Homeopathy, frequently confused with naturopathy, is a 200-year old system of medicine that is widely accepted and practiced in Europe (even by mainstream doctors). In North America, it is poorly understood, however, and is still on the fringe of what is deemed acceptable by mainstream medicine. The public is becoming more and more interested in Homeopathy, however, and as a result its becoming increasingly available.

Homeopathy works on the principle of like cures like. In other words, proponents of homeopathy believe that, if a substance would produce certain symptoms in a healthy person, a very small amount of that same substance can cure those symptoms in someone who is already experiencing them. For example, the poison arsenic, when taken in significant doses, can produce symptoms that include stomach cramps and vomiting. But if you already have stomach cramps and vomiting (from a virus or food poisoning, or another cause) and your symptoms are similar to those that a larger dose of arsenic would produce, then arsenicum, a homeopathic remedy made from very, very tiny doses of arsenic, will cure your symptoms.

To the uninitiated those who arent familiar with homeopathy this can sound alarming. Are homeopaths really suggesting that you take arsenic as a remedy? Yes and no. The homeopathic doses of these remedies are so extremely tiny that, most of the time, there is no measurable amount of the physical substance left. For example, a homeopathic remedy might be made by adding a tiny part of the substance to a gallon of water, than diluting the water even more. In purely physical terms, nothing is left but water. But the substance leaves its vibrational energy behind, and thats what effects the homeopathic healing. Its virtually impossible to overdose on homeopathy, therefore; these remedies are very, very safe.

The other thing that you should know about homeopathy is that the cause of the symptoms is not important. The remedy is based on the symptoms themselves. To use our previous example, it makes no difference whether stomach cramps and vomiting are caused by a virus or by food poisoning. The symptoms themselves, however, are very important indeed. A homeopath will ask you for a very detailed account of your precise symptoms. It is possible, with homeopathy, for two different people with the same virus to require quite different remedies.

And homeopathy can help you lose weight. A homeopathic remedy, fucus vesiculosus, controls the appetite and allows weight loss to occur. A new form of the remedy is available as transdermal patch that is, a patch that is applied to the skin. Like other homeopathic remedies, the dosage of this remedy is very low, but the patch allows it to enter your body on a continuous basis. Thus, your appetite is curbed and you end up losing weight, over time.

This remedy is effective whether or not you have psychological reasons behind your weight gain except, of course, if these are so compelling that you are subconsciously determined to shortcut any weight loss effort, as some of us are. Barring that, however, all the evidence suggests that this weight loss remedy works. As with other homeopathic remedies, the reasons behind the weight gain are not important at all. The important thing is your symptoms, and if they are appropriate, this system can cure them. You can, therefore, lose weight without necessarily delving into the reasons why you gained it in the first place.

Homeopathy is too controversial, as yet, to have universal acceptance in North America. In fact, it seems to defy science, as the remedies used are like magic, in a way too small to have a measurable physical effect. To make matters worse, in a way, the smaller the dose, the stronger it is according to the principles of homeopathy! There are thousands of people, however, who swear by this method of dealing with various symptoms in the end, it works for the, and thats enough. Hundreds even thousands of people have found this to be true, and if they end up being cured, isnt that proof enough? To be sure, it may not be scientists talk about the placebo effect and such. However, you cant argue with results, and homeopathy offers them. Look for fucus vesiculosus at health food stores or natural pharmacies.