You’d be surprised to know how popular homeopathy is around the world.
Are you one of the many people who wonder:
“What’s homeopathy?”
“How many people use homeopathy?”
“In which countries do people prefer homeopathy?”
“Does it work?”
Let’s see if we can find some answers to your questions.
Homeopathy is a form of holistic medicine which has been in use for over 200 years to treat both acute and chronic medical conditions. The system is based on the idea that the body has the ability to heal itself. Patients are treated with medication derived from the active ingredients in plants or minerals.
How many people use homeopathy? Well, it is recognized by the World Health Organization as the second most practiced alternative form of medicine in the world. In fact, millions of people around the world consult homeopaths rather than conventional doctors.
Want precise figures? Here it is: homeopathy is the primary healthcare choice for more than 300 million people in more than 50 countries.
According to the Homeopathy Research Institute (HRI) 200 million people use homeopathy on a regular basis.
In Europe, homeopathy is the most popular alternative form of medicine. Homeopathy is practiced in 40 out of 42 European countries. Homeopathy is well-known and accepted in Europe where three out of four people are familiar with homeopathy and 29 % of them use it for their healthcare.
If you consult a medical doctor in the Netherlands, chances that he or she might prescribe a homeopathic remedy for you is very good since almost half of the Dutch doctors use homeopathy in their medical practices.
Homeopathy is not only popular in Europe though. It is also popular in the U.K., India and the U.S. In fact, homeopathy is included in the national health systems of a number of countries e.g. Brazil, Chile, India, Mexico, Pakistan, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
It is used by 6 million people in the UK, 100 million people in the European Union and in India 100 million people depend solely on homeopathy for their medical care.
Does homeopathy work? Well, ponder this:
According to global market research company Mintel, the market for homeopathy in Britain was worth an estimated £38m in 2007; according to federal researchers, Americans spent a whopping $30 billion on alternative health treatments which includes homeopathy. According to research complementary and alternative medicine services grew by 6 %, from $8.1 billion in 2002 to $8.6 billion in 2008 in the United States.
Would the market for homeopathy keep growing if it were not benefiting people?
