Do You Believe in Magic?

The memory tape of the golden oldie from Lovin' Spoonful was playing in my head before watching Dr. Eric Topol’s interview with Dr. Paul Offit about his recently published book, Do You Believe in Magic? The Sense and Nonsense of Alternative Medicine

The book tackles with rigor and vigor the lack of evidence for assertions and testimonials made by celebrity physicians, politicians, and stars of the small and big screen regarding the benefits for megadoses of vitamins, various nutraceuticals, and misuse of FDA-approved drugs, such as prolonged IV antibiotics for chronic Lyme Disease. Indeed, some of these may actually harm the person.

To me, the most fascinating part of this debunking of pseudo-science is the power of the placebo. Offit acknowledges the ability of the human being to heal itself. Through the connection of mind and body and conscious or unconscious thought affecting neurobiological or neurohormonal up or down regulation, we have remarkable abilities to positively or negatively impact our immune system, our perception of pain, blood circulation, digestion, and other vital functions that may profoundly help or harm our health and well being.

Just as the vaccines stimulate an immune response that prepares the body to defend itself from a viral or bacterial attack, we have the ability to autoregulate in other ways to heal ourselves. Not magic, but magical!

Steven R. Peskin, MD, MBA, FACP, is associate clinical professor of medicine at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey – Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, and is governor of the American College of Physicians, New Jersey South.