What the NIH’s Multibillion-Dollar Research on Alternative Medicine Reveals

What does science say about alternative medicines and health fads? Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-hosts Chuck Nice and Gary O’Reilly learn about the science behind what alternative medicine can and cannot do with director of National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, Helene Langevin, M.D. Do any alternative medicines have scientific backing? Are we completely at the mercy of influencers for health advice? What is “complementary medicine”? Learn about how many vitamins you should be taking and whether you need them at all. How do you keep up with changing health research? We discuss supplements and meal replacement. Can food really be replaced? We break down acupuncture and what it does and doesn’t do. Why would someone in pain want to get stabbed by needles? How does the placebo effect work? Does it work? We explore cold therapies like cold plunge and the effect of physiological stress. Is sitting down the new smoking? We talk about the role of stretching and what it does for your connective tissue. Can you stretch too much? What happens if you don’t move? We discuss inflammation and its role in healing. How can our healthcare system help improve overall health? Plus, is natural always good and artificial always bad? Thanks to our Patrons Patrick, Tylré Livingstone, Claire Sims, Terrel Kimber, tinybird, Shawn Hugo, Chris Trent, Deborah Lagutaris, Steve Doom!, and Brian Lopez for supporting us this week. NOTE: StarTalk+ Patrons can listen to this entire episode commercial-free Check out our second channel, @StarTalkPlus Get the NEW StarTalk book, 'To Infinity and Beyond: A Journey of Cosmic Discovery' on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3PL0NFn Support us on Patreon:   / startalkradio   FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE to StarTalk: Twitter:   / startalkradio   Facebook:   / startalk   Instagram:   / startalk   About StarTalk: Science meets pop culture on StarTalk! Astrophysicist & Hayden Planetarium director Neil deGrasse Tyson, his comic co-hosts, guest celebrities & scientists discuss astronomy, physics, and everything else about life in the universe. Keep Looking Up! #StarTalk #neildegrassetyson 00:00 - Introduction: Complementary Medicine 04:29 - NIH Investigating Alternative Medicine 7:40 - Do We Need to Take More Vitamins? 12:20 - Why Does Health Advice Change So Much? 17:50 - Verifying Substances & Meal Replacements 20:58 - Science on Acupuncture & The Placebo Effect 28:10 - Cold Therapy & Science of Resilience 33:35 - Is Sitting the New Smoking? 37:58 - Can You Over-Stretch? 42:10 - Inflammation: Good or Bad? 44:55 - Is “Natural” Always Good?