“When it comes to the placebo effect, it really may be mind over matter, a new analysis suggests.
In a review of recent research, international experts say there is increasing evidence that fake treatments, or placebos, have an actual biological effect in the body.
The doctor-patient relationship, plus the expectation of recovery, may sometimes be enough to change a patient’s brain, body and behavior, experts write. The review of previous research on placebos was published online Friday in Lancet, the British medical journal.
“It’s not that placebos or inert substances help,” said Linda Blair, a Bath-based psychologist and spokeswoman for the British Psychological Society. Blair was not linked to the research. “It’s that people’s belief in inert substances help.”
While doctors have long recognized that placebos can help patients feel better, they weren’t sure if the treatments sparked any physical changes.”
Read more at USA Today (thanks, Tammy)
"
Well, that explains religion then
Look it’s patently clear. These so called placebos must have water as an ingrediant. We know from homeopathic science that the purer the water, the more powerful the effect of the chemicals it has come into contact with, and since all water is connected, it must have come into contact with remedies to every disease currently extant. So, in our efforts to produce placebos with no effects, we’re not actually giving ‘useless placebos’ but ultra powerful doses of a cure-all homeopathic remedy. There’s no other explanation, these trials are sure evidence that homeopathy is true and should be treated as such.
The text processer lost the /sarcasm off the end of that last post.
Placebo A.K.A the power of belief, in religious circles.
does this prove that blind belief does have an effect?
Ummmm… “placebos have an actual biological effect in the body”? How is this news or even mildly surprising? If you’re reading this sentence *I’m changing your brain*! If “placebos can help patients feel better” how in the world could that happen without making physical changes? By tickling the ghost in the machine?
C’mon. Don’t parrot stupid news articles.
- it’s not that they work – we know that – it’s the fact they are stronger and the results are causing issues with double blind tests. – Phillis
@Jim T
Wouldn’t that also mean all the diseases the water has come in contact with too?…
Your analyzation is pretty weak to even suggest that.
I personally believe it’s simply – we have finally realised the power of the brain.
I take antidepressants and do believe that there is some truth to me personally with regard to the placebo effect, with negative outcomes. Sometimes I believe that the antidepressants I take should be at least lowered and receive cognitive therapy instead. I found out today that an increase in serotonin suppressed the production of dopamine in my brain. Not a nice thought
((. I won’t get depressed, but I don’t feel much of anything else either. A trip to the doctor’s in order, I think. He’s a good doctor and will listen. 
our minds are so wunnerful. lookit all the money they could save us at the pharmacy!
I am so happy to see that at least some of you ‘skeptics’ or atheists are supporting Homeopathic remedies! It really helps sometimes and there and this is just one example.
B.t.w. Mr. Brown your Blog is great and refreshing, thank you very much.
Phillis – well, sure. Wired this a whole piece on that. But, if that was the point, it’s rather odd to not to say anything in your actual post about placebos getting stronger or them causing problems with blinding, no?
You might also be interested in Peter Lipson’s piece on the whole placebo story over at SBM: http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/?p=1248
Still: in the short time I’ve subscribed to this blog, you’ve repeated this daft USA Today article and that atrocious Telegraph article. You should be doing better than this. A useful rule of thumb: journalists are stupid.