Placebos have been getting a bad reputation. Yet, new research into the placebo effect suggests that our expectations and beliefs can play a much bigger role in healing than previously thought. In a study , patients with irritable bowel syndrome were given fake pills that were clearly labeled “placebo,” but the group showed startling results, experiencing twice as much relief from their symptoms of pain and inflammation as the control group that did not receive any pills. “The higher the expectation in patients, the more likely they are to experience a placebo effect,” says science writer Jo Marchant, author of the new book Cure. Here’s an interesting analysis, written by someone how admits to “a lifelong, irrational distrust of doctors—which may influence my ability to recover in their care.”
The best medicine for your illness might just be a placebo
More of Today's Solutions
Southern Sierra Miwuk Nation regains ancestral lands near Yosemite in major c...
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Nearly 900 acres of ancestral territory have been officially returned to the Southern Sierra Miwuk Nation, marking a ...
Read More8 fermented foods that your gut will love (and that taste great, too!)
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Fermented foods have been a dietary staple in many cultures for centuries, but in the U.S., they’re only ...
Read MoreBreaking the silence: empowering menopausal women in the workplace
Addressing menopause in the workplace is long overdue in today's fast-changing work scene, where many are extending their careers into their 60s. According to ...
Read MoreInsect migration: the hidden superhighway of the Pyrenees
Insects, while frequently disregarded, are critical to the planet's ecosystems. They make up about 90 percent of all animal species and play important functions ...
Read More
