Sourdough, homoeopathy, and evidence-based medicine

With every use, the sample must be fed, which involves diluting this original substance with water and flour. Although, as with a homoeopathic preparation, Avogadro's number has to be considered, this sourdough problem warrants even more skepticism. While homoeopathic agents are prepared with a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inThe Lancet (British edition) Vol. 357; no. 9251; p. 242
Main Author Sutton, Stuart Keith
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published England Elsevier Ltd 20.01.2001
Elsevier Limited
Subjects
Alternative medicine
Bread
Drinking water
Evidence-Based Medicine
Folk medicine
Homeopathy
Humans
Yeasts
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Summary:With every use, the sample must be fed, which involves diluting this original substance with water and flour. Although, as with a homoeopathic preparation, Avogadro's number has to be considered, this sourdough problem warrants even more skepticism. While homoeopathic agents are prepared with a sterile solvent in a controlled environment, feeding a sourdough culture uses raw flour and tap water in the open air of a kitchen. This step necessarily introduces new strains of yeast and lactobacillus (found normally on any flour) to the culture. Rather soon, any residue of that original, historic sourdough culture, is no longer contributing to the final result.
Bibliography:ObjectType-Article-1
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
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ISSN:0140-6736
1474-547X
DOI:10.1016/S0140-6736(05)71350-7