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‘Natural’ does not mean best, better or even good

By on 9 January, 2019 in General
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Ivo Vegter • 7 January 2019

Daily Maverick

A pervasive myth has arisen around the word ‘natural’. When applied to food, medicine, cosmetics or cleaning products by marketing experts, it invariably implies not just a derivation from nature but also that it is better than manufactured alternatives. In fact, it often is significantly worse.

Marketers know very well that the label “natural” is a winner. “Natural goodness,” they’ll declare on an item of food. “Pure and natural,” they’ll gush, on face cream or body scrub. “100% natural, chemical-free,” they state on a hair conditioner. Millions of products and tens of thousands of books extol the virtues of everything from natural foods to natural remedies to natural health for dogs and cats.

Marketers, of course, have only one job. They get paid to make you buy more stuff. If their slogans, labels and taglines do not make a company more profitable, they are replaced. … Read the rest

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Ethical pharmacists should not sell quackery

By on 9 May, 2018 in Evaluating evidence, homeopathy
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Posted 09 May 2018

Last week, Ivo Vegter, the editor of Daily Maverick, posted an article arguing that ethical pharmacists should not sell quackery. 

This week, in response he writes: “Last week, I argued for an “ethical pharmacist” certification for pharmacists who do not sell quack remedies, miracle diets and detox cures. This week, let me consider two of the responses I’ve had; one from a pharmacist, and one from a homeopath. One makes a good point, the other does not”.

This article is a worth-while read for a variety of reasons, and in particular for all those arguing that CAMs should have a ‘place in the sun’.

My first reaction was that there is no need to seek a balance between fact and fiction, science and magic, medicine and quackery.

Although a great part of the article addresses homeopathy, much of his argument can be applied to many … Read the rest

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A deadly plague of cannabis oil pedlars

By on 3 February, 2017 in Cannabis oil
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Posted o3 February 2017

An interesting perspective on cannabis oil, written by Igo Vegter, and published in the Daily Maverick.

Some extracts:

[note note_color=”#fbfbf1″]“Cannabis ought to be legal. It ought to be researched for its medicinal qualities. But people who sell homemade cures for cancer are dangerous, swindling desperate people into forgoing medical treatment in favour of unproven home remedies. The price, too often, is death.”[/note]

[note note_color=”#fbfbf1″]”Even highly intelligent people succumb to desperation when facing a dreaded diagnosis. It is not pleasant to hear that you have a disease without a certain cure, or that you have a 50% chance of dying in the next five years. When the prognosis is even worse, as it can be with certain types of cancer or with late diagnoses, it is hardly surprising that people lose faith in conventional medicine, or are prepared to try anything, however outlandish. When … Read the rest

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