<sod>{{Alternative medical systems}}'''Alternative medicine''' is any practice claimed to have the [[healing]] effects of [[medicine]], that is proven not to work, that has no [[scientific method|scientific]] [[evidence]] showing that it works, or that is solely harmful.{{refn|name=Harrisonquote|group=n}}{{refn|name=NSFquote|group=n|}}{{refn|name=Angellquote|group=n}} Alternative medicine is not a part of [[biomedicine|medicine]].{{refn|name=Harrisonquote|group=n}}{{refn|group=n|name=IOMquote}}{{refn|group=n|name=WebMD2014quote}}{{refn|group=n|name=NCCIH2quote}} It consists of a wide variety of practices, products, and therapies—ranging from those that are [[biologically plausible]] but not well tested, to those directly contradicted by evidence, to those that are harmful and toxic.{{refn|group=n|name=IOMquote}}<ref name=ATRAMM/><ref name=Hines_Sampson_Coulter_Sagan/><ref name="CAM_Sointu_Nissen_Eisenberg"/><ref name=DaguptaHStabler2011/><ref name=FDA_regulatory/> Alternative medicine is not part of [[science|science-based]] healthcare systems.<ref name=NCCIH1/><ref name=Zollman1999/>{{sfn|IOM Report|2005|p=16–20}}<ref name=WHO/> Despite significant costs in research testing alternative medicine, including $2.5 billion spent by the United States government, almost none have shown any effectiveness beyond that of false treatments ([[placebo]]). Alternative medicine has been criticized by prominent figures in science and medicine as being [[quackery]], [[nonsense]], [[fraudulent]], [[unethical]], or all of the previous.<ref name="$2.5 billion"/><ref name=Phytotherapyquoted>''"Science-based medicine, with its emphasis on controlled study, proof, evidence, statistical significance and safety is being rejected in favour of 'alternative medicine'—an atavistic portmanteau of anecdote, hearsay, rumour and hokum.... Probably the most commercially successful and widely used branch of alternative or complementary medicine is 'phytotherapy'. These are the tablets, powders and elixirs, otherwise known as herbal medicine, that are sold in most countries, through health shops and pharmacies as 'nutritional supplements'.... Only a tiny minority of these remedies have been shown to have mild-to moderately beneficial health effects... So why are affluent, otherwise rational, highly educated people (for this is the average user profile) so hungry for phytotherapy?... people still believe that 'natural' equals good and safe despite plenty of evidence to the contrary." ... as far as the human body is concerned, 'natural' is meaningless... Equally, what's so safe about consuming substances that need meet no standards of contents? ..."'', Phytotherapy - good science or big business?, Sara Abdulla, Nature - International Weekly Journal of Science, 5-13-1999 [http://www.nature.com/news/1999/990513/full/news990513-8.html]</ref><eod>
<sod>{{Alternative medical systems}}'''Alternative medicine''' is any practice claimed to have the [[healing]] effects of [[medicine]] and is proven not to work, has no [[scientific method|scientific]] [[evidence]] showing that it works, or that is solely harmful.{{refn|name=Harrisonquote|group=n}}{{refn|name=NSFquote|group=n|}}{{refn|name=Angellquote|group=n}} Alternative medicine is not a part of [[biomedicine|medicine]].{{refn|name=Harrisonquote|group=n}}{{refn|group=n|name=IOMquote}}{{refn|group=n|name=WebMD2014quote}}{{refn|group=n|name=NCCIH2quote}} It consists of a wide variety of practices, products, and therapies—ranging from those that are [[biologically plausible]] but not well tested, to those directly contradicted by evidence, to those that are harmful and toxic.{{refn|group=n|name=IOMquote}}<ref name=ATRAMM/><ref name=Hines_Sampson_Coulter_Sagan/><ref name="CAM_Sointu_Nissen_Eisenberg"/><ref name=DaguptaHStabler2011/><ref name=FDA_regulatory/> Alternative medicine is not part of [[science|science-based]] healthcare systems.<ref name=NCCIH1/><ref name=Zollman1999/>{{sfn|IOM Report|2005|p=16–20}}<ref name=WHO/> Despite significant costs in research testing alternative medicine, including $2.5 billion spent by the United States government, almost none have shown any effectiveness beyond that of false treatments ([[placebo]]). Alternative medicine has been criticized by prominent figures in science and medicine as being [[quackery]], [[nonsense]], [[fraudulent]], [[unethical]], or all of the previous.<ref name="$2.5 billion"/><ref name=Phytotherapyquoted>''"Science-based medicine, with its emphasis on controlled study, proof, evidence, statistical significance and safety is being rejected in favour of 'alternative medicine'—an atavistic portmanteau of anecdote, hearsay, rumour and hokum.... Probably the most commercially successful and widely used branch of alternative or complementary medicine is 'phytotherapy'. These are the tablets, powders and elixirs, otherwise known as herbal medicine, that are sold in most countries, through health shops and pharmacies as 'nutritional supplements'.... Only a tiny minority of these remedies have been shown to have mild-to moderately beneficial health effects... So why are affluent, otherwise rational, highly educated people (for this is the average user profile) so hungry for phytotherapy?... people still believe that 'natural' equals good and safe despite plenty of evidence to the contrary." ... as far as the human body is concerned, 'natural' is meaningless... Equally, what's so safe about consuming substances that need meet no standards of contents? ..."'', Phytotherapy - good science or big business?, Sara Abdulla, Nature - International Weekly Journal of Science, 5-13-1999 [http://www.nature.com/news/1999/990513/full/news990513-8.html]</ref><eod>