ADVERTISEMENT

Remember that epic moment from Space Jam (the first one, of course, with Michael Jordan) where Bugs Bunny gives his teammates that very Michael's 'Secret Stuff,' which makes them incredibly strong and confident? Yes, just plain water. It's probably one of the most famous examples of the placebo effect in popular culture.

There are actually many examples of this effect in the world - and sometimes we don't even realize that we face something similar at every turn. So, today we bring you Bored Panda's secret list... sorry, just a selection of things in this life that netizens seriously consider to be placebo effects.

More info: Reddit

#1

Herbal remedies and essential oils on a yellow background illustrating natural examples of the placebo effect in real life. Homeopathic medicine.

quadrailand , Nataliya Vaitkevich Report

WindySwede
Community Member
7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This needs to be higher!!!

Kat Alison
Community Member
7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Spending loads of money on a bottle of….plain water. WTF?

Gavin Johnson
Community Member
7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I used homeopathic methods to great effect. I added a tiny amount of H2O to a large quantity of water. I then took a tiny amount of that mixture and added it to another large quantity of water. After mixing that well I took another tiny amount and added it to a glass of water, I added a quantity of Vimto (I can’t swallow medicine dry) and the resulting homeopathic mixture helped cure my thirst. It was a miracle.

Glowdaddy
Community Member
7 months ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

Generalizing is not cool. There are many non pharmaceuticals that offer relief from a variety of aliments. Man med meds and natural meds can work in conjunction.

WindySwede
Community Member
7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

homeopathic are diluted so much that there would be less than an atom of active ingredient in THE WHOLE OCEAN around the world! They take the thing that makes you sick , dilutes it into oblivion and then call it medicine, because they *believe* that the water has a memory. This is a scam made up from delusional man in 1796! This has nothing do to with natural substances. There is no proof that homeopathic things work. Please stop paying for this scam.

Load More Replies...
View more comments
RELATED:
    #2

    Person praying with hands together in front of lit candles, illustrating placebo effect in real life examples. Religion.

    Secure-Village-1768 , Rodolfo Clix Report

    Dan
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    One mans theology is another mans belly laugh.

    GenuineJen
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    One man's joke is another man's epitaph.

    Load More Replies...
    CatD
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Few religions have comfort without punishment. Christianity went wrong a long time ago.

    Kat Alison
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It’s too bad we can’t have the good things about religion (comfort, community; weddings, funerals, Xmas) without the bad things (bigotry, puritanism, the Taliban, Y’all Qaeda.)

    Glowdaddy
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I am a religious person, I have seen "religions" help many people gain hope and turn their lives around. Yes a lot of evil is done in the name of religion, but it is a good thing for a majority of believers. If you don't believe in a "higher power" that is acceptable too.,

    Amanda Reinstatler
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It is the opiate of the masses - and the world is full of addicts

    GrowingThruConcrete
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    True, get you a relationship with YAH, not religion

    The Dave
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    That’s a very vague, broad answer. Christianity? Judaism? Buddhism? Islam?

    Ace
    Community Member
    Premium
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    All of them. They make people feel better with no actual physical content.

    Load More Replies...
    Harry Gondalf
    Community Member
    7 months ago

    This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

    This comment has been deleted.

    View more comments
    #3

    MRI brain scan image showing detailed brain structures, illustrating placebo effect examples in real-life neurological studies. Back in the early 2000s, researchers were testing whether fetal tissue transplants could help people with Parkinson’s disease. Sounds like sci-fi, right? Here’s the kicker: to really test it, they set up a placebo-controlled trial. That means some patients got the actual brain implants… and others got sham brain surgery.

    Yes. They literally cut into people’s heads, drilled into their skulls, opened the dura, and then… did nothing. Just closed them up again. All while these people were under the impression they might be getting real treatment.

    And the patients volunteered. They were fully informed, and many of them still said “yeah, sign me up.” Because Parkinson’s is brutal, and there wasn’t much else.

    What’s even crazier is that the placebo effect was strong. Some of the people who got the fake surgery still showed improvement — like actual, measurable symptom relief. Meanwhile, some of the ones who got the real transplant didn’t do much better. In fact, a few got worse and developed dyskinesias (uncontrollable movements).

    The whole thing blew up ethically. Some people called it groundbreaking science. Others called it straight-up medical cruelty. But it did force the medical community to rethink how we test surgeries, especially brain-related ones.

    Anyway, just thought that was one of the wildest examples of placebo power I’ve ever read. Imagine signing up for brain surgery and not knowing if it’s real or just a high-stakes illusion.

    CameraHumble8744 , MART PRODUCTION Report

    Petra Peitsch
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Sometimes, when you are desperate enough, and trully believe in something with a slow chance can happen, it may happen. It's not a rule, it's not scientific discovery, it's not a miracle .... it's just your brain trying to save itself at all costs.

    Binky Melnik
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I believe the placebo effect can be stupidly powerful, and have even begged doctors to give me placebos while telling me it’d solve my problem because I’d believe it, and every single one has turned me down because ethics, but where’s the ethics in Letting me suffer? Hell; I’m pretty sure I’d volunteer for fake brain surgery, too, if it means I can stop suffering.

    Load More Replies...
    Lyone Fein
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Maybe it was the cutting itself that spurred the healing?

    Mere Cat
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Cutting, the hospital visits, wound treatments, different stimuli to brain compared to everyday life. And bringing focus on getting better.

    Load More Replies...
    Eri J
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Colonel Potter said in an episode of MASH, "The body can do miraculous things if the brain will let it" Makes you think.

    Dan
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Thc works wonders with Parkinsons.

    bElLa sTairZz
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    might be slow but what was the unethical part, to truly know if a treatment works you need placebos to compare it too, and when they signed up wouldn't there have been a disclaimer that like, some would be placebo?

    Deborah B
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Did they actually test whether it might the drilling the hole that caused the effect? Trepanation or burrholes temporarially releaves intercranial pressure. Parkinsons symptoms might well be exacerbated by heightened intercranial pressure, or symptoms of co-morbid cranial hypotension might be misattributed as solely due to known parkinsons. Then, the surgeon drills a hole in the skull, the pressure is relieved and symptoms are alleviated. The symptoms would return as intercranial pressure increased again, but just the act of drilling the hole could have given temporary relief to some of the patients.

    roddy
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Is there any way to know how many of them would have gotten better without the "treatment"?

    Blue Bunny of Happiness
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    They did this with a trial of shoulder surgery IIRC, opened them up then sewed them shut again

    ADVERTISEMENT

    As often happens, it all started on the AskReddit community, where the user u/Educational_Eye_443 just a few days ago created a thread asking: "What is just a placebo effect but most people don't realize?"

    The resulting thread went viral with over 6.1K upvotes and counting so far, and around 2K various comments making for a truly heated debate. So now, meet our selection of the most interesting and controversial opinions from this thread!

    #4

    Young child smiling and showing elbow with adhesive bandage featuring a drawn smiley face illustrating placebo effect in real life. Giving a small child an ice pack or a bandaid fixed most "wounds." Especially if it comes with a hug and sympathy.

    CarbieNOTaBarbie , freepik Report

    GenuineJen
    Community Member
    7 months ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Yes! I carry fun bandaids around with me for this reason and offer them to moms or dads (etc) when their child has a small fall or bump and they need a bandaid to calm their little one down. Sometimes bandaids are emotional needs.

    Orysha
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    My nephew when he falls just asks for a magic kiss on the wound.

    BrownEyedGrrl
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    When my 2 year-old grandson gets hurt, he tells me to kiss his boo-boo. Works every time.

    Glowdaddy
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    There is nothing wrong with a placebo if it works.

    Ellinor
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    When children fall they often get more scared by the reaction of the people around than the "pain" of the "injury", so when my cousin fell I would just kneel and have her show me where she fell while remaining calm, and I would tell her "see, there is nothing so it's all good !" and she would get up and keep playing.

    Fred L.
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Well, ice packs are pure magic.

    Kenneth Smith
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Honestly, most of the time this does have an effect, if for no other reason than to cover the wound so the child leaves it alone.

    #5

    Person holding a ceramic cup of green tea, illustrating examples of placebo effect in real life scenarios. Most detox teas. People swear by them, but it’s usually just water, caffeine, and the power of believing you’re “cleansing”.

    MoanGravity , Charlotte May Report

    Ace
    Community Member
    Premium
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Anything labelled detox really.

    CatD
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Like those stúpid detox footpads.🤦

    Load More Replies...
    Petra Peitsch
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Yeah, when you have a functioning liver ...

    Kat Alison
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Your liver and kidneys are your built-in detox.

    geezeronthehill
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Flushing your kidneys, is all. And that's mostly the water.

    Toika Gao
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    For cleansing we have our kidneys

    Lyone Fein
    Community Member
    7 months ago

    This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

    Seems Ike people don’t know how vitamins and minerals function in the body? Because that’s what makes various herbs and fruits detoxifying.

    Binky Melnik
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    You don’t have herbs and fruits to “detoxify”; you simply sit there and wait, because your kidneys and liver are doing the detoxifying. They go with you everywhere regardless of what you out in yourself, too.

    Load More Replies...
    View more comments
    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT
    #6

    Children celebrating a birthday party blowing out candles, illustrating examples of placebo effect in real life settings. Sugary food doesn't make kids "hyper" but it's moreso that kids are typically given sugary food for special occasions -often with other kids- like birthday parties or weddings or sleepovers etc.

    ChristopherPlumbus , Vlada Karpovich Report

    GenuineJen
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Yes! I say this often to friends with kids and they don't believe me.

    ElfVibratorGlitter
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I thought it was the artificial colouring that caused hyperactivity.

    Kat Alison
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    That’s actually possible….🤔

    Petra Peitsch
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    And they also don't give you diabetes. Fast absorbing and overprocessed carbohydrates consumed in exces give you diabetes. Plus, if you sit more on your a**e, than move. Yes, I'm aware there are genetical, pregnancy, other diseases -like pancreatitis. But in a 90% is not the case.

    Lyone Fein
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    “Fast absorbing and overprocessed carbohydrates”……..That is a perfect description of sugar!

    Load More Replies...

    The word "placebo" itself comes from a Latin root, meaning "I will please." Originally, in the funeral dirges of professional mourners in the Middle Ages, who were paid to mourn the deceased at public funerals, there were the words "Placebo Domino" - that is, "I will please the Lord." And, of course, this grief, even if performed at a high acting level, was insincere.

    The French philosopher Michel de Montaigne, in one of his treatises, drawing the reader's attention to these mourners as an example of how this fake grief actually helps relatives to endure loss, also wrote: "There are people for whom only attention from medicine is quite effective." Then, in the 18th century, the placebo effect was first mentioned in a medical context.

    ADVERTISEMENT
    #7

    Man in white shirt holding glasses, reflecting thoughtfully on examples of placebo effect in real life situations. On one episode of the "Hidden Brain" podcast, they explored the placebo effect and made one of the most insightful statements I've ever heard on the issue.

    When doing experiments with a control/placebo group, we always talk about how the d**g/treatment/etc "didn't outperform the placebo."

    We should be talking about WHY THE PLACEBO WORKS as good as the d**g/treatment.

    The placebo effect is just this thing we know exists and like "wow, isn't that neat?" but we tend to under-research why/how it works, and maybe how we can actually improve it/increase it. I'm ZERO for woo-woo, but you can't deny that placebo effect is actually real.

    (FTR, my answer to this is essential oils. People think they "heal." Nah, you like nice smells and you feel better after smelling nice things).

    ProChoiceAtheist15 , MART PRODUCTION Report

    GenuineJen
    Community Member
    7 months ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    For essential oils I agree 100%, but you can pry my eucalyptus and peppermint from my cold, dead hands when my nose is congested.

    WindySwede
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Tea tree oil seams to work against bacteria and fungi. From SchiShow: https://youtu.be/jQXuBL2yfJ4?t=359

    Load More Replies...
    Harry Gondalf
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This is the most insightful and accurate segment in this entire web page. Nobody knows how placebos work, but the problem is, they DO work (sometimes). Some researchers moan that they would like to remove the 'placebo effect.' Heck, they should be trying to improve or increase it. Oh yes: About the sentence abovew, "When doing experiments with a control/placebo group, we always talk about how the d**g/treatment/etc "didn't outperform the placebo": Prozac is no better than St. Johns's Wort for treating mild to moderate depression.

    Moonie Pinkslip
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The science of scent is more subtle than "people think they heal." I don't think they heal, but scents have a powerful effect. Especially eucalyptus, which not only helps with congestion, but its scent tells the brain everything is clean and fresh. Lavender is similarly potent, it has a soothing and calming effect. Again, no "healing," just an effect that cannot be so casually tossed into the "placebo" category.

    Vermonta
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    My mother "believes' in the power of B-12 shots. She's 96 years old.

    Deborah B
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    What's interesting about the placebo effect is that studies of the placebo effect shows that it can still have an effect when the patient knows that they are receiving a placebo. The two-pill effect is also interesting. Taking 2 x 200mg tablets is more effective for pain relief than 1 x 400mg tablets.

    Ange Marsden
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Studies have also shown that red placebo pills work better than blue - there's a whole interesting around placebos

    Zaach
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    A double blind experiment testing the placebo effect would be 'interesting'

    Lyone Fein
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    But when you inhale the smell of something, you are actually imbibing its physical molecules. Those molecules are getting into the blood stream directly from the lungs. So if people have airborne allergies that can have impact them, why deny that an even more concentrated strain of a plant could have a powerful impact?

    Max Fox
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Again, cleaning a wound with an alcohol prep pad will disinfect that wound, but sniffing that pad won't help you in anything. Please learn how antibiotics and disinfectants work, and what concentrations are needed.

    Load More Replies...
    View more comments
    ADVERTISEMENT
    #8

    Chiropractor adjusting woman's neck, illustrating placebo effect examples in real life with physical therapy treatment. Chiropractor for the most part. You get a crack a small bit of relief and a p**s poor massage if you’re lucky. Then they book you in ideally next week to scam you all over again. Once had a chiropractor crack my neck so hard he asked me “can you wiggle your toes” i thankfully could and never went back to an osteopath or chiropractor again and with massages and a seeing a physiotherapist I am pain free and have been for decades. But I was in pain seeing charlatans giving out placebo’s and calling it treatment.

    Artforartsake99 , Kaboompics.com Report

    Mel in Georgia
    Community Member
    Premium
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    My dad went to a chiropractor for well over a year for chronic pain. Turns out he had bone cancer - no suggestion from the chiropractor to get checked out.

    Lyone Fein
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Just like massage therapy, chiropractic is not supposed to replace medical doctors. It is supposed to be supplementary to your GP. Why would someone skip going to the doctor for a year if they were in pain?

    Load More Replies...
    GenuineJen
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Just say no... to adjustments.

    CatD
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Went to a chiropractor for shoulder pain. He pulled my shoulder out of the socket.

    A girl
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I saw a chiropractor for back muscle spasms. I never let him crack me but he had this medieval traction table and a professional TENS unit that worked miracles.

    BrownEyedGrrl
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I don't know why you got downvoted. I have a TENS unit at home. I love it!

    Load More Replies...
    Chuck
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Try floating if you are in or near a location that has it.

    Glowdaddy
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I have had more success with chiropractors releving my back pain than other medical professionals.

    Iara Ra
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I have to disagree on this one. Chiropractors go to many courses that are also taught at med school.

    Datsuyama
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The "wiggle the toes" thing is to distract the patient from the neck about to be "adjusted." It comes *before* the crack so you don't think about your neck about to be cranked on.

    Yayheterogeneity
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    They help me a lot with my ischiaspain! I'm reading about the horror stories and wonder why there are so many differences between them! Some really professional and some... Not...

    Max Fox
    Community Member
    7 months ago

    This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

    There is evidence that the cracking may actually relieve pain. It doesn't result in actual healing, but there is a temporary reduction in pain that is not the result of placebo effect.

    View more comments
    #9

    Man holding a woman's hand at a hospital maternity ward, illustrating placebo effect examples in real life situations When I was in labour, nearing the end of it, a nurse told me I can push a button and my epidural dose will safety increase as needed.

    Right before I was about to push, another nurse came in and said (about the button), "yeah the placebo effect is crazy".

    Ruined everything for me.

    UnlovedArtist , melis can Report

    Andrew Keir
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Patient was not informed of the treatment, had no opportunity to choose - this is unethical, surely?

    AnotherAtheist
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    They had ro lower my epidural dose with that same button so I guess it works as it should. It's just that there's a safety limit of course. Also the nurse could be some natural birth enthusiast and was just saying that out of personal belief.

    Tamra
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I can't imagine a reputable medical establishment would do this without patient consent first. Secondly, it is my understanding that an epidural is a single, controlled dosage injection performed by an anesthesiologist, not administered via catheterization and drip.

    roddy
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Because women don't need pain medication /s

    azubi
    Community Member
    7 months ago

    This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

    But you know placebo works. Shouldn't matter if you believe you've got a placebo.

    roddy
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I don't think you understand the placebo effect.

    Load More Replies...
    Chuck
    Community Member
    7 months ago

    This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

    Is the baby still in there? Cuz that can't be good!

    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT

    In modern medicine, a placebo is used sparingly - mainly as an attempt to reduce the patient's suffering, pain or nausea. However, the main mechanism of a placebo is pain reduction due to the production of endorphins in the patient’s body, since they’re sure that they have been given a real, active medicine.

    The authors of numerous studies devoted to placebos and their effects on the human body claim that the clinical effect is usually manifested only in relation to pain and phobias - but still cannot be compared even with the effect of classic painkillers.

    However, in the public consciousness, as we can clearly see from this selection of ours, there are much more widespread manifestations of the placebo effect.

    #10

    Young woman praying inside a church illustrating examples of the placebo effect in real life related to religion and beliefs Prayer .

    Cebuanolearner , Arina Krasnikova Report

    Michael Largey
    Community Member
    7 months ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    If your god is all-knowing, why do you have to stop to tell him what's on your mind?

    Eri J
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Don't you talk to your parents when something went wrong or you needed something or just wanted to talk? It's the same thing.

    Load More Replies...
    Kat Alison
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    If God is going to do whatever he wants whether you like it or not (“thy will not my will”) why bother to pray?

    Ace
    Community Member
    Premium
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Yeah, see 'religion' above.

    Vermonta
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Most people pray and make promises to their god over a toilet bowl after a rough night.

    Lyone Fein
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The most common mistake people make when thinking about prayer is thinking that prayer is petition, making requests, which would make praying an exercise in selfishness. But really the most important aspect of prayer is humility, bringing oneself to a place of seeing that your ego is not the center of the world. Different religions have different ways of doing this, and use different words to describe this. But the general principle is similar: spiritual progress entails surrendering one’s sense of me me me. Does it matter whether the device used is a metaphor? Or which metaphor is used? What matters is that slowly people move in the direction of overcoming their egos.

    Michael Largey
    Community Member
    7 months ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    What you're describing is often termed meditation or reflection, and they are quite valuable. The way they are different from prayer is that they do not require belief in any deity.

    Load More Replies...
    View more comments
    #11

    Crystals and stones arranged on a wooden surface illustrating placebo effect examples in real life contexts. Crystals💫 and I collect the c**p out of them.

    katastrophyaudhd , Alina Vilchenko Report

    Allison Slagle (Randomosity)
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I collect crystals because they're pretty, not because rubbing one against me will cure my headache or cleanse my aura or whatever.

    Batwench
    Community Member
    Premium
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I am an engineer and I believe in crystal engergy. After all they are used in lasers.

    Gavin Johnson
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I have numerous crystals, I know folk who believe in their ‘power’, I’m happy leaving those people well alone, if that’s their thing and they don’t peddle it to anyone then that’s fine. My crystals? Yeah they are properly nice to look at, I enjoy looking at them, so they work for me ‘cause I like looking at ‘em.

    ElfVibratorGlitter
    Community Member
    7 months ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Didn't the Ute put quartz crystals in animal rawhide and shake them up as a flashlight/torch???

    Chuck
    Community Member
    7 months ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I used to collect Crystals. My ex put a quick stop to that!!!

    Andrew Keir
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Crystals, of *what*, exactly ? You have the right to remain silent ...

    Load More Replies...
    GenuineJen
    Community Member
    7 months ago (edited)

    This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

    *Not sure* about this one. I think more research about frequencies/ vibrations and their effects on the body is needed. Aesthetically, crystals have a nice effect though. (Edited to try to be more clear, but the downvote gremlins will read into whatever I say no matter what. Let the downvotes continue, I guess.) https://www.healthline.com/health/vibrational-energy

    Ace
    Community Member
    Premium
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Err, no. I mean yes, they can look pretty, but "find out more about frequencies" is already pandering to the nonsense that they claim. (I'm assuming here that they're talking about some mystical 'healing' power).

    Load More Replies...
    View more comments
    ADVERTISEMENT
    #12

    Box of Tylenol on a bedside table representing placebo effect examples in real life including medication and remedies. Branded pain relief medication. The ingredient is exactly the same as a cheaper non branded medication, even if the box says it targets a specific pain (e.g. for headache, for muscle ache) it is the same ingredient. The packaging, marketing and price makes people believe that the medicine works better - and studies find that people actually report better relief when taking it. So it subjectively does work better, but biologically it is doing the exact same thing but with an added placebo effect.

    thankyoubrenda , Erik Mclean Report

    A girl
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    My Dr insists that Synthroid is more effective than levothyroxine. It's the same picture. And levo is quite a bit cheaper.

    Lady Eowyn
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    That's ridiculous. The exact same medicine. You just need blood tests to check the results.

    Load More Replies...
    Andrew Keir
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Buy generic whenever you can find it. It's usually at ankle height on the shelves ...in a dull coloured box.

    Ace
    Community Member
    Premium
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Nope. "In fact, a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) analyzed over 38 studies comparing the efficacy of generic and branded d***s across different therapeutic categories. The findings consistently showed no significant difference in efficacy or side effects between generics and branded medications. Another study conducted by the FDA reported similar results, indicating that 95% of generic d***s tested were within the acceptable range of bioequivalence. This indicates that generic d***s are not only similar in composition to branded d***s but also comparable in terms of clinical efficacy. " https://www.epainassist.com/o****d-treatment/medications/generic-vs-branded-medications

    Vermonta
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    they also found that generic time release medications sometimes release too much at random.

    Load More Replies...
    Mel in Georgia
    Community Member
    Premium
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    *Sometimes.* Formulation can make a difference. I was on a generic extended relief anti-depressant that just wasn't working like my branded one. My doctor said, "Yeah, it's not made quite the same." My insurance company wouldn't cover the brand name, however, even when requested by my doctor. Gotta love American health care.

    Max Fox
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    While this is true for pain medication, in some cases how a mixed medication, especially slow release medication, is formulated can affect how well it works. However, pain medication is pretty simple, and the generic works just as well.

    CatD
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I just take aspirin. It works and it's not toxic to my liver.

    Load More Replies...
    Toika Gao
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    One day I complained about this with a doctor bc he used to prescribe the more expensive brands of medicines. He insisted that "the molecule is different." "Yes, my a*s," I thought, and asked for the cheaper brands ever since.

    Indi
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I buy Tylenol over generic cause it tastes better lol

    Lady Eowyn
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    What are you doing to taste it? Just swallow the tablet.

    Load More Replies...
    View more comments

    On the other hand, supporters of the use of placebos will definitely say - if it all works and really helps people believe in the best (and the basis of the placebo effect is precisely human faith), then what's actually wrong with it?

    ADVERTISEMENT

    However, there is also an opposite effect - the so-called "nocebo effect." When a medicine doesn’t have a real pharmacological effect, but at the same time causes a sharp rejection in the patient on a physical level. So, how then can we separate placebo from nocebo? Well everyone has their own opinion on this matter.

    ADVERTISEMENT
    #13

    Man undergoing a polygraph test while technician monitors results on laptop and desktop screens showing placebo effect data. Lie detectors.

    Lie detectors don't work.

    The person administering the test will convince the subject that lie detectors work every time and they are infallible at reading the results.

    After the test, the interviewer will press the subject claiming that the lie detector showed a positive result.

    All they are trying to do is to elicit a confession, but it is amazingly effective.

    Sirefly , Getty Images Report

    Petra Peitsch
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Lie detectors are detecring the body's response in a stresing situation. Making a lie detection test is in itself a stressing situation, to what every other person will react very individually. There is almost a 90%, that a socio- and psychopat will pass a lie-detecting test, because of their lack of emphaty. Emotions are causing countable changes in a human body, what is measured by a lie-detector. Socio-and psychopaths have very restricted emotions, only regarding to themselves.

    Helena
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I can overreact to a splinter. I would drive a lie detector nuts.

    Load More Replies...
    Michael Largey
    Community Member
    7 months ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The superintendent of the school system where I worked wanted the teachers to be given random d**g tests. Our union negotiator asked if the superintendent would in return consent to being on a lie detector whenever we negotiated salaries. Never heard about d**g tests again.

    Kat Alison
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    If they aren’t admissible in court, why bother?

    Tom De Paul
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Because courtrooms aren't the only place where determining truth and falsity are important.

    Load More Replies...
    Forrest Grump
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Lie detectors have about a 50% chance of differentiating between a truth and a lie. That is the same chance as flipping a coin to get either heads or tails.

    Cee Cee
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Horrible Jeremy Kyle show used lie detectors regularly. One participant was accused of being unfaithful. Detector said he was lying. Denied it and got very upset. Poor guy ended up kìľłing himself. Show taken off air but too little too late.

    Indi
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Lie detecting is like weather forecasting. The general patterns are analyzed and assumptions are made. Sometimes they are right, sometimes they aren't.

    Ron Man
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    That's not true at all. The OP has no experience with this. If a lie test is administered, the results are made known during trial. The conversation involved is entered too, and anyone trying to 'elicit' meaning brow beat, a confession will absolutely destroy their own case when it's examined, line by line by the opposite council.

    Andrew Keir
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    "...effective at getting confessions", anyway. Who cares whether he actually did it, he 'confessed' under the psychological pressure and we can all go home now. Job done.

    View more comments
    #14

    Young woman comparing two beauty products while illustrating placebo effect examples in real life and daily choices. Postpartum hair loss products.

    The placebo effect people fall for with postpartum hair products is that they start using them right as hair is naturally shedding, but the hair would’ve grown back anyway.

    Since regrowth begins a few months later (part of the normal hair cycle), people think the product “worked,” when in reality, it was just their body resetting like it was always going to.

    The product gets credit for something biology did on its own.

    kansashuskies24 , Anna Keibalo Report

    Mel in Georgia
    Community Member
    Premium
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Yeah, a lot of home cures are the result of time only. But believing they work just might just speed healing up. The mind is amazing.

    Ace
    Community Member
    Premium
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I've seen this with some real medications as well - especially painkillers. "The painkillers didn't really help but after a few days the pain started going away by itself..."

    Petra Peitsch
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    You never had a pancreatitis operation, when you could sleep 4-5 hours max., even with morphine-like painkillers for days. And it shows.

    Load More Replies...
    ADVERTISEMENT
    See Also on Bored Panda
    #15

    Young woman resting head on a table with scattered sugar cubes, illustrating examples of placebo effect in real life. Sugar highs are placebo. Sugar crashes are real.

    Serbian-American , Polina Tankilevitch Report

    GenuineJen
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Waffles in the morning = 3 hour blackout

    CatD
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    That's why you should eat protein too.

    Load More Replies...
    Max Fox
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    There is definitely a rush of energy after intaking a good amount of simple sugar when you're hungry or your blood sugar is low. However, the energy is the result of the quick metabolism of the sugar, which is the result of that much sugar triggering a mass secretion of insulin. That results in the body metabolizing too much of the available sugar, triggering the crash. The crash can often be steeper than the rush of energy because of this.

    I think you will agree one hundred percent with some of the opinions expressed in this selection, and some of them will be completely unacceptable to you. Well, that's what's great about human communication, that you can always find food for discussion and even debate. So now please just read this list and, perhaps, share your own examples in the comments to the post - and let the debate begin again!

    ADVERTISEMENT
    #16

    Pedestrian crossing signal with instructions, showcasing an example of real life placebo effect in decision making. My favorite has always been that some crosswalk buttons don't actually do anything. But it makes people feel like they are in control.

    mwax321 , Nathaniel B. Gerhart Report

    Austzn
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    They should, maybe some are just broken?

    Vermonta
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    in my town they do. They also beep so blind people know when to cross

    Michael Largey
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Like the "Close Door" button on many elevators.

    Max Fox
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Some do work, especially in crossings that have few pedestrians and a lot of traffic. It also works more at night. I have experimented in a couple - the main road had only green, and, unless a care came from the side road and activated the light, or a pedestrian came and pressed the crossing button, it wouldn't change. There are also a couple of intersections next to my home in which, unless you press the pedestrian button, the "walk" light won't go on, no matter what's happening in the traffic lights. However, the majority of lights that I have seen do not seem to be affected by pressing.

    Eri J
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The ones I crossed to college were like that. Didn't take long for me to notice and stop pushing them.

    bElLa sTairZz
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    ever seen a crossing go off without someone pressing the button, because i sure havnt

    Petra Peitsch
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    In some not so overcrowded crosswolk, there is a reality. You can save for you like 30 sec-2 minutes. In busy ones, it's really just a placebo, the timing of traffic-flow is more strict controlled.

    Indi
    Community Member
    7 months ago

    This comment has been deleted.

    ADVERTISEMENT
    See Also on Bored Panda
    #17

    Close-up of an ear with multiple piercings and jewelry illustrating placebo effect in real life examples by netizens. My favorite placebo is my daith piercing for my headaches. I swear up and down that when it was out that my headaches were dramatically worse. Idc if it’s real because I think it works

    -autumn_bottom- , clam_clemos Report

    ElfVibratorGlitter
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    My mom (who's super conservative and hates body piercings) actually told me about this as a way to help my headaches. If it helps you and doesn't hurt anyone else. 🤷🏻‍♂️

    Moonie Pinkslip
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This is likely true, 100%, as there are pressure points in the ears, daith, etc, that have a specific trigger.

    Chuck
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I checked to see if the ear was an acupuncture location and came up empty. But hey, what works, right?

    Binky Melnik
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Not sure whether acupuncture = acupressure, but as a migraine and cluster sufferer, I’ve been told for decades to massage that spot. It only worked one time, and then only briefly, so I guess using the word “worked” isn’t quite right. I think it’s more likely that it took my mind off my pain briefly.

    Load More Replies...
    #18

    Empty patterned plate with cutlery, a wine glass, and small cactus on wooden table illustrating placebo effect. Not so much a placebo, because there is an effect, but it's just not what people think. When people claim that fasting "gives me so much more energy!" What they are actually experiencing is impaired cognitive function, similar to being drunk or high, from depriving the brain of glucose.

    AriasK , Engin Akyurt Report

    Petra Peitsch
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Fasting deprives your body from getting energy. Energy getting by food. When you are eating normal again, you'll obviously feel more energy, than the days/weeks before. But those people are confusing the cause with the effect.

    Toika Gao
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The only "benefit" of fasting is giving your body the time to use the energy it has already in storage.

    Zophra
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Pretty sure your brain is not deprived of glucose. This is a priority and the body will cannibalize itself to provide the brain with fuel using gluconeogenesis and ketones.

    Jill Rhodry
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    yeah, it's the body switching from burning glucose to burning fat for energy

    Load More Replies...
    ADVERTISEMENT
    See Also on Bored Panda
    #19

    Swirling smoke patterns inside a dimly lit room illustrating the placebo effect in real life examples. When I decided to quit smoking, I used nicotine patches to wean me from the habit of smoking. (For those who don't know, nicotine patches work by supplying nicotine while you break the habit of smoking. Then you step down to the next lower level of nicotine, eventually getting almost none, then you quit the patch.) First you break the habit, then you break the a*******n.

    I looked at the gel on the patch, and noticed it was just nicotine in this stuff like petroleum jelly. I decided "it's kind of like a lotion!" So whenever things got stressful and I **really** wanted a cigarette, I'd rub that patch, telling myself that I was rubbing in more nicotine, like a lotion. I also noticed that my arm got warm from rubbing the patch, so that was opening my pores to allow more nicotine in!

    It got me through those urges to rip off the patch and go smoke!

    Witty_Commentator Report

    BrownEyedGrrl
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I'm glad you took the patch off before smoking. My boss didn't. He died at 42 from nicotine poisoning.

    Diane Business
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Unfortunately that didn't happen to my ex husband when he smoked with a patch.

    Load More Replies...
    Petra Peitsch
    Community Member
    7 months ago

    This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

    It's not the nicotine, what causes you cancer. There are the other conpunds, while you are burning it.

    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT
    See Also on Bored Panda
    #20

    Group of people toasting with tequila shots garnished with lime, illustrating placebo effect in social drinking contexts. I think alcohol can be a placebo, I feel like people act drunk way too soon sometimes over way too little and over very little degrees. Not always and not all, some are truly sensitive, but some, I feel like it is obvious that they just give themselves the "permission to act drunk".

    EggplantCheap5306 , Isabella Mendes Report

    XenoMurph
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Is that what you told the policeman when he pulled you over?

    Tamra
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Some alcoholics can have a pronounced effect after a single shot, and in a very short period of time.

    ElfVibratorGlitter
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I've seen teens get "sloppy drunk" off odouls 0.0... I've also seen my friends rolling on what was very clearly powdered sugar. 🤣

    Zaach
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    There was an ethically suspect had 4 parts; people who got alcohol and were told they did - one who got alcohol but was not told; people who were given not given alcohol an were told they did and people who did not get alcohol and were told they did not. It appeared that alcohol behavior is often social programming (the person who got alcohol but was told they didn't did not modify their behavior and the people who did not get alcohol but didn't got really wasted.

    The Abe
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Oh...this is...non-alcoholic eggnog...

    Ace
    Community Member
    Premium
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Not a placebo effect.

    #21

    Toilet seat covered with a paper barrier illustrating a real-life example of the placebo effect in everyday situations. That a tissue paper thin toilet seat cover will protect you from germs, viruses and dirtiness when using a public toilet. (I think this is more of an American west coast thing.)

    4theLoveofPopcorn , Melloncollieocr Report

    Ace
    Community Member
    Premium
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Not a good example of a placebo though, just a mistaken belief.

    Kat Alison
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It’s fine with me if people want to use this. It’s a lot better than hovering over the seat and getting p e e all over it!

    The Abe
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The funniest part is the porcelain/plastic of the toilet itself is non-porous and cleans with a wipe. The paper absorbs all of the waste circulating in the air from every flush and holds it nice and ready for you to sit on...

    A girl
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Just absorbs the blow by from the last user. O'Hare has this thing where a plastic covering advances when you flush. Kind of like doctor's office paper.

    Toika Gao
    Community Member
    7 months ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I would NEVER EVER place my chubby a s s on a public toilet seat without some cover. EVER. And it does offer some protection.

    Nikole
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Yeah, I’m not sitting on a bare public toilet. I usually use a few layers of toilet paper though instead of the covers.

    Load More Replies...
    Lyone Fein
    Community Member
    7 months ago

    This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

    Kind of like a mask?

    Binky Melnik
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    No, not “kinda like a mask.” Masks save lives; paper toilet seat covers don’t. We don’t breathe through our аssholes.

    Load More Replies...
    Dan
    Community Member
    7 months ago

    This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

    Toilet paper is a lie

    View more comments
    ADVERTISEMENT
    See Also on Bored Panda
    #22

    Woman receiving a relaxing head massage, illustrating placebo effect examples in real life with soothing therapy session. Reiki.

    No-Buddy-4965 , Anete Lusina Report

    Diane Business
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I took massage therapy classes and a lot of it it BS. Especially the "cupping'.

    UKDeek
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Reiki is a form of energy healing that originated in Japan, which practitioners manipulate qi (or chi) to heal a host of maladies - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reiki

    Binky Melnik
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Through the years, lotsa Reiki practitioners have offered to “heal” me from a great distance - like Europe, or Asia - and not one has succeeded yet! (Either that or they forgot to do it. 😆)

    Load More Replies...
    #23

    Woman with curly hair wearing orange headphones and a purple sweater experiencing placebo effect in real life at home. I think the sudden urge to belt out Pure Morning is probably the Placebo effect.

    TryNotToBridezilla , Kaboompics.com Report

    Barbara Wilcock
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Brilliant! Now I have to listen to it

    HF
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    And to have some Special K

    Mel in Georgia
    Community Member
    Premium
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Singing in general makes you feel good!

    ADVERTISEMENT
    See Also on Bored Panda
    #24

    Vase with flowers beside a box of supplements symbolizing placebo effect examples in real life contexts. Most polivitamins. Not enough to cure deficiencys and mostly useless.

    lulukalia , mochiel Report

    Petra Peitsch
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    And that's the trick. Even just 1 kind of vitamin products are not so really effective. Better, tha nothing, but not really worth the costs of it. Having fish 1-2-3 times a week, will be cheaper, than Omega3 for a month.

    Boo
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Unless you are allergic to most fish and seafood. I honestly don't want to eat just tuna 3 times a week.

    Load More Replies...
    Binky Melnik
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Worse, scientists have found that isolating and selling a single vitamin is pretty useless for us. The vitamin C we get from a pill doesn’t work the same way as it does eating a piece of fruit, because the fruit has other substances that work in tandem with the vitamin C so it’ll do it’s thing. (Substitute any letter for “C”; same thing.)

    Vermonta
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Vitamins are in my food.

    CatD
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    When I had gastrointestinal problems, not being able to eat, I didn't take vitamins and started having skin problems. They went away when I took vitamins, so they do work for basic deficiencies like no Vitamin B.

    Load More Replies...
    Ace
    Community Member
    Premium
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It's not about "enough", mostly they're just not needed.

    ADVERTISEMENT
    See Also on Bored Panda
    #25

    Bottle of red gummy bears spilling out, illustrating examples of placebo effect in real life by netizens. Many people firmly believe in the effectiveness of certain vitamin supplements, herbal medicines or alternative therapies for various ailments. Although in some cases there may be active ingredients with some effect, in many others, the improvement that people experience could be mainly due to their belief in the treatment, that is, the placebo effect.
    People invest a lot of money and trust in these products, often without realizing that the benefit they feel might not be due to the intrinsic properties of the product itself, but rather the expectation that it will work for them.

    kitty_Queenn , Supplements On Demand Report

    Indi
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    "certain vitamin supplements, herbal medicines or alternative therapies for various ailments" could you be less specific? lol

    The Abe
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Do you know what they call alternative medicine that's been shown to actually work? Medicine.

    Load More Replies...
    Tamra
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Eh, I don't really agree with this one, unless I misunderstood the way it was phrased. Anyone dealing with anemia will absolutely benefit from iron supplements, just like anyone who's vitamin D deficient can see benefits from vitamin D.

    Binky Melnik
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    You seem to have missed the part that says “ in some cases there may be active ingredients with some effect.”

    Load More Replies...
    Huddo's sister
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    My doctor told my mum to give me vitamin C as a placebo when I was a kid because he said I couldn't possibly be getting headaches every day like I claimed. Unsurprisingly it didn't work, because I was getting headaches daily, the start of my fibromyalgia symptoms. Years later she tried it again when my sister said she couldn't sleep and it did work for that.

    Petra Peitsch
    Community Member
    7 months ago

    This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

    In one word: homeopathy

    Tamra
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Not sure if this is what you meant, but neither vitamins nor herbal medicine has anything to do with homeopathy. Homeopathy is effectively useless.

    Load More Replies...