Thanks to advances in Modern medicine it is possible to successfully treat and even eradicate many serious ailments. In part, because of these advances, we now live 30 years longer than we did 100 years ago.
According to Paul A. Offit M.D., while we have learned much in the preceding decades, we still rely on medical interventions that are out of date and can damage our health. He shows that much conventional medical wisdom is not backed up by science.
He Overkill, he debunks 15 popular medical interventions that have long been considered gospel despite mounting evidence of their adverse effects:
- Treating Fever Can Prolong or Worsen Illness
- Finishing the Antibiotic Course Is Often Unnecessary
- Antibiotic Drops Don’t Treat Pinkeye
- Vitamin D Supplements Aren’t a Cure-all
- Supplemental Antioxidants Increase the Risk of Cancer and Heart Disease
- Testosterone for “Low T” Is Dangerous and Unnecessary
- Baby Aspirin Doesn’t Prevent First Strokes or First Heart Attacks
- Why Parents Should Embrace Allergenic Foods for Infants
- The False Security of Sunblock
- Avoid Reflux Medicines for Fussy Babies
- Prostate Cancer Screening Programs Do More Harm Than Good
- Thyroid Cancer Screening Programs Don’t Save Lives
- Why Breast Cancer Screening Programs Aren’t Exactly as Advertised
- Heart Stents Don’t Prolong Lives
- Surgery for Knee Arthritis Is Unnecessary
- Don’t Remove Mercury Dental Fillings
- Vitamin C Doesn’t Treat or Prevent Colds
- Don’t Ice Sprains
- Teething Doesn’t Cause Fever
The book notes, that “despite clear evidence to the contrary, most doctors continue to recommend them.”
“Analyzing how these practices came to be, the biology of what makes them so ineffective and harmful, and the medical culture that continues to promote them, Overkill informs patients to help them advocate for their health.”