How is cold eeze homeopathic?

[randombetch]

It says that it's a "homeopathic cold remedy." In what way is this homeopathic? Are they saying taking tons of zinc leads to cold symptoms?

Also, zinc has been found to be effective in clinical trials to reduce the duration of colds...

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[Slack3r]

Remedy means "a cure for".

 

[The Poet Sings]

And homeopathic means (thanks wiki): Homeopathy (also spelled Homoeopathy or Homœopathy) is a form of alternative medicine, first proposed by German physician Samuel Hahnemann in 1796, that treats patients with heavily diluted preparations which are thought to cause effects similar to the symptoms presented. . Hence the OP's point about whether or not zinc causes cold symptoms.

 

[Superman MD]

I work for Walgreens, and I asked the pharmacist what it means when a drug is homeopathic. She told me that it means it has not been approved by the FDA to do what it advertises.

 

[randombetch]

Remedy means "a cure for".

Yeah read the definition of homeopathy and then try again.

I work for Walgreens, and I asked the pharmacist what it means when a drug is homeopathic. She told me that it means it has not been approved by the FDA to do what it advertises.

Ohh okay that makes sense then. Thanks!

 

[DRIN]

Homeopaths are just insane people trying to get gullible people to buy their stuff...They have this idea that the same things that cause certain symptoms also cure them. However, the "medicine" in a homeopathic remedy is so diluted (usually 30 serial dilutions), the chance of there being a molecule of active ingredient in the solution you buy is basically 0%. They think the more dilute something is, the more powerful a remedy it is and that the water in which the molecules are diluted has a "memory" and can remember what used to be dissolved in it and can elicit effects in people.

And no, I am not making this up, homeopaths really believe this.

 

[randombetch]

Homeopaths are just insane people trying to get gullible people to buy their stuff...They have this idea that the same things that cause certain symptoms also cure them. However, the "medicine" in a homeopathic remedy is so diluted (usually 30 serial dilutions), the chance of there being a molecule of active ingredient in the solution you buy is basically 0%. They think the more dilute something is, the more powerful a remedy it is and that the water in which the molecules are diluted has a "memory" and can remember what used to be dissolved in it and can elicit effects in people.

Yes, I am well aware of this, and that's why I'm asking why cold eeze is considered homeopathic.

 

[DRIN]

Yes, I am well aware of this, and that's why I'm asking why cold eeze is considered homeopathic.

probably because it has been diluted many many times...does the package say 30X or anything like that on it when listing the ingredients?

 

[Lokhtar]

It's water. And they want to make billions selling it as a cure for X. And unlike real drugs, they don't have to go through approval to be able to advertise as such.

 

[randombetch]

probably because it has been diluted many many times...does the package say 30X or anything like that on it when listing the ingredients?

OH whoa! Why yes, it says 2x!

 

[siliso]

2x is a lot less diluted than most homeopathic remedies. It would be a 1:100 dilution which still has some active ingredient in it (unlike the 10x, 30x, 30c which have nada). I don't know why they decided to call it "homeopathic zincum gluconium 2x" rather than "13 mg of zinc gluconate per lozenge," unless it does have something to do with the regulatory effects of being called homeopathic. Or for the purpose of impressing the ignorant with sciency-sounding words.

Also just because it is fun: http://crispian-jago.blogspot.com/2009/09/if-homeopathy-works-ill-drink-my-own.html

 

[Tin Man]

Homeopathy is garbage.

The general idea is that if you have a cold, you should take something that gives you cold symptoms, so that that substance will take over for making you sick. Then when you stop, you'll stop being sick.

Of course, they don't want to give you anything that will make you ACTUALLY sick, so they dilute it. Today, it's usually so dilute that to find one molecule of the stuff that's actually supposed to help you, you'd have to look through the equivalent to the whole galaxy in water molecules. The chance of even finding that molecule in a bottle of what you're buying is pretty thin.

It's water that works based on the placebo effect. If you get better, of course, it wasn't because colds naturally go away on their own, and the intake of water helps a bit. It's because of homeopathy.

Just deal with the cold, and don't waste your money.

 

[greatnt249]

Remedy means "a cure for".

Someone's reading comprehension skills need work.

Anyway, in the event that the "homeopathic" label doesn't mean what it traditionally means, they probably just use it as a catchy "scientificky" label applied to increase people's belief in the merit of the product. In reality, you're probably wasting your money.

 

[Longshanks]

Anyway, in the event that the "homeopathic" label doesn't mean what it traditionally means, they probably just use it as a catchy "scientificky" label applied to increase people's belief in the merit of the product. In reality, you're probably wasting your money.

This is my guess as well. Its a way to enter a product into the market by using the less stringent rules for "supplements" and "homeopathic remedies" where the company doesn't have to invest money in clinical trials and money and time towards the FDA approval process as a pharmaceutical. Airborne is also considered "homeopathic" at the pharmacy store, yet that's loaded with a bunch of vitamins and such so it wouldn't be considered homeopathic in the traditional sense.