herbal medicine
So-called alternative medicine (SCAM) likes to present itself as a champion of disease prevention. Its advocates routinely claim to promote health before disease develops, to strengthen the body’s defences, and to address root causes rather than symptoms. This rhetoric is highly attractive, because prevention sounds proactive, humane, and economical. Crucially, it is also good for the SCAM practitioner’s bank account. Yet there is a snag: almost none of the preventive claims made for SCAM are supported by reliable evidence, whereas the prevention that works comes overwhelmingly from conventional medicine and science.
To show preventive benefit, an intervention must demonstrably reduce the incidence of symptom, disease, complication, or mortality in properly designed studies. That may require randomised trials, epidemiological studies, large cohorts, reproducible findings, and enough follow-up to show that fewer people actually experienced the given endpoint. Mainstream medicine has repeatedly met this standard. Immunization, blood pressure control, smoking cessation, lipid lowering, cancer screening, and risk-factor modification are all products of biomedical research, not of alternative healing traditions.
SCAM, by contrast, tends to use prevention in a loose, impressionistic, and unfalsifiable way. A practitioner may claim that a treatment “balances energy,” “supports immunity,” or “keeps the body in harmony,” but such phrases do not establish a preventive effect. They are placeholders for evidence, not evidence itself. In practice, the absence of disease after treatment is treated as proof that the treatment worked, even though the same outcome occurs every day without any intervention at all.
Acupuncture is a good example. Its defenders portray it as a preventive system capable of preserving general health or warding off illness, but the evidence base does not support that claim. Some reviews do suggest that acupuncture may help with some pain-related and symptom-focused conditions, yet its preventive value is largely unproven. I am not aware of solid evidence to show that acupuncture prevents anything – but, if I am wrong, please do correct me.
Chiropractic care is even more revealing because preventive claims are often tied to the doctrine of spinal “subluxation” and nervous system dysfunction. Yet the literature on prevention is thin and methodologically weak. I am not aware of solid evidence to show that chiropractic prevents anything – but, if I am wrong, please do correct me.
Herbalism benefits from the romantic appeal of “natural” remedies, but that appeal should not be confused with demonstrated preventive efficacy. Individual plant compounds have certainly inspired real drugs, yet that is a triumph of pharmacology, not of herbalism as a system. When herbal medicines are tested for prevention, results are usually weak, inconsistent, or insufficient to support recommendation. I am not aware of solid evidence to show that herbal medicine prevents anything – but, if I am wrong, please do correct me.
Homeopathy is one of the most extreme cases within SCAM. It is often sold as gentle, individualized, and even preventive, but its basic principles are scientifically implausible, and its clinical evidence is either flawed or negative. Preventive homeopathy, including ideas such as “homeoprophylaxis,” is particularly problematic because it can give people a false sense of security while displacing interventions that genuinely prevent disease, such as vaccination. I am not aware of solid evidence to show that homeopathy prevents anything – but, if I am wrong, please do correct me.
SCAM speaks almost constantly about prevention, but the evidence for actual preventive benefit is close to non-existent. What we know about prevention, what truly reduces disease incidence and improves population health, comes from conventional medicine, epidemiology, public health, and biological science. SCAM will no doubt continue to borrow the language of medicine and prevention, but – as far as I can see – it has failed to supply the proof.
On May 27, 2026, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced they are investigating a 3rd multistate outbreak of Salmonella infections linked to moringa powder supplements in 2026. Moringa oleifera supplements (including green powders and capsules) are heavily marketed as a “superfood” and a natural multivitamin powerhouse. They are primarily promoted for:
- Nutritional Support: Providing high concentrations of protein, iron, calcium, and vitamins A, C, and E.
- Energy & Metabolism: Boosting daily vitality and supporting healthy weight management.
- Blood Sugar & Heart Health: Helping to regulate glucose levels, lower cholesterol, and manage blood pressure.
- Immune & Inflammation Support: Using rich antioxidant content (like quercetin) to combat cellular stress and ease joint pain or chronic inflammation.
The agencies re-opened an outbreak investigation originally closed on March 17 after discovering 22 new illnesses from 4 US states. The total now stands at 119 patients across 36 states infected with Salmonella Typhimurium or Salmonella Newport strains, including 32 hospitalizations and no deaths. Illness onset dates range from August 22, 2025, to April 26, 2026.
Among 79 interviewed patients, 70 reported consuming moringa leaf powder products. The recalled product list expanded to include TNvitamins-brand Ultra Potent Complete Green Superfood Moringa capsules and Doctor’s Pride Complete Green Superfood Ultra Potent Moringa capsules distributed by Total Nutrition Inc., plus Why Not Natural Pure Organic Moringa capsules and All Live it Up-brand Super Greens dietary supplement powders.
The new investigation involves Salmonella Typhimurium infections linked to MOGO-brand moringa powder capsules distributed by MOGO Moringa LLC of St. Louis. 18 people infected with the outbreak strain have been reported from 14 states, with illness onset from February 3 to April 7, 2026. Of 8 interviewed individuals, 6 reported consuming moringa powder capsules, including 4 who specifically consumed MOGO-brand products. Seven hospitalizations occurred with no deaths reported. MOGO Moringa LLC has recalled specific lots (#15525AA EXP 6/2027 and #00926AA EXP 1/2028) of MOGO-brand Pure Moringa Oleifera capsules. The FDA is conducting traceback investigations to identify the contamination source and working with state partners to collect samples.
In April 2026, the FDA closed a separate outbreak investigation involving moringa supplements contaminated with “extensively drug-resistant” Salmonella. This outbreak linked to Rosabella-brand moringa powder capsules distributed by Ambrosia Brands LLC resulted in seven illnesses across seven states, with three hospitalizations.
Three moringa-related outbreaks in a single year underscore systemic issues affecting botanical ingredients in the global natural health industry, particularly regarding imported moringa leaf powder contamination. Health officials urge consumers who used moringa products and developed symptoms – diarrhea, abdominal cramps, fever within 12-72 hours – to seek medical attention and inform doctors about potential Salmonella exposure. Healthy adults typically remain ill for 4-7 days. Severe diarrhea may require hospitalization.
Update, 7/6/26:
Following the May 27, 2026, announcements, Total Nutrition Inc. expanded its voluntary recall on June 2 to include Lot 2748 (Exp. 07/2027) for both TNVitamins and Doctor’s Pride brands after a traceability review linked it to previously contaminated raw materials. Meanwhile, the active investigation into MOGO-brand capsules remains unchanged with 18 reported illnesses, and the FDA continues to urge consumers to check their pantries for any remaining Rosabella-brand products from the closed April outbreak. Federal and state health officials are actively working with major online platforms—including Amazon, Walmart, and TikTok Shop—to ensure all recalled moringa supplements are fully removed from the market, while reminding consumers to seek medical care if they experience Salmonella symptoms.
The case of the 14-year-old girl who died of cancer is now occupying the Klagenfurt Regional Court for the second time. The girl’s parent elected to trust miracle healers and esoteric practitioners. Ultimately, the 14-year-old arrived at the hospital far too late—the cancer was already so advanced that the girl died less than two days later.
The parents have already been convicted of torture and neglect. During their criminal trial, the doctor came into the prosecution’s focus. He had administered four infusions of “cat’s claw” to the 14-year-old. The doctor admitted to this last year during his testimony as a witness, where he raved about the “miracle plant” cat’s claw, claiming it could heal almost anything.
He was also accused of using a pendulum to “test” the girl’s tumor and certifying it as benign. His response at the time was that he does not use a pendulum; rather, he had “dowsed” the tumor using a biotensor—a small metal spring. He claimed that when he failed to get a clear result, he urgently recommended the parents seek a biopsy, which they strictly refused. He alleged they eventually broke off treatment with him.
According to the indictment, the doctor is allegedly responsible for a further patient’s death by administering the herbal infusion. The man had collapsed after receiving it, suffered a heart attack and a stroke, and died weeks later from the consequences.
Furthermore, the doctor is accused of “grossly negligently causing a danger to the life and health of at least 6,550 people from May 2007 to May 2025.” Contrary to the standards of medical practice, he is said to have intravenously administered essences that were only approved as food products. The prosecutor referred to an analysis of the infusion solutions: “These were not pure; they contained soil and ash particles.” They were reportedly “brewed together in a backyard” – the contamination, she noted, could lead to the formation of blood clots. During his questioning, the trained intensive care physician rejected all guilt: “I feel in no way responsible.” He stated he had treated numerous cancer patients—for example, with cat’s claw or high-dose vitamin C.
In the case of the 14-year-old, the doctor insisted he was able to “see that something was not right” using the device. He claimed he only learned much later that the parents had canceled a biopsy appointment after their session with him. Furthermore: “Father and daughter always rejected any conventional medical therapy or diagnostics.” He maintained that he always noted his infusions could only boost the immune system and improve well-being, but never promised anything.
Regarding the case of the other deceased man, the doctor argued that the patient had already received 17 infusions from him prior to the incident in question and had always felt better afterward. After the final infusion, the patient felt unwell for a while, but his condition supposedly improved. The doctor claimed it was absolutely not anaphylactic shock: “Otherwise, I wouldn’t have let him go home.”
The defendant questioned each and every expert opinion obtained for the case. Regarding the statement that it is impossible for a tumor to shrink due to his infusions, he said, “I wouldn’t sign off on that.” As for the infusions, he claimed they were filtered multiple times and specially prepared for intravenous use.
A date for this has not yet been set. So, watch this space!
The Indian Ministry of Ayush was established in 2014 with a vision of reviving the profound knowledge of India’s ancient systems of medicine and ensuring the optimal development and propagation of the Ayush systems of healthcare. Earlier, the Department of Indian System of Medicine and Homoeopathy (ISM&H) formed in 1995, was responsible for the development of these systems. It was then renamed as the Department of Ayurveda, Yoga, and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (Ayush) in November 2003 with focused attention towards education and research in these therapies.
In the global landscape of public health, India’s Ministry of AYUSH stands as a profound anomaly. While most middle‑ and high‑income countries have converged around evidence‑based, scientifically grounded medicine, India has instead expanded this large, state‑run administrative apparatus where cultural nationalism and traditionalist narratives dominates over clinical efficacy and scientific rigor. The Ministry’s current trajectory reveals a troubling pattern: the systematic promotion of unproven therapies, flawed research, and notorious breaches of ethical principles, particularly with respect to the treatment of India’s most vulnerable populations.
The Homeopathy Anomaly
The most glaring anomaly must be the Ministry’s continued, high‑level support for homoeopathy. India is currently the only country in the world that maintains a dedicated national ministry and a statutory regulatory framework – via the National Commission for Homoeopathy – specifically to promote a system widely regarded as implausible, ineffective and harmful. Global assessments, including those by no less than 28 independent organisations worldwide, have concluded that there is no reliable evidence that homeopathic remedies work beyond placebo. Yet the AYUSH Ministry funds and publicizes a central research council (the Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy, CCRH) as well as a network of homoeopathic hospitals and teaching institutions, with annual budget allocations now exceeding ₹4,400 crore (roughly 470–480 million US dollars at current exchange rates). By directing substantial taxpayer funds to homoeopathic research and infrastructure, the state effectively endorses a “placebo‑as‑medicine” model, elevating it to the status of a national health strategy. This is not merely an academic dispute; it is a policy outlier that places India’s healthcare posture at odds with well‑established chemical and physical principles, as well as with the recommendations of leading international scientific bodies.
The Facade of Rigor
The Ministry tends to defend its approach by claiming a pivot toward “evidence‑based” or “scientific” AYUSH medicine, but an examination of its research output suggests a facade of rigor rather than its substance. Much of the work produced by bodies such as the Central Council for Research in Ayurveda (CCRA) and their counterparts in Unani and Siddha consists of investigations that are methodologically weak and wide open to bias. Key methodological flaws recur:
- Small sample sizes: Many trials involve fewer than 50–100 participants, rendering them statistically underpowered.
- Lack of blinding: A large proportion of studies is open‑label, where both clinicians and patients know the assigned intervention, amplifying placebo effects and observational bias.
- Selective reporting and publication bias: Negative findings – where AYUSH interventions fail to demonstrate benefit – are rarely published.
By branding such useless studies as “scientific proof,” the Ministry engages in a form of “science‑washing.” This practice misleads the public, uncritical clinicians, and policymakers into believing that AYUSH therapies have undergone the same rigorous, independent scrutiny as conventional therapies.
The Ethical Violations
In my view, the most serious concern is ethical. Under the banner of “Self‑Reliant India” (Atmanirbhar Bharat), the Ministry has aggressively promoted AYUSH products, for instance, during the COVID‑19 pandemic. This push could be viewed as an exercise in cultural pride and national self‑reliance but, in fact, it carries serious risks.
Medical ethics rely on two core principles: informed consent and non‑maleficence. When a state body, backed by cabinet‑level authority, “flogs” unproven and potentially dangerous treatments to a largely rural population with limited health literacy, it undermines both. Many patients are not able to distinguish between an ancient tradition and a clinically validated drug, yet they may be led by government‑sponsored messaging to defer or abandon evidence‑based treatments.
This is particularly dangerous in chronic conditions such as diabetes mellitus and hypertension, where effective pharmacological control and regular monitoring are both available and potentially life‑saving. If patients substitute proven allopathic regimens with state‑endorsed AYUSH alternatives of uncertain efficacy, the consequences can be dire. They include uncontrolled blood glucose, stroke‑risk elevation, organ damage, and avoidable mortality. The Ministry’s conduct, in effect, offloads these risks onto the most vulnerable while shielding itself behind appeals to tradition and national identity.
Conclusion
The Ministry of AYUSH has become the institutional vehicle for a “pluralistic” health model that, in practice, functions as a state‑funded rejection of the scientific method. This constitutes a regression in public‑health governance rather than a progressive pluralism. Until the Ministry subjects its therapies to the same scrutiny as any other medicine, and until it accepts transparent, independent evaluations without recourse to political or cultural vindication, it will remain less a health body and more a department of cultural preservation and doctrine.
The ‘Smallwood Report‘, entitled “The Role of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in the NHS” was published in October 2005. It recommended greater integration of so-called alternative medicine (SCAM) into the UK’s National Health Service and to address “effectiveness gaps” in treating chronic and psychosocial conditions, claiming potential cost savings.
Its core recommendations were:
- NICE assessment: Urged Health Ministers to task the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) with a full review of the cost-effectiveness of therapies like acupuncture, chiropractic, osteopathy, herbal medicine, and homeopathy.
- Targeted applications: Suggested these SCAM options for lower back pain (manipulative therapies over conventional), asthma (homeopathy), common colds (echinacea), and other chronic issues where orthodox medicine falls short, potentially reducing absenteeism and NHS costs by hundreds of millions.
- Implementation steps: Promote GP referrals to SCAM, target deprived communities, prioritize research on cost-effectiveness/safety, address regulatory barriers, and use case studies showing reduced GP visits and secondary care savings.
At the time, I called its evidence “grossly misleading,” citing ignored Cochrane reviews showing no superiority for most of the claims. Many critics agreed with me, and the Lancet editor Richard Horton famoulsy called it “dangerous nonsense”.
As the recommendations were pure BS, it is comforting to note that – 20 years later – they have been largely ignored.
NICE assessments:
NICE has issued selective endorsements—e.g., acupuncture and manipulative therapies for low back pain—but stopped short of broad SCAM evaluations, often citing “insufficient evidence” or requiring further trials, directly countering the report’s call for comprehensive cost-effectiveness reviews. No large-scale NICE program emerged to validate the report’s claimed savings (hundreds of millions annually), and guidelines frequently dismiss or deprioritize unproven modalities like homeopathy.
NHS integration status:
- Limited GP referrals: Sporadic pilots exist (e.g., acupuncture in some pain clinics, osteopathy/chiropractic for musculoskeletal issues), often GP-led and adjunctive, but not systematic; social prescribing now favors mindfulness over traditional SCAM.
- Funding barriers: Most Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) classify SCAM as “low priority” absent robust evidence, funding only exceptional cases in palliative or pain management pathways; many services closed due to austerity post-2010.
- No deprived-community focus: The report’s equity push for high-need areas saw negligible uptake, with barriers like clinician resistance and regulatory hurdles persisting.
The report’s optimistic case studies (e.g., Glastonbury) proved anecdotal and unscaled, undermined by critiques highlighting flawed evidence (e.g., ignored Cochrane reviews). Today, NHS policy emphasizes evidence-based conventional care, with SCAM relegated to private or niche settings – realization sits at ~10-20% for endorsed therapies, 0% for broader vision.
In other words, ignoring the report has saved the NHS many millions. More importantly, it has prevented UK evidence-based healthcare from getting watered down by ineffective therapies.
Could that also have happened without my loud protests (e.g. here and here) at the time?
Nobody can know for sure?
But when I feel a little bit down, I tell myself that I had an important role in saving the UK millions!
Sufficient evidence concerning the impact of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) on clinical outcomes for breast cancer patients in Taiwan is not available. This study sought to examine the association between TCM integration and post-operative outcomes among women undergoing mastectomies.
Utilizing a large insurance database, the Taiwanese researchers identified a cohort of adult women who underwent breast cancer surgery during the 2010–2019 period. They compared sociodemographic profiles and comorbidities between TCM users and non-users. Multiple logistic regression models were employed to estimate adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for both mortality and postoperative complications.
Among 91,298 eligible patients, the one-year pre-operative prevalence of TCM utilization was 40%. Compared to the control group, TCM users demonstrated:
- a significantly lower likelihood of postoperative stroke (OR 0.76, 95% CI 0.62–0.93),
- and a reduced requirement for intensive care (OR 0.74, 95% CI 0.59–0.91).
Moreover, the cumulative exposure of more than 4 TCM consultations within the year preceding surgery was linked to a decreased risk of stroke (OR 0.76, 95% CI 0.61–0.95).
The authors concluded that “our findings indicate that integrating TCM during the year preceding breast cancer surgery is correlated with lower risks of postoperative stroke and a reduced requirement for intensive care. Nevertheless, these observed benefits warrant further verification through prospective and large-scale clinical investigations. Based on these results, we suggest that both Western medical practitioners and public health administrators should be mindful of TCM’s role in the comprehensive care of patients with breast cancer.”
In the paper itelf, the authors “hypothesize that pre-operative TCM integration contributes to the observed reduction in stroke risk and intensive care requirements following mastectomy. These prior insights provide a plausible biological foundation for the favorable outcomes observed in our study”. In other words, they believe that the associations is causal.
I beg to differ!
Much research has demonstrated that people who use so-called alternative medicine (SCAM) in addition to conventional therapies differ from those who don’t. In general, they tend to be more health concious – if not, they would not go to the trouble of using and paying for SCAM. This difference alone suffices to bring about the observed outcomes – even if TCM has no or perhaps a slightly negative overall health effect.
But let’s be generous!
Let’s assume the authors are correct in assuming that the association is causal and that TCM brought about the observed outcomes.
What does that actually mean?
TCM consists of many different modalities. If we just focus on oral medications and assume that there are 1000 different ones [in fact, the number is about 6 times higher], which one do we take to experience the observed outcome? Perhaps all of them?
What I am trying to point out that such research is meaningless; it has zero practical consequences, even if its results were real – which they probably are not.
In the end, it boils down to one main thing: the promotion of unproven (and occasionally dangerous) TCM.
Although currently the COVID-19 pandemic is no longer a public health challenge, the unprecedented utilization and integration of Ayush therapeutics and principles for the COVID-19 response in India represent a critical health systems and policy experiment which needs a systematic evaluation.
A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted, and the data were extracted till 9th July 2024 using three databases: Scopus, PubMed and DOAJ. A total of seven articles were included for the review, following the PICOS criteria of inclusion and exclusion. Of the 667 articles, seven articles were finally selected, and these articles underwent quality assessment using the AXIS assessment tool. The pooled proportion of the Indian population that utilized the Ayush systems was estimated at a 95% confidence interval, using a random effects model assuming potential heterogeneity. The pooled estimate, publication bias, heterogeneity and sensitivity analysis were graphically represented using a forest, funnel, Galbraith plots and leave-one-out meta-analysis. Additionally, the effects of the small studies were assessed using Egger’s and Begg’s tests. The total sample across the included studies was 789,735. Of the seven articles, six focused on the general population, and five focused on the utilization of the Ayurveda system of medicine. The pooled proportion of the Indian population that utilized the Ayush systems for COVID-19 was 40% (95% CI: 25% − 57%). Based on the policy relevance, risk of exposure, access to guidelines and pattern of utilization two subgroup analyses were carried out. Utilization of multiple systems of Ayush (48%) and utilization among the general population (46%) showed the highest proportion compared to Ayurveda and healthcare workers, respectively. The high heterogeneity (I2 = 99.98%) suggests that the pooled estimate should be interpreted with caution, and the sensitivity analysis found one study had a modest upward influence on the overall estimate.
The authors concluded that this systematic review found a 40% pooled estimate of utilization of Ayush systems from the included studies, suggesting the utilization of these systems to manage mild and asymptomatic conditions and for preventive purposes.
This review reports a 40% pooled utilization rate of Ayush systems for COVID-19 in India, based on just seven studies with a massive sample but extreme heterogeneity (I²=99.98%). Such high heterogeneity undermines the reliability of the pooled estimate, as noted in the study’s own caution and sensitivity analysis showing one study’s outsized influence.
Only seven articles met PICOS criteria from 667 screened, mostly surveys on self-reported use among general populations, without assessing clinical efficacy or outcomes. Quality via AXIS tool is mentioned, but broader Ayush COVID evidence reveals high risk of bias in many trials due to poor randomization, blinding, and variability in interventions. No causal link is drawn between Ayush use and health impacts; the paper merely quantifies popularity amid government promotion.
India faced ~2.4-4.7 million excess deaths in 2020-2021, 7-10x official COVID figures, driven by Delta wave surges, oxygen shortages, and healthcare collapse. Widespread Ayush integration for prevention and mild cases – endorsed by Ministry of Ayush! – did not correlate with better results; high utilization (40-48% in subgroups) coincided with catastrophic mortality levels. Sound evidence for Ayush benefits does not exist. One might therefore speculate that the promotion of Ayush may have diverted resources from proven measures like vaccination and antivirals. In other words, it seems likely that it cost many lives.
Guest post by Ken McLeod
Over the years these pages and many others have reported on the risks of using ayahuasca and kambo, psychoactive substances used by shamans, alt-med practitioners, cranks and downright frauds for spiritual, social, and medicinal purposes. Those risks go so far as an excruciatingly painful death, which has led to bans and severe restrictions in many countries including Australia. [1]
The Australian ban issued by the Therapeutic Goods Administration followed the death of Natasha Lechner who had ingested kambo in 2019. The Coroner’s report of her death said in part ‘it appears to me that a number of vulnerable people are drawn to using Kambo in circumstances where those who administer it may hold themselves out as part of a healing profession, and yet lack training in basic first aid.’ [2]
One report here from 17 February 2024 [3] is that of the death of Jarrad Antonovich who died from a perforated oesophagus after consuming ayahuasca and kambo frog toxin in October 2021, at the age of 46, while attending the ‘Dreaming Arts festival.’ This was a six-day retreat at Arcoora in northern New South Wales, Australia. See our article for more detail on ayahuasca and kambo and how the festival organisers and attendees responded to Mr Antonovich’s worsening condition.
In that article we reported that the New South Wales State Coroner had commenced an inquest into Mr Antonovich’s death and we promised to keep you informed.
So, keeping you informed; the Inquest began in May 2023 and was suspended in May 2024 when the Coroner referred the matter to the NSW Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for consideration of whether charges should be laid.[4]
After the DPP’s lengthy consideration, on 5 March 2026 NSW Police arrested and charged ‘Soulore Solaris’, 52, a self-described ‘….Counsellor who facilitates Ayahuasca ceremonies’ with manslaughter over the death of Jarrad Antonovich at the Dreaming Arts Festival.[5] He was granted conditional bail to face Lismore Local Court on March 30 2026.
The media reported at length on the manner of Mr Antonovich’s death and on the reactions of the festival attendees to his worsening condition. Those reactions, as we reported in our article of 17 February2024, included:
– While Jarrad Antonovich‘s condition worsened there was resistance to calling for an ambulance. An ambulance was finally called at 11.30pm and took an hour to arrive because of the remote location.
- -One ambulance officer reported that a female told them to “move away from Jarrad because it was affecting his aura” and no one told them he had consumed Kambo. [6]
- -The event organiser Soulore “Lore” Solaris described Jarrad Antonovich’s death as ‘beautiful.’ [7]
- -Fred Woller, the site manager at Arcoora, was unaware those running the event did not have any medical training. [8]
- -Soulore “Lore” Solaris said Mr Antonovich ”…. had good support, a couple of kinesiologists with him and they couldn’t find anything wrong.” [9]
- -Mr Antonovich “was surrounded by people who loved him and an Aboriginal elder called Uncle Andrew who was chanting sacred songs and calling the spirit out of his body” and “the koalas were making a special sound that is known to the elders when the land accepts a spirit”. [10]
As usual, the NSW Health Care Complaints Commission conducted a thorough investigation and issued a comprehensive report. That is in their Statement of Decision on their imposing a Permanent Prohibition Order on ‘Soulore Solaris’. That Statement is so thorough, and their report of the events leading up to and following Mr Antonovich’s death are so harrowing, that readers should go that Statement. [11] How such an excruciating death can be described as ‘beautiful’ beats me.
What is not in the Statement is the mind-set of ‘Soulore Solaris,’ his gullible acolytes and festival attendees. The Courts will examine that of the accused, Solaris, but what I am interested in is how do all these others, ayahuasca and kambo practitioners and their supporters, come to the belief that they know more than all the health and medical experts and regulators in the world.
Surely they score 15 on the Richter Scale of ‘Dunning-Kreuger Effect.’
References
[1] https://tinyurl.com/4t6kpm35 and https://tinyurl.com/59mxe38m and NSW Coroners Report para 70 at https://tinyurl.com/2xxf26ac and ‘Shamanic Kambô Frog Hyponatremic Toxicity Leading to Brain Death: A Case Report’ Tran et al NLM https://tinyurl.com/59mxe38m
[2] Coroners Report paragraph 72 at https://coroners.nsw.gov.au/documents/findings/2024/Inquest_into_the_death_of_Natasha_Lechner.pdf
[3] https://edzardernst.com/2024/02/inquest-into-ayahuasca-and-kambo-death/
[4] ABC https://tinyurl.com/mr22yjah
[5] ABC https://tinyurl.com/bdz7nwty
[6] The Guardian http://tinyurl.com/328manjt
[7] ABC http://tinyurl.com/5n7ejydy
[8] The Guardian http://tinyurl.com/59wa3rmn
[9] ABC http://tinyurl.com/5n7ejydy
[10] ABC https://tinyurl.com/bdfb3y4y
[11] See their Statement of Decision at https://tinyurl.com/4ad4aju3. (The Statement of Decision gives a lot of useful material about these poisons and their ceremonies and the people who use them).
This study was aimed at determining whether four weeks of Rhodiola rosea (RHO) supplementation improves intermittent exercise performance, post-exercise blood lactate concentrations, and decision-making under fatigue in competitive football players. Twenty-four male competitive football players completed a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled 4-week intervention (RHO vs. placebo). Outcomes included Yo-Yo IR2, repeated-sprint ability (RSA), post-RSA blood lactate (0, 3, 5 min), football-specific technical tests (passing and shooting), a video-based decision-making task (reaction time and accuracy), GPS-derived match running metrics, countermovement jump (CMJ), foot tapping (TAP), and haematological markers.
Yo-Yo IR2 performance significantly improved in the RHO group (p = 0.012) and was superior to the placebo group (p = 0.046). For RSA, mean sprint time improved significantly from pre- to post-intervention in the RHO group (p = 0.017), whereas no significant change was observed in the placebo group. Post-intervention, mean sprint time was significantly better in RHO than placebo (p = 0.041), with no between-group difference observed at baseline. Best sprint time showed no between-group difference (p = 0.723). Post-exercise blood lactate concentrations were significantly lower in RHO than placebo at 0, 3, and 5 min (all p < 0.05). Under fatigue, the RHO group demonstrated faster reaction time (p = 0.042) and higher decision accuracy (p = 0.049) than placebo. Additionally, the RHO group showed significant pre- to post-intervention improvements in passing and shooting performance (p < 0.05), with between-group differences observed only for short-pass performance. Match total and high-speed running distances were higher in RHO, accompanied by increases in haemoglobin and haematocrit (p < 0.05).
The authors concluded that four weeks of Rhodiola rosea supplementation enhanced high-intensity intermittent performance and decision-making under fatigue, with findings suggesting improved performance maintenance rather than increased peak sprint capacity.
Rhodiola rosea is a perennial flowering plant that grows in cold, high-altitude regions of Europe and Asia. It allegedly functions as an adaptogen—a natural substance that helps the body “adapt” to stressors. The plant contains bioactive compounds like rosavins and salidrosides. These are thought to modulate the body’s stress response system and increase the efficiency of energy production in the mitochondria. Rhodiola is also believed to prevent the breakdown of neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin, helping athletes keep their “head in the game” even when their legs are tired.
As we will soon see the start of the World Cup, some will ask whether professional players can legally use this method to enhance their performance. As of the 2026 WADA Prohibited List (which governs FIFA and the World Cup), Rhodiola rosea is not a banned substance. It is categorized as a dietary supplement or herbal aid. Yet, even though it is legal, elite players should be careful for two reasons:
- Cross-Contamination: Many herbal supplements are manufactured in facilities that also handle banned stimulants. If a “legal” Rhodiola pill is contaminated with a trace amount of a banned substance, the player still faces a ban.
- The “Monitoring Program”: WADA often puts substances on a “Monitoring Program” list before banning them. While Rhodiola isn’t currently there, caffeine (which was once banned) is a reminder that the rules for natural stimulants can shift over time.
So, would I advise World Cup footballers to take Rhodiola rosea?
No – not so much because of the reasons just mentioned, but because the findings of the above-quoted tiny study obviously require independent replication before we can take them seriously.
Angel’s Trumpet, also called ‘Devil’s Breath’ or Brugmansia, is a seemingly innocent herbal remedy – however, innocent only to a degree because it contains scopolamine. Although scopolamine has genuine medicinal uses, it can be abused as a date-rape drug that can incapacitate victims and inhibit free will. It is thought that Epstein took a keen interest in and cultivated Brugmansia plants. In an email dated March 3, 2014, Epstein wrote to someone named ‘Ann Rodriguez’: ‘ask chris about my trumpet plants at nursery’
The Epstein case necessitates an examination of how his abuse was operationalized. Survivor accounts describing profound disorientation, memory loss, and impaired volitional control suggest mechanisms that extend beyond conventional grooming. This post evaluates allegations that psychoactive herbal remedies may have been used to facilitate abuse, focusing on tropane alkaloids and their well-documented effects on cognition and memory. The aim is to assess plausibility and consequences within established scientific frameworks.
Tropane alkaloids—most notably scopolamine, atropine, and hyoscyamine—are anticholinergic compounds that act as competitive antagonists at muscarinic acetylcholine receptors. In clinical settings, scopolamine is employed in tightly regulated doses for motion sickness and perioperative care. Outside such parameters, these compounds are associated with severe cognitive and behavioral disruption. Scopolamine is of particular relevance due to its potent effects on memory formation. Even moderate doses can impair encoding of new information while leaving basic consciousness and motor function relatively intact (Klinkenberg & Blokland, 2010).
Two effects documented in the neuropharmacological literature align closely with survivor descriptions reported in secondary analyses of the Epstein case:
- Anterograde Amnesia
Scopolamine reliably disrupts hippocampal-dependent memory encoding, resulting in the inability to form new episodic memories during intoxication (Ebert & Kirch, 1998). Individuals may later appear to have “lost time” without loss of consciousness. - Delirium and Suggestibility
Unlike serotonergic hallucinogens, tropane alkaloids induce true delirium, characterized by impaired reality testing, confusion, and reduced executive control (Perry et al., 2007). In such states, resistance, informed consent, and coherent recall are profoundly compromised.
These effects provide a biologically plausible explanation for reports of compliance paired with subsequent amnesia, without invoking unconsciousness or physical restraint.
Correspondence and property records referenced in investigative reporting indicate that Epstein cultivated Brugmansia plants at his residences and was interested in their effects on health. While such evidence is circumstantial, its significance increases when considered alongside consistent survivor narratives describing trance-like states, fragmented memory, and coerced participation in activities later only partially recalled. The alleged use of a substance that simultaneously enables compliance and erases memory would represent a highly premeditated strategy of control, extending abuse beyond psychological manipulation into direct neurochemical incapacitation.
Trauma research has long recognized dissociation and stress-induced memory fragmentation. Chemically induced amnesia, however, presents distinct challenges. Victims may be unable to provide linear narratives not due to deception or repression, but because the underlying memories were never encoded (van der Kolk, 2014). Failure to account for pharmacological factors risks misinterpreting survivor testimony through inappropriate credibility frameworks. Recognizing chemical coercion as a potential variable is therefore essential for both investigative rigor and ethical adjudication. Yet,this analysis is constrained by the absence of direct toxicological evidence and relies on retrospective testimony and documentary inference.
Allegations involving tropane alkaloids in the Epstein case compel a reconsideration of how extreme abuse may be facilitated and concealed. If substantiated, they demonstrate that coercion can operate not only through social power and psychological manipulation, but through targeted disruption of memory and volition using something as seemingly harmless as a herbal remedy.
References
Ebert, U., & Kirch, W. (1998). Scopolamine model of dementia: Electroencephalogram findings and cognitive performance. European Journal of Clinical Investigation, 28(11), 944–949.
Klinkenberg, I., & Blokland, A. (2010). The validity of scopolamine as a pharmacological model for cognitive impairment: A review of animal behavioral studies. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 34(8), 1307–1350.
Perry, E. K., Perry, R. H., Smith, C. J., Purohit, D., Bonham, J. R., Dick, D. J., Candy, J. M., & Fairbairn, A. (2007). Cholinergic receptor alterations in dementia with Lewy bodies, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease. Journal of Neural Transmission, 114(2), 219–224.
van der Kolk, B. (2014). The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma. Viking.
