Groundwater Arsenic Poisoning Alleviated with Homeopathy: Journal Study

Arsenic is a common toxin found in groundwater throughout the world. In some areas, it’s a serious problem resulting in severe health problems for the native population. India and Bangladesh are particularly hard hit. Because of rampant industrialization, it’s unlikely that the problem will be reversed. People are doomed to drinking toxic arsenic-laden water with predictable health effects.

However, a study published in the journal of Evidence Based Complementary Alternative Medicine documents a probable and inexpensive method to clear the poison from people’s bodies. Homeopaths sometimes treat poisons by giving the patient a diluted and potentized version of the original toxin. Therefore, the authors of the study (doi:  10.1093/ecam/neh124) tested Arsenicum album potentized to homeopathic 30C on arsenic-poisoned people.

The medicine used in the study was diluted to the point where no atoms of the original substance are likely to exist in the final product. The authors acknowledge that the means of action is unknown. Nonetheless, if biological changes occur as a result of a homeopathic medicine’s application, it would be pure hubris to claim it didn’t happen simply because we don’t know the mechanism behind it.

The Study

The introduction notes that about 100 million people in India and Bangladesh are exposed to arsenic poisoning from drinking water with concentrations far in excess of the amount allowable by either the World Health Organization (WHO) or the US’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). They note that people are also exposed by food grown in contaminated soils. Conventional medicine has been unsuccessful in chelating it, so many people suffer a range of ailments and dysfunctions, including:

Arsenic-induced skin disorder, from http://www.sos-arsenic.net/

Skin, liver, lymph, kidney, bladder, liver, and lung cancers Convulsions Coma Kidney, lung, and liver damage Skin disorders Diarrhea, vomiting, muscle cramping, hair loss, and stomach pain

Such devastation exists all around the world, and it’s becoming an increasing problem in the US with fracking. The depletion of groundwater sources and burgeoning polluting industry assure that the problem of arsenic-polluted water will grow worse.

Two Trials

The study’s subjects were residents of a West Bengal area where arsenic poisoning from the water supply is severe. Two trials were done on two different groups from the same village:

• Trial 1: The first trial was double-blind and placebo-controlled. The researchers had difficulty convincing villagers to take part  for two reasons: Some simply didn’t believe that homeopathy could be effective and others were suspicious because they had not been given the promised results of a previous trial performed by a less than honest team who had promised both that their treatment would be effective and that they’d be informed of the results.
  • 55 people were convinced to take part. 22 received placebo and 33 received Arsenicum album 30C.For 11 days, the subjects received daily doses of 8 globules that had been soaked in either medicine or placebo. Urine samples were taken daily and analyzed for arsenic.
• Trial 2: The second trial was done on a different group of 68 randomly selected people in the same village. The researchers had a different problem this time: Villagers refused to sign an informed consent form unless they’d be given the active homeopathic medicine rather than placebo. Therefore, all subjects received Arsenicum album 30C.
  • Subjects were given 2 doses a day of 8 globules of active substance for 10 days, and nothing for the next 15 days. The dosing schedule was repeated two more times, that is, 10 days of dosing twice a day followed by 15 days without treatment. After that, subjects were given twice daily doses for 7 days with a 15 day gap between dosing. Subjects gave both urine and blood samples.

Results

The following graph shows the results of urine analysis for the first trial. Subjects who received Arsenicum (“Drug”) leached significantly more arsenic into urine.

The graph to the left shows the average concentration of arsenic in the urine of Trial 2 subjects from the first day through the 90^th day. It’s interesting to note that a significantly greater amount of arsenic was found in urine 7 days after treatment started, but that it dropped significantly, below the levels of the first day, after that. It continued to decrease until the last urine test. The implications of that are not clear, and won’t be until further testing is done. It could be that it’s a repetition of the pattern seen between days 45 and 60, or possibly it indicates that a different potency would be required to further the process.

The graphic to the right shows the amount of arsenic found in both blood and urine at the beginning of the trial and at one month intervals. The drop in blood arsenic is very significant, and the apparent increase in urine content at the end does appear anomalous.

 

Most important are blood markers for toxicity. These results can be seen in the graphs to the left:

AST (Aspartate Transaminase) is a liver enzyme that’s increased with liver damage and can indicate cardiac damage. After 3 months of homeopathic Arsenicum dosing, it decreases by more than 7 times.

ALT (Alanine Transaminase) is another liver enzyme that’s raised in liver damage. After 3 months of dosing, it’s decreased more than 10-fold.

AcP (Acid Phosphatase) is a marker for leukemia. 3 months of dosing reduces to less than an eighth.

AlkP (Alkaline Phosphatase) increases with liver disease. It is reduced to nearly a seventh with 3 months of Arsenicum dosing.

LPO (Lipid PerOxidation) activity is a measure of oxidative stress. Higher numbers indicate greater stress. These numbers decreased more than 10-fold.

GSH refers to activity of glutathione. Decreases in glutathione are indicative of cellular toxicity, especially of the liver. Glutathione activity increased more than five times over.

Benefits of Homeopathic Therapy

These remarkable results demonstrate a simple and inexpensive method for detoxing the growing number people suffering from arsenic poisoning. There is need for further study to identify optimal potencies and dosing schedule. It’s also important to ascertain how much toxicity can be alleviated and whether different potencies or dosing schedules might be advisable to different levels of poisoning.

While these results are impressive, there is a proviso: As long as the inciting cause continues, the poisoning will not be resolved. That is, arsenic-poisoned people who continue to drink arsenic-laced water or ingest it through any other means will remain ill and worsen, though they may experience temporary improvement.

No treatment, including homeopathy, can overcome arsenic poisoning if it continues to be ingested. The need for water cleanup and control of entities that pollute groundwater will not be alleviated by any treatment, even if an apparently miraculous cure can return people to health. The two trials performed in this study demonstrate that something virtually indistinguishable from a miracle  can return arsenic poisoned people to health. But if they continue to drink poisonous water, their health will return to deteriorate.

Nonetheless, we now have compelling evidence demonstrating that homeopathic Arsenicum album is able to detox people suffering from arsenic poisoning. All that remains is to confirm and refine these findings.

Tagged arsenic fracking, arsenic toxicity, arsenicum album, conventional medicine, Homeopathy, homeopathy arsenic study, homeopathy arsenicum, homeopathy treats arsenic poisoning, science