

Quackcast 130: Irritated by the Skeptical Inquirer. Again.

A Mike Adams impersonator writes for SI Read More...

Quackcast 129: Alternative Microbiology

Weirdness in the world of infectious diseases and microbiology. Read More...

Quackcast 128: SCAM Stud

Where we see that Food Babe writes about the flu vaccine and gets it completely wrong. Read More...

Quackcast 127: Pump it up. Osteopathic manipulation and influenza

Adding a worthless therapy to the treatment of influenza based on a historical nonsense. Read More...

Quackcast 126: What are words for?

Words can be used to mislead about vaccines. Read More...

Quackcast 125: I refute it thus

Reality is a honey badger. It don’t care if you don’t get vaccinated. Read More...

Quackcast124: Survey Says...

Even the best and brightest can buy into SCAMs. Read More...

Quackcast 123: A Different Perspective: Placebo, SCAM, and Advertising

SCAM as selling sugar water. Read More...

Quackcast 122: Religion and SCAM

On the intersection of religion and SCAM Read More...

Quackcast 121: Who you gonna believe, me or you own eyes?

On why people are wired to believe SCAM. Read More...

Quackcast 120: Homeopathy Ramblings

The impossible homeopathic adverse reaction. Read More...

Quactcast 119: Two Viewpoints

The Ethics of SCAM vrs Reality Based Medicine Read More...

Quackcast 118: People Encouraging Turtle Agony

Yertle had a bad day and it only got worse. Read More...

Quackcast 117: Whack em hard, whack em once and Stroke

More on chiropractic and stroke. Read More...

Quackcast 116: Animal Therapy

Animals in the hospital: stupid idea? Or really stupid. Read More...

Quackcast 115: Uneasy Lies the Head that Wears the Flu

More flu stuff. It is coming to kill you. Eventually. Read More...

Quackcast 114: Boundaries

Differences between SBM and SCAM Read More...

Quackcast 113: Comprehending the Incomprehensible

Looking for Conceptual Frameworks Read More...

Quackcast 112: Acupuncture and Allergic Rhinitis

Another Opportunity for Intellectual Sterility Read More...

Quackcast 111: Warts

Warts treated with duct tape? Nope. Read More...

Quackcast 110: Honey Boo Boo

Honey does not help cough. Read More...

Quackcast 109: One Flu Into the Cuckoo’s Nest

More on the flu vaccine
Read More...

Quackcast 108: SCAMlandia

An evaluation of Portland Monthly’s Alternative Medicine Guide. Journalistic standards are not what they used to be. Read More...

Quackcast 107: 780.6.

Fever. Along with pus, it defines my life. Lucky me. Read More...

Quackcast 106: Disingenuous: Deconstruction of a naturopathic white paper

Why naturopaths should not be primary care providers, no matter what they say. Read More...

Quackcast 105: Down the Virtual Rabbit Hole

Alkaline water and new parasites. Read More...

Quackcast 104. Blonde Blood.

H202 in the vein is in vain. Read More...

Quackcast 103. The Light Fantastical

UV irradiation of blood. Read More...

Quackcast 102. More boosting.

More on why boosting the immune system is nonsense. Read More...

Quackcast 101. I never meta analysis I like.

More studies that, upon careful evaluation, fail to show acupuncture is effective. Read More...

Quackcast 100. Protect Yourself.

If your health care provider is not vaccinated against influenza, they might be a dumb ass. You want a dumb ass involved in your health care? Read More...

Quackcast 99. Guiding Lights

My Biases. Read More...

Quackcast 98. Low Level Lasers.

N-Rays Redux Read More...

Quackcast 97. Jurassic Farce

Worrying about gay gm mosquitoes Read More...

Quackcast 96. Journal Club

Bad research leads to worthless studies. Read More...

Quackcast 95. The Spirit of Louis Renault

The Huff Po finds gambling is going on. Is shocked. Read More...

Quackcast 94. Vital Signs

On Breathing as the cause of all disease. Read More...

Quackcast 93. Science, Evidence and Guidelines

Most docs don't like evidence and science. Beware. Read More...

Quackcast 92. There's an app for that?!?

Using modern technology to classify fiction. Read More...

Quackcast 91. Cannibalism?

Do the Chinese and Koreans eat dead babies? I bet no. Read More...

Quackcast 90. Stop Making Sense

Random thoughts after reading 13 Things That Don’t Make Sense by Michael Brooks. Read More...

Quackcast 89: Spring Update

Update on raw milk, acupuncture, homeopathy and TCM. Read More...

Quackcast 88: Drinking from the Fire Hose

Odds and Ends on the Gasping Oppression aka the flu. Read More...

Quackcast 87: Feet of Clay

The Editors of the NEJM do not read their own content? Read More...

Quackcast 86: The Species in the Feces.

Stool transplants and more. Read More...

Quackcast 85: On the Application of Science.

It is not as easy as it would appear to change practice Read More...

Quackcast 84: Perpetual Motion. The Bravewell Report

When major medical institutions offer magic. Read More...

Quackcast 83. AK: Nonsense on Full Automatic.

In the race to be the goofiest SCAM, can Applied Kinesiology win? Read More...

Quackcast 82. More Placebo.

I keep yammering on about the worthless placebo. Oh well, It’s my podcast. Read More...

Quackcast 81. Alas poor Craniosacral. A SCAM of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy.

A race to the bottom for the most goofy SCAM. Read More...

Quackcast 80. Seal of Approval.

Dr. Oz approved. Insert snort of derision. Read More...

Quackcast 79. Hodgepodge.

A bit of medicine, a bit of acupuncture, a bit of staring. Read More...

Quackcast 78. Random Flu Thoughts.

Interferon induced idle thoughts about influenza Read More...

Quackcast 77. Alternative Vaccination.

DYI Vaccination schedule. Read More...

Quackcast 76. The Prostrate Placebo.

Saw palmetto is useless. As is placebo. Read More...

Quackcast 75. Recycle.

Drinking urine. Ick Read More...

Quackcast 74. Gullible George.

When it comes to CAM, PBS means Produces Bull Stuff (I do not want to get an explicit tag). Read More...

Quackcast 73. The Annals of Internal Medicine Qualifies for Fail Blog.

Watch as a formally good Journal publishes amateur garbage on TCM and the ‘treatment’ of flu. Read More...

Quackcast 72. Train Therapy.

Lying on train tracks to improve your health. No worse than homeopathy. Read More...

Quackcast 71. CAM. The Beer Goggles of Medicine.

More on how CAM = Placebo. Placebo = nothing. Therefore CAM = Nothing. Read More...

Quackcast 70. SOS DD.

SCAM proponents have a different understanding of reality. See Dr. Chopra's writings as the archetype. Read More...

Quackcast 69. Honey.

Not the bee all and end all, it has its uses in wound care. Read More...

Quackcast 68. The Dow of Accutane.

Does Accutane lead to inflammatory bowel disease? Probably not. But it may be worth millions. Read More...

Quackcast 67. Ambiguity.

Medicine evolves. SCAMs mutate. The difference is science. Read More...

Quackcast 65. Raw Milk.

Drink more Raw Milk and support your local Infectious Disease Doctor. Read More...

Quackcast 64. Parasites.

Parasites and their so called diagnosis. Read More...

Quackcast 63. Without Borders.

Exporting woo to your tired, your poor, your huddled masses. Read More...

Quackcast 62. The World Has Moved On.

Idle thoughts about nonsense on the Huffington Post. Read More...

Quackcast 61. Deadly Indeed.

Thoughts on the recent Skeptical Enquirer article, Seven Deadly Medical Hypotheses. Read More...

Quackcast 60. Triskaidekaphobia times two.

A reflection on the capacity of the immune system. Read More...

Quackcast 59. Vaccination Council on Vaccination Reviewed

The Vaccine Council of Vaccinations doesn't want you and yours to get vaccinated. The data? Pulled out of their, er, well, lets call it thin air. Yeah. Thin Air. Read More...

Quackcast 58. Cranberry Juice and UTI's.

After 45 years of investigation and 100 crappy studies you still can't say definitively that Cranberry Juice is effective. Although it probably isn't. But I still like my cosmo. Read More...

Quackcast 57. Oh So Silly Oh coccinum and whiny babies

Some odds and ends about influenza treatment and prevention. Read More...

Quackcast 56. Sky Maul. A meandering look at aspects of acupuncuture by the easily distracted.

Why did the iceman die 5500 years ago? Read More...

Quackcast 55. Homeopathetic Vaccines

A review of the airquotes science end airquotes behind the homeopathetic vaccines/nosodes. Read More...

Quackcast 53. Reflexology.

Reflexology. Read More...

Quackcast 52. Good Journals Gone Bad.

Why do good journals do this? Read More...

Quackcast 51. Short Attendion Span Quackcast

A hodgepodge. Read More...

Quackcast 50. The NEJM and Acupuncture

Even the best journal can publish garbage. Read More...

Quackcast 49. Bought and Sold. Who Pays for CME

Whoring for fun and profit. Read More...

Quackcast 48. Acupuncture and CME

The best and brightest nonsense money can buy. Read More...

Quackcast 47. More on Medical Voices.

Medical Voices website has a variety of what could be considered misinformation. I look at the core fallacy, or nut, behind 20 essays on the site. Read More...

Quackcast 46. Mumps.

Should you get vaccinated or get the real disease? I suggest the former, Medical Voices suggests the latter. See why. Read More...

Quackcast 45. The Vaccine Pseudo Controversy

A review of the alleged side effects of the third greatest invention of all time. After clean water and the flush toilet. Read More...

Quackcast 44. Nine questions, nine answers.

An ND suggests there are 9 questions that pro-vaccine proponents can't answer. Ha. My 12 year old found the answers in minutes. Read More...

Quackcast 43. Literature update: Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo.

An update on a hodgepodge of recent publications concerning placebo, homeopathy, magnets, acupuncture and the nature of reality. Mislabeled as number 42 in the audio. Sorry.  Counting not my strong point. Read More...

Quackcast 42. The Tamiflu spin.

Atlantis, er, I mean the Atlantic discusses the use of Tamiflu and is as reliable as Plato. Read More...

Quackcast 41. YOU, acupuncture and the military.

An acupuncture review. Read More...

Quackcast 40. Literature update. Chiropractic and Ginkgo.

Literature update. Chiropractic and Ginkgo. Read More...

Quackcast 39. Measles Update.

The MMR doesn’t cause autism. Duh. But it does protect from autism. WTH? Read More...

Quackcast 38. Mesotherapy.

Do you really think injecting artichoke into your skin will make fat go away? Really? Read More...

Quackcast 37. Acai.

Acai. Spanish for take the money and run. Read More...

Quackcast 36. Hi Ho Silver.

The data to support colloidal silver is less than WMD's in Iraq. Read More...

Quackcast 35. Flu vaccine efficacy and 18 taradiddles.

Does the flu vaccine work? Is the earth an oblate spheroid? Yep. Find out how we know (about the vaccine, not the earth). Plus 18 flu related taradiddles. Read More...

Quackcast 34. Flu Woo for You.

A tediously long exposition on but a fraction of the flu woo. Read More...

Quackcast 33. Update on Acupuncture, Chiropractic, and Herbal Remedies

The following are evaluated:

A Randomized Trial Comparing Acupuncture, Simulated Acupuncture, and Usual Care for Chronic Low Back Pain. Arch Intern Med. 2009;169(9):858-866
SPINE Volume 34, Number 11, pp E405–E413
Safety of Chiropractic Interventions
A Systematic Review

Red Yeast Rice for Dyslipidemia in Statin-Intolerant Patients
A Randomized Trial
Ann Intern Med. 2009;150:830-839. Read More...

Quackcast 32. Huffpo. 32 Sentences and 57 taradiddles.

Merrian-Webster definition of taradiddle. 1 : fib. 2 : pretentious nonsense.  How many times can a single blog post be wrong? Read More...

Quackcast 31. Green our SCAM.

TCM is bad for you and the earth. Gaia cries when you take a Chinese medication.
Why Scams are bad for Gaia, man.
Read More...

Quackcast 30. Lets Kill The Children or A Defense of Vaccines.

Vaccines gud.
Infection and death bad.
Me get vaccine and me not die.
Read More...

Quackcast 29. Reiki and Theraputic Touch

Energy Therapies abound in SCAMs. Here are two. Reiki and Theraputic Touch.
Read More...

Quackcast 28. Vitamin C and the Common Cold

Because the Peter Principle rules, millions were spent to demonstrate clearly that Vitamin C has minimal effects on the common cold. Someone needs to return his Nobel prize.

Read More...

Quackcast 27. Acupuncture and Chiropractic Update.

This podcasts reviews 2 papers on acupuncture and pain, and one on chiropractic and stroke. Read More...

Quackcast 26. Alternative Aviation

What if the airlines were run like SCAM. Read More...

Quackcast 25. Fungi Shui

Do toxins from molds cause disease? Do moulds make great cheeses? The answer to one is no, the other is yes. Why do I add a 'u' to mold? Listen and find out which is which. Read More...

Quackcast 24. The Yeast Dis Connection

The yeast connection is examined and found to be disconnected. Read More...

Quackcast 23. Trust No One. But me

What an article says and what people say it says, and what people say it says it says etc are often not the same thing. I tediously dissect a medical paper and comment of what two commentators say it says. If this kind of description, much less the podcast, is not itself a near death experience, I do not know what is. Read More...

Quackcast 22. Boost your imune system and die

A cursory review of the immune system and then a review of some medical literature that suggests boosting it will cause you to die die die die die die die die die die die die die........
Got carried away.
Were all gonna DIE!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sorry. I panic easily.
Read More...

Quackcast 21. Acupuncture update

Quackcast 21, my podcast can now drink in Oregon.

Read More...

Quackcast 20. Influenza myths

The flu can kill you. What YOU can do to prevent it. Tonight on the 10 o'clock news. Plus, the truth behind Brittany's hair.
Read More...

Quackcast 19. Iridology

A look at the iridology, a form of fiction mistaken as a diganostic modality. Get it. Look. Iridology. So much funnier than working 'point' in to an accupuncture story. Read More...

Quackcast 18. Update 2 Echinacea Meta Anal Ysis

The Lancet published a meta anal ysis of echinacea and concluded it was effective. Is it true? Well, what is truth? Listen to the podcast and hear my truth.
Read More...

QuackCast 17: Update 1. NUCCA, The Curley of Chiropractic

An evaluation of "Atlas vertebrae realignment and achievement of arterial pressure goal in hypertensive patients: a pilot study."
Published in 2007 in the journal of Human Hypertension.
Read More...

Quackcast 16. Probiotics

A review of probiotics: theory, use and complications.
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Quackcast 15. Magnet Therapy

A review of magnets as a medical intervention. I really should have called it the crap cast, because this is crap. Not the podcast. Magnetic therapy. Read More...

Quackcast 14. Naturopathy. Quacks of all trades, masters of none.

A review of the practice of naturopathy, not particularly favorable for some odd reason.
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Quackcast 13. Herbal "Remedies." Like "Fresh" Fish.

A tour of some popular herbs. Reviewing the medical literature with commentary of the following herbs: echinacea, ginkgo, st johns wort, black cohash, saw palmetto, and glucosamine/chondrotin. Read More...

Quackcast 12. How to Identify Quackery and Homeopathic Horrors.

Seven rules of thumb to identify quackery, with examples.
Also more on the potential dangers of homeopathy.
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Quackcast 11. Chiropractic. Efficacy and Complications

Does Chiropractic work for low back pain? Other diseases? Is it safe? What does it take to get into Chiropractic School? The answer to all this and more in this podcast. Read More...

Quackcast 10. Chiropractic. History and Theory

The theory of chiropractic is reviewed and found to be wanting when compared with reality. It has no biologic or physiologic plausibility. But it doesn't stop the AMA having its legal rear handed them by the Chiropractors. Read More...

Quackcast 9. Lies, Damn Lies and the use of SCAM.

34% to 42% of Americans use alternative medicine each year.
True? Of course not. See how data is misrepresented to support nonsense. Read More...

Quackcast 8. Acupuncture Efficacy

The efficacy of acupuncture is reviewed and found to be wanting when compared with reality. It doesn't work and has the potential to cause real harm. Read More...

Quackcast 7. Theory of Acupuncture

The theory of acupuncture is reviewed and found to be wanting when compared with reality. It has no biologic or physiologic plausibility. Read More...

Quackcast 6. Prayer

A review of the medical literature suggests that prayer is not an efficacious therapeutic intervention for medical illnesses.
And I am almost certainly going to h e double toothpicks, if you know what I mean. Read More...

Quackcast 5. Placebo Effect

SCAM effects are often attributed to the placebo effect. Turns out the placebo effect does not exist. So when the effect of SCAM is equal to placebo effect, it is the same as saying it is equal to nothing. How true, how true. Read More...

Quackcast 4. Homeopathy Clinical Trials

Clinical trials of homeopathy are of poor quality and treat self limited diseases. The better the study, the less well homeopathy does. In the best meta analysis to date, it is concluded that homeopathy doesn't work. Duh. Read More...

Quackcast 3. Homeopathic Theory

Of all the kinds of SCAM available, Homeopathy has to be the most ridiculous. And that’s saying something. Listen and see why. Read More...

Quackcast 2. Echinacea

Echinacea. A useful adjunct or a load of crap. What do you think I’m going to say?
Crap.
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Quackcast 1. Opening Salvo

An occasional skeptical and sarcastic review of alternative medicine. Today: General approach to human gullibility. Read More...