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Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Latest "Miracle Cure" Is ... Camel Milk

Right after FDA issued a warning about "miracle cures" for autism, KSAT in San Antonio runs a story that uncritically touts the "magical" properties of camel milk.


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A couple of years ago, "Respectful Insolence" took on this "magical" substance:
Again, I must point out that it is certainly not impossible that camel milk might have medicinal properties. It is, after all, made up of proteins, lipids, and a lot of other substances that might result in physiological effects. However, the evidence presented consists of testimonials, uncontrolled tiny pilot studies, and a lot of hand-waving. Moreover, whenever anyone makes claims that something like camel milk can treat a wide variety of diseases and disorders that do not share a common pathophysiology (example: acupuncture), it’s best to be very, very skeptical. Camel’s milk probably isn’t harmful. After all, people have been drinking it for millennia. However, the claims of miraculous medicinal properties are no different than most other claims for miraculous medicinal properties of various natural substances; i.e., they’re not particularly convincing and they’re being made by people selling camel milk.