A Turning Point for Homeopathy?

This editorial begins unusually by referring to one of the issue's letters to the editor, the thought-provoking ‘Homeopathy at a turning point’, by Andrea Dei.[1] In that letter's text, Professor Dei eloquently expresses his personal plea that the homeopathy community should consolidate a modern collective view on homeopathy's physical mechanism of action as one based on the presence of nanoparticles in its ultradiluted medicines. The nanoparticle theory is given further weight in the current issue with the Original Research article by Van Wassenhoven et al, ‘Characterization of aqueous ultra-high homeopathic potencies: nanoparticle tracking analysis’, which concludes that the material nature of the potencies investigated is ‘most likely […] a mixture of nanobubbles and elements from the atmosphere and container’.[2] The latter authors' statement, ‘The idea that homeopathic medicines are non-material, proposed both by opponents of homeopathy and traditional homeopathic practitioners, cannot be sustained in the light of these findings’, independently mirrors Professor Dei's viewpoint.

Whether or not nanoparticles convey a necessary signal to induce a biological response in an organism, the investigation of homeopathic medicines' clinical effectiveness continues to expand. Our current issue includes a report by Nayak and colleagues of a large cohort study in India that suggests a prophylactic effect of Eupatorium perfoliatum 30C on dengue fever.[3] For individual practitioners, their most realistic contribution to enhancing homeopathy's evidence base is through the publication of clinical case reports, for which the Modified Naranjo Criteria for Homeopathy (MONARCH) inventory has become highly valued in attributing causality of treatment effect. An explanation and elaboration of the MONARCH approach is presented in a seminal paper by Lamba et al.[4]

Our journal will continue its mission to provide a repository of high-quality articles that can assist homeopathy and its eclectic mix of research through any conceptual or material ‘turning point’.

Publication History

Article published online:
22 July 2025

• References

• 1 Dei A. Homeopathy at a turning point. Homeopathy 2025; 114: 209-213
• 2 Van Wassenhoven M, Goyens M, Dorfman P, Devos P, Demangeat JL. Characterisation of aqueous ultra-high homeopathic potencies: nanoparticle tracking analysis. Homeopathy 2025; 114: 146-162
• 3 Nayak D, Kaur L, Bhalerao R. et al. Effectiveness of Eupatorium perfoliatum 30C in preventing dengue fever–a prospective, community-based, open label, parallel cohort study in Delhi, India. Homeopathy 2025; 114: 163-172
• 4 Lamba CD, Mahajan N, Gupta VK. et al. MONARCH inventory for causal attribution in homeopathy case reports: explanation and elaboration. Homeopathy 2025; 114: 173-182