Barbara Roberts, Homeopath

Barbara Roberts, Homeopath I am passionate about natural health and supporting people in their personal journey to better health.

I work with homeopathy and using a biomedical or integrative approach to medicine.

Finding the best homeopathic remedy involves lots of details. Coughs can be notoriously difficult to find the right reme...
08/06/2026

Finding the best homeopathic remedy involves lots of details. Coughs can be notoriously difficult to find the right remedy, there are so many remedies with similar symptoms.

However when you have a chesty cough with phlegm have you ever thought about the taste?

I was reading Boenninghausen’s Lesser Writings a while back, and he had a whole section on expectoration (the bringing up of phlegm during coughing), including taste. This was fascinating, with so many different options. Some are things that we probably wouldn’t know or recognise these days, like ink, pitch, chalk, rosin, tallow, tar and to***co juice.

Here are a selection for you, just the unusual tastes. Some like metallic, rancid and like the last food eaten had quite a few remedies and I have not added below.

Almonds, like sweet almonds or nuts: Coffea, Digitalis.
Broth: Iodum
Burnt: Drosera, Pulsatilla
Cooked cabbage: Sulphur
Cheese: China, Lycopodium
Rotten cheese: Aurum, Kali Carbonicum, Zinc
Clay: Cannabis Sativa, China, Phosphorus, Pulsatilla
Fish: Aconite
Flour: Lachesis
Herby: Caladium, Nux Vomica, Phosphoric acid, Pulsatilla, Sarsaparilla, Stannum, Veratrum album
Herrings: Nux moschata
Mould: Lycopodium, Mercurius, Rhus Tox, Thuja
Onion: Asafoetida
Peas, raw: Pulsatilla, Zinc
Pepper/ Aconite, Mezereum
Pitch: cantharis
Sugar: Calcarea Carbonicum, Lycopodium, Sepia
Wine: Belladonna, Bryonia

This is not an exhaustive list, and more remedies will have been added in the more modern repertories. But the next time someone complains of a chesty cough, and they’re bringing up phlegm, ask them what it tastes like- it might just be the shortcut you need to find the remedy.

Another thing to remember with coughs is they often go through several stages before stopping completely. Often when working with a client with an acute cough we will use one remedy, the cough will change and so the remedy changes, then the cough changes again and a new remedy is needed. This can be frustrating, but it is all part of the healing process.
If nothing is helping or you need support for this or another complaint please make an appointment on my website, or email me for an acute consultation.

Staying healthy this winter It’s June and officially the beginning of winter. I’m already seeing an increase of colds so...
31/05/2026

Staying healthy this winter

It’s June and officially the beginning of winter. I’m already seeing an increase of colds so here is what you need to know to keep you and your family healthy this winter.

First of all, let’s talk prevention, the fundamental building blocks for health and wellbeing: lifestyle, what we eat and how we treat our bodies.
*nutrition is the first cornerstone of health. If you have a diet high in processed foods, sugar, or with restrictions on what you eat you may be lacking in micronutrients. Sugar, seed oils and processed foods can also be inflammatory and impair your immune system.
*water/fluid intake is also really important – every cell in our body needs water, and dehydration impairs their ability to work well, making them more vulnerable to attack. Exercise will increase the amount of fluid you need to drink, and some foods, particularly juicy fruits will help with your fluid balance. However, fruit juices are high in sugar so should be drunk in moderation, if you don’t like plain water, try a herbal tea, or sparkling water instead.
*sleep is vital for good health, it’s how our body rests and repairs. Most adults need an average of 8 hours sleep at night, and children need more than this. Sleeping less lowers your immunity and make you more susceptible to respiratory viruses.
*exercise also supports immunity, improving blood flow and reducing inflammation. Keeping active also helps with stress management, and sleep, both of which are also important pieces of the puzzle to stay well.
*stress lowers immunity, so keeping stress to a minimum, and working on actively managing the stress you cannot get away from will support your immunity. Some of this is taking time for the things above- eating well, keeping well hydrated, exercising and sleeping- and you can also use techniques like mindfulness, breathing, and journaling, and spending time with friends and family (as long as they are not the cause of your stress!)

Supplements can be used for both prevention, and to treat viruses.
*Vitamin D supports the immune system and a low level of Vitamin D has been shown to increase the risk of respiratory infections. People who are at risk of this are the elderly, those who do not get enough sunlight, and those with darker skin who need a longer time in the sun to convert sunlight to vitamin D.
*Vitamin C is a really important vitamin for the immune system, supporting the defences of the body to kill viruses and bacteria. However, in most cases it will not prevent respiratory viruses, but regular supplementation may reduce the severity or length of illness. It is effective for treatment taken in high doses as soon as symptoms are felt.
*Zinc supports the normal functioning of every cell – and we get in our diet in seafood, meat and poultry, and to a lesser extent in seeds, legumes, and greens. It can be used both to prevent and treat colds and viruses.
*Elderberry is one of my favourite antivirals, as it is safe for children and pregnant women, and is generally easy to give to children as it tastes sweet like blackcurrant cordial. It can be used as a preventative then increased at the first sign of illness.
*Echinacea is an immune modulator, meaning it supports the immune system to work more effectively. It can be used for both prevention and treatment of respiratory tract infections.
*Olive Leaf is an antiviral and also works as an anti-inflammatory in respiratory conditions. It can be used for both prevention and treatment of upper respiratory infections.

I like to use Homeobotanicals, which are combinations of herbal remedies prepared homoeopathically. These can be used preventatively as well as for treatment, and combinations can be tailored for you as an individual. I will often add a blend for stress, as this is often the trigger for illness. These are some of the blends that can be used:
*HbC – Colds and Catarrh. This can be used at all stages of colds and influenza, and helps with drainage of mucus. Contains Astragalus, Boneset, Elderflower, Golden Rod, Hyssop, Nasturtium, Ribwort, Thyme, and Yarrow
*HbI- Immune. Support for acute and chronic infections, and can be used as a gargle for sore throats before swallowing. Contains Astragalus, Baptisia, Echinacea, Golden Seal, Licorice, Olive Leaf, Poke Root, Sage, and Thyme
*HbR – Respiratory. For support with asthmatic conditions, bronchitis, bronchiectasis, emphysema and smoking related conditions, as well as sinus and ear conditions. For bronchial and respiratory tract integrity and support with normalising pulmonary ventilation. Contains Albizia, Amalaka, Elecampane, Euphorbia, Golden Rod, Grindelia, Licorice, Mullein, Passion Flower and Pleurisy Root
*HbX – Expectorant, coughing. For persistent paroxysmal or episodic coughing in people of all ages. Contains Elecampane, Mullein, Pasqual Flower, Pleurisy Root, Sundew, White Horehound, Wild Cherry, and Wild Lettuce.

Now let’s talk homeopathy
The best protection from illness is a resilient constitution – and this can be supported by an individual constitutional remedy. This will be different for each person, so it is not possible to narrow this down to a few therapeutic remedies. Your best way of determining this, particularly if you are dealing with recurrent illnesses and need support is to see a Homeopath.

Some of the homeopathic remedies that may be useful are:
*Aconite – this remedy may stave off a virus if you get it early enough, for first signs or in anticipation it is excellent, especially after exposure to a cold, dry wind. You may have the beginnings of a sore throat, frequent sneezing, thirst and restlessness at night.
*Allium Cepa – sneezing with streaming eyes and nose that makes the nose and upper lip sore. Feel better in the open air.
*Arsenicum Album – thin, watery discharge that irritates the nose and upper lip. Burning, painful throat better for hot drinks. Feel better indoors even though nose is stopped up.
*Belladonna – sudden onset cold with a high fever, flushed face and skin feels dry and hot. Sore throat is bright red and worse on the right side. There may be a short, dry, tickling cough that can go all night.
*Bryonia – bursting headache, dry, hard cough, dry lips and mouth but may have a watery discharge and stuffy nose. Very thirsty and irritable, wanting to be left alone and lie still.
*Ferrum Phos – early stages of a cold, a fever but not as high as Belladonna. No definitive symptoms but useful in many colds.
*Gelsemium – the kind of cold that comes on slowly and feel tired and exhausted, limbs are heavy and may have a dull headache. Lots of sneezing and a watery discharge, usually not thirsty.
*Hepar Sulph – sore throat may feel like a splinter, and pain may extend to the ears when swallowing. Nasal discharge is yellow and cough can be chesty and have a thick yellow phlegm.
*Natrum Muriaticum – colds that begin with sneezing and a nasal discharge like egg white. The nose becomes stopped to and there is a loss of smell and taste. A bursting headache and dry cough may also be part of the picture.
*Nux Vomica – sneezing, nose running in the daytime and stuffed up at night. Throat is sore and they are generally irritable. Chilly and worse in the cold air.
*Pulsatilla – later stages of the cold when discharge is thick and yellow. Nose is stuffed up at night and indoors, but may run in the open air. Better outdoors, they may have a fever but are not thirsty. Emotionally can be tearful and want sympathy.

If you need help with an acute illness, please contact me and I will try to fit you in for an acute consult. If I can’t help, I will refer you to someone who can see you

𝐏𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐮𝐦, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐲As a country we’ve been pretty focused on petrol recently, so let’s turn this focus to the homeopat...
26/05/2026

𝐏𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐮𝐦, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐲

As a country we’ve been pretty focused on petrol recently, so let’s turn this focus to the homeopathic remedy.

It’s a remedy that has a major affinity with the skin, particularly for extreme dryness and cracking of the skin. The skin can be rough and itchy, may become red and raw looking and injuries (or where it has become scratched) get infected and take a long time to heal.

The irony of this is that many commercially available creams are petroleum based, and all those available on prescription for eczema are petroleum based. I’ve seen this in practice as well a number of times, where there was a history of mildly dry skin, and when applying heavy moisturising (petroleum based) creams the skin becomes more and more dry. Natural based creams and oils are better for the skin barrier, and there is also “No Moisturiser Treatment”, which actively avoids using moisturiser to encourage the skin to produce its own oils. We also need to be aware of not stripping the skin barrier with harsh cleansers for oily skin, where the body responds by making more oil- and not over applying moisturiser, which makes the body reduce its production.

Anyway, going back to the topic at hand, Petroleum is particularly a remedy for complaints that are worse from cold, so for eczema that breaks out in winter Petroleum is a remedy to think about.

Dryness and cracking also extends to the mucous membranes. It’s a good remedy to think of for cracks in the corners of the mouth, or the other end of the gastrointestinal intestinal tract, with a**l fissures.

Petroleum is also an excellent remedy for motion sickness- also appropriate given that most vehicles on the road are using petrol or another fossil fuel. Petroleum indications in motion sickness are an empty or sinking sensation in the stomach, which is paradoxically relieved by eating. There can also be a bitter taste in the mouth or burps or vomit may taste bitter.

Mentally and emotionally, Petroleum individuals may be quite irritable and easily offended, or could be anxious and highly sensitive to physical or environmental changes, particularly thunderstorms or changes in weather.

This is a brief snapshot of this remedy, but one to think of now the weather is colder, if eczema or cracked skin gets worse.

Book review - The Reluctant HomeopathIn a few weeks I’m off to the New Zealand Homeopathy Conference in Wellington, whic...
17/05/2026

Book review - The Reluctant Homeopath

In a few weeks I’m off to the New Zealand Homeopathy Conference in Wellington, which is a fantastic opportunity to hang out with other homeopaths, as well as listen to a range of speakers on different topics. One speaker at this year’s conference in both New Zealand and later in the year in Australia, is Vanessa Young, author of The Reluctant Homeopath. I figured if I’m going to listen to her speak, I’d really like to read her book first, so I ordered a copy. (I can also take it with me and see if I can get a signature!)

The subtitle of this book is ‘an unexpected science journey’ and it just that, a story of science, and the practice of homeopathy, told through explaining homeopathy, discussing client stories and a reflection on her own growth. There are many gems within this book, from the explanations for clients about how they are feeling, and the diagrams that illustrate those aspects, to the acknowledgment that homeopathy is weird and beyond what conventional science expects and understands.

This book is an easy read, and I really enjoyed it. I think many people would like it, but it would be good reading for people who are trying to reconcile two seemingly disparate parts of themselves, and also worthwhile for the homeopath or student who is developing their sense of self as a homeopath. Knowledge of homeopathy is not required to read the book, and it walks through cases that about everyday things like boundaries, feeling sensitive to others thoughts, and being comfortable with your own feelings either explanations that are a mirror and healing in themselves.

If you live in Wellington there is a great opportunity to head Vanessa speak this Thursday (21 May) at the Wellington Public Library - https://www.wcl.govt.nz/news/author-talk-vanessa-young-the-reluctant-homeopath-in-conversation-with-kristen-phillips/

I won’t make it to that talk, but I am very much looking forward to hearing Vanessa speak in June.

What are you reading at the moment?

𝐃𝐢𝐩𝐡𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚There is a current outbreak of diphtheria in Western Australia and the Northern Territories, and as such even ...
10/05/2026

𝐃𝐢𝐩𝐡𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚

There is a current outbreak of diphtheria in Western Australia and the Northern Territories, and as such even in New Zealand we’ve been hearing about diphtheria. So here is some more information about the disease for you so you are better informed and feel more prepared.

Diphtheria is caused by the bacteria 𝘊𝘰𝘳𝘺𝘯𝘦𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘶𝘮 𝘥𝘪𝘱𝘩𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘦, which produces a toxin causing severe illness. There are two forms of diphtheria: respiratory, and cutaneous (skin).

The skin form is spread by contact with infected skin, is less severe, and causes a slow healing ulcer. These heal by themselves of 2-3 months, and can leave a depressed scar.

The respiratory form can be mild or severe, and has fatigue, a high pulse, a sore throat with painful swelling of the neck. A grey or white membrane can form over the back of the throat or tonsils which may restrict breathing - however absence of the membrane does not mean that it is not diphtheria. The main concern for respiratory diphtheria is the toxin, which can damage the heart, nerves, kidneys and joints.

But what is the real risk?

Diphtheria is part of the NZ (and Australian) vaccination schedule, in Infanrix hexa, Infanrix IPV, and DTaP. The vaccine is a toxoid vaccine - which means after vaccination you create antibodies to the toxin. It does NOT prevent diphtheria, however because 90% of vaccinated people will be asymptomatic they are less likely to pass on disease through the respiratory droplets. Only 30% of unvaccinated will have asymptomatic disease, the other 70%, and 10% of vaccinated can develop respiratory (or cutaneous) disease.

Treatment of diphtheria is with antibiotics, and for the unvaccinated, the antitoxin. Antibiotics can also be used for asymptomatic infections, as they prevent the spread, but to prevent the effects of the toxin and the severe disease the anti-toxin is needed.

What else can you do?
Vitamin C is an excellent anti-toxin. We use it for tetanus and for whooping cough, both of which have toxins that cause the main consequences of the disease.
General remedies that we use for respiratory complaints and sore throats will be useful to support the immune response - this includes zinc, olive leaf, echinacea, and sore throat lozenges or sprays with honey, propolis, Kawakawa or similar.

Homeopathically there are a number of remedies that are indicated for respiratory diphtheria. There are a lot of crossovers with our general sore throat remedies, so if none of these sound right, consider other sore throat remedies.

𝑨𝒑𝒊𝒔 is a remedy for a bright red throat that is puffy or glossy looking. The throat can be swollen and is sensitive to touch, they prefer cold to hot. If there is a membrane this can be grey or dirty looking.

𝑳𝒂𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒔 has a sore throat that starts on the left side and then moves to the right. It is a deeper red or purple colour, and there can be a sense of constriction in the throat. They may also have difficulty breathing, but no difficulty talking.

𝑨𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒊𝒄𝒖𝒎 𝑨𝒍𝒃𝒖𝒎 will be exhausted with their sore throat, and the throat can be red with a greyish membrane that looks dry and shrivelled. The throat may feel like it is burning and they feel better for warm drinks.

𝑳𝒂𝒄 𝑪𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒖𝒎 is a remedy for sore throats that change from one side to the other. It feels like there is a lump in the throat, and the throat looks red, swollen and raw. There can be excess saliva, but it hurts to swallow.

If you would like to know more about homeoprophylaxis as prevention of diphtheria or any other disease, please message or email me, or make an appointment.

Image credit: User:Dileepunnikri on Wikimedia Commons
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dirty_white_pseudomembrane_classically_seen_in_diphtheria_2013-07-06_11-07.jpg

May the Fourth be with you! I grew up on the original Star Wars movies and have fond memories of watching them as a fami...
03/05/2026

May the Fourth be with you!
I grew up on the original Star Wars movies and have fond memories of watching them as a family when they would come on tv. I have also had a Star Wars marathon with my children, and really enjoyed watching them again many years later as an adult.

So to celebrate International Star Wars day I thought I would prescribe some remedies for our favourite characters - as they appear in the original trilogy (now movies 4, 5 and 6). It’s impossible to accurately prescribe based on this kind of archetype, and my suggestions may well differ to what others see. But it’s a little bit of fun, and I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoyed thinking about it!

We really have to start with Luke Skywalker. Initially naive and idealistic, the murder of his aunt and uncle makes him commit to learning about the force, begin to trust himself and his abilities, and join the rebels. Luke’s journey is marked by trauma, from the death of his aunt and uncle, to finding that Darth Vader is his father. It is choice that marks Luke has a Jedi, by both surrendering to Darth Vader, but then later refusing to kill him. I compared two related remedies for Luke Skywalker - Arnica montana and Bellis perennis. We can think of both remedies for trauma and resilience, and for persevering even when they are hurt, denying that there is any vulnerability. Ultimately though I decided Bellis perennis fits better - this is the daisy that you can step on but comes up smiling again the next day. The wounds are felt deeply, but instead of guarding against future pain, like in Arnica, Bellis perennis is known for clearing blockages to enable a deeper healing.

Princess Leia is our rebel fighter, who stands firm against the empire even at personal risk, leads teams against the Death Star and for evacuation from the ice planet Hoth, and later infiltrates Jabba the hut’s palace on a rescue mission. She has a strong sense of justice and an intolerance of the Empire’s totalitarian autocracy. Princess Leia could only be Causticum, a remedy for people who passionately believe in a cause, need fairness in everything in life, and find injustice unendurable.

Han Solo is our self-centred smuggler, willing to help out when he gets paid for his help, but then rethinks and comes back to join the rebel cause. I decided that Han Solo would best fit within Sulphur. It has a wide picture but can be quite egocentric and individualistic, and not at all interested in authority or the thoughts of others. However they also can be influenced towards a particular course of action and they do value personal connections, which we see with Han Solo’s development to becoming a respected leader for the resistance.

Chewbacca the Wookie is best known as Han Solo’s side kick, always present and supportive with deep loyalty to Han Solo. He’s also an important reason the resistance makes an alliance with the Ewoks and ultimately wins the battle against the Empire in the Return of the Jedi. I would give Chewbacca Natrum muriaticum, a remedy with a strong sense of loyalty and responsibility. While we never know exactly what Chewbacca says, he is always there and is a strong and constant presence. Natrum muriaticum is also a remedy for grief, which could relate to his pre-New Hope history as a prisoner, when the wookies as a race were enslaved by their enemies.

We first meet Yoda in The Empire Strikes Back, when Luke goes to Dagobah for training in the force. He is best known for his enigmatic wisdom and strange way of speaking! But considering the history of the Jedi and the rise of the Empire, I could only think of remedies from the Gold series of the periodic table for Yoda - those that are related to leadership, power and wisdom, with a broad overview of the whole universe. Matching that with stage 8, which requires perseverance, endurance, calculating and planning, and there is a heavy pressure from the weight of responsibility. Osmium metallicum, the remedy for Yoda is.

And finally let’s think of Darth Vader. The feared enforcer of the Empire, who hunts rebels, captures Leia, kills Obi-Wan Kenobi, and then becomes obsessed with finding Luke when he recognises that he is Luke’s father. There is some redemption in the Return of the Jedi, when he refuses to kill Luke, witnesses Luke refusing to turn to the dark side and then kills the Emperor to save Luke, and dying as Anakin Skywalker instead of the reviled Darth Vader. I needed to find a remedy that had no mercy or remorse for the violent acts that he undertook in the first two movies. Androctonus, the scorpion remedy was my choice - described as ‘unfeeling cruelty’, with a lack of remorse, and anger with a desire to kill. They are generally considered hard hearted, and scorpions themselves inspire fear in others. It is also noted that Androctonus may become a leader, exactly as seen in the movie by Darth Vader.

I feel like I may need a Star Wars marathon to reminisce, and maybe to watch all three trilogies so I can write more next year. I didn’t write about C3P0, R2D2, or Obi-Wan Kenobi, and there are some vivid characters to include from the first trilogy such as Queen Amidala, and Jar Jar Binks.

Who is your favourite character? Who should I include next year? Let me know what you think of my remedy choices - maybe you have an alternative for one of the characters!

It’s World Immunisation Awareness Week. I’ve been debating posting about it this week, because it’s a weighty and polari...
28/04/2026

It’s World Immunisation Awareness Week. I’ve been debating posting about it this week, because it’s a weighty and polarising topic.

As a pharmacist I am required to support public health measures. Vaccination is one public health measure. When we consider public health and prevention of disease over history, our most effective measures have been sanitation and raising the general health through lifestyle. There’s a reason that integrative medicine and holistic practitioners like naturopaths focus on lifestyle factors: if you live in a cold, mouldy house, do not exercise and eat only processed foods you are at risk of many diseases, including our infectious communicable diseases that are on the vaccine schedules.

In New Zealand we also are legally bound to provide informed consent- which includes sufficient information about pros and cons of any medicine, vaccine or health procedure, and as the consumer you have the right to decline without any coercion.

I work with individuals and families to discuss vaccines (both those on the schedule and travel vaccines), the diseases they are supposed to protect from, and options- both for prevention- vaccination, nothing (lifestyle), homeoprophylaxis- and for treatment if you did contract that disease despite your efforts to prevent this.

The reality is that it is an individual decision and this looks different for different people. It is my job to support you where you are, not directing you to make a decision, but giving you information for you to make that informed choice. If vaccination is your choice there are supplements and homeopathic remedies that can also be used to support the body.

If you’re struggling with this decision, or you would like more information about anything related to vaccination, please reach out to me and we can book a consultation so you can be confident in your choices.

The red poppy we associate with ANZAC day and World War 1 is Papaver rhoeas, the common or field poppy. Traditionally th...
24/04/2026

The red poppy we associate with ANZAC day and World War 1 is Papaver rhoeas, the common or field poppy. Traditionally the petals of the poppy were used as a mild sedative and as an expectorant for coughs.

In homeopathy the poppy remedy we use is Papaver somniferum, the O***m Poppy, with the remedy known as O***m or sometimes Op Papaver.

O***m is a remedy for shock. It is used for shock that causes disconnection, the person may be in a dream world, or appear like a ‘stunned mullet’. However there can be an overreaction if the come across the same situation again, and can become hysterical for seemingly no reason.

This lack of reaction mentally can also be seen physically. Things that should be painful are not felt as pain, and there is a general slowing down of bodily systems. We know well that morphine and opiates cause constipation- that is seen in O***m the remedy too, but there can also be urinary retention, and difficulty breathing.

O***m is an important remedy and one I use for constipation particularly if there has been the use of stimulant laxatives that make the bowels lazy.

Today, on this day of remembrance, we can think of O***m the poppy as an important remedy for victims of war, what was called shell shock in world war 1, and it may also be useful in PTSD.

Lest we forget.

It’s World Homeopathy Awareness Week, with the theme “Yes there IS homeopathy research”While it is still early in the ye...
10/04/2026

It’s World Homeopathy Awareness Week, with the theme “Yes there IS homeopathy research”

While it is still early in the year, if you have school aged children and need science fair ideas, planning ahead makes things so much easier. The last thing anybody needs is the stress of a last minute need to a) find a project, b) carry out an experiment, and c) get it all written up in time and presented on the board to be at school by the deadline.

If you’re home-schooling, you still have the opportunity to take part in science fairs around the country. Many regional fairs accept entries from home-schooled children. This is not my area of expertise, but ask around to find out what to do in your area.

When I went to the HRI conference last year I was struck by a presentation from Paul Doesburg from Switzerland, about the effect of various homeopathic remedies on the growth of seedlings, in the presence of substances that normally slow down the growth. This I thought would be an excellent science fair project. I’ve pitched it to my children, and at this stage it’s not going to happen (but I do have hopes for the future).

However, I thought it is worth sharing as an idea, which can then be modified by each individual to suit them.

Take seeds (the experiment used cress, but use what you prefer, something that sprouts quickly). He also added Calcium nitrate, which is used to increase germination rate and growth.
Add the seeds and water to different containers.
In one, add nothing.
In another, add a ‘blank’ pilule
In the others add various homeopathic remedies, depending on what you have and what you would like to test:
* Arnica for overall stimulation and shock
* Calendula for promoting growth
* Natrum Muriaticum for strength
* Carbo Veg for weakness and seeds that don’t sprout

Wait for 3-5 days, then measure shoot and root lengths, and you could also measure the ratio of the root to shoot.

Imagine what it would be like to have multiple school science fairs displaying the effect of homeopathy all round the country!

If your child does this as a project then PLEASE get in touch and send me your results. If there are a few science fair boards how amazing would it be to collate the results and publish them, perhaps in the homeopathic society newsletter- with each child getting due credit.

When I went to the 25 year celebration of the Auckland Pharmacy School last year, I was casually speaking to one of my p...
09/04/2026

When I went to the 25 year celebration of the Auckland Pharmacy School last year, I was casually speaking to one of my pharmacy lecturers and mentioned that I had presented a poster at the HRI conference in Greece last year, and her response was “I didn’t know there was research in homeopathy”.

It feels like a very fitting theme for this years World Homeopathy Awareness Week, because this isn’t the first time I have had this response, and I doubt it will be the last time either.

There is so much homeopathy research, and there is research in so many different areas. This includes
* How homeopathy works
* In vitro (lab) experiments using homeopathic remedies in cells
* Homeopathy for plant growth
* Homeopathy for animals
* Homeopathy in many different health conditions
* Who is using homeopathy
* Who are our homeopaths

Before coming back to homeopathy research, I want to talk about medical research in general.

Early in my pharmacy degree I did a paper about epidemiology, effectively about public health. As part of that I needed to learn HOW to read studies, and how to assess whether it is valid and worth considering, and how to identify not only the flaws in the study, but also to understand the discussion and the conclusion and be able to draw conclusions. That was quite a long time ago now, and at the time I didn’t appreciate it, but with an increasing interest in “evidence based medicine” I think it is essential.

In 2015, Dr Richard Horton, the editor of one of the premier medical journals wrote “The case against science is straightforward: much of the scientific literature, perhaps half, may simply be untrue.” (1) There have been further criticisms since, but despite this “evidence based medicine” is still the holy grail in the conventional medical system.

This makes actually a**lysing science more and more important. But there is so much research, and practitioners are so busy, that in many cases they’re relying on experts, and guidelines, in order to understand conditions and prescribe medication. That means the finer details, and the smaller studies may not make it - which is a good reason, if you are capable, to do your own research to make informed decisions.

So briefly, if you are looking at trials, here is an easy framework to do so: PICOT.
* P stands for the population, or the patient, and defines a specific group of people, or a specific problem.
* I is the intervention, meaning exactly what is being measured
* C is for comparison, or control, so you can see what the difference is between the intervention group and the comparator group
* O is the outcome, what the measure is, and
* T is for timeframe - over what time is this being measured
I may not write it out like this every time, but it is definitely something I am looking for. It allows us to identify dodgy science - like short time frames that give ‘results’ but don’t show effects that are cumulative or come on after a period of time, or comparing one substance to another that is just as toxic and then stating there was no difference between the groups.

Then there is the hierarchy of evidence that is sometimes talked about. Where expert opinion is the lowest level of evidence, followed by case reports, case-control studies (looking backwards at people with a certain condition), cohort studies (following a group of people over time), then randomised controlled trials, systematic reviews and at the top, meta-a**lyses (3). Unfortunately though, this assumes that the quality of each is equal - which does require some assessment of what you are reading.

But this post is about homeopathy research, and you may be asking, why am I bothering even sharing this?

Homeopathy research is held to this same standard - and can require the same a**lysis to understand what you are reading. Dana Ullman has a great discussion of four reviews of homeopathy, what was included and excluded and how this affects the conclusions of the review (4).

There are methodological issues in designing a trial of homeopathy - as homeopathy is individualised, how do you design that so that each person gets their consultation, and an individualised remedy, but also so that it is blinded? Fortunately there are some amazing trials that have solved this problem - but not enough! There were two systematic reviews in 2017 looking at both individualised homeopathy and non-individualised homeopathy, and the conclusion from these both were that more high quality research is needed (5, 6). That was over 8 years ago, and there has been more research in every area, but it needs to continue.

Homeopathy, for 200 years, has been characterised by case reports. It’s how we have been taught, how we remember the remedies because it is the story that stands out. Yet in that hierarchy of evidence case reports are pretty low on the pyramid. However, there has been an increasing move encouraging clinicians to publish case reports both in medicine and in homeopathy. The Modified Naranjo Criteria for Assessing Causal Attribution of Clinical Outcome to Homeopathic Intervention (MONARCH) is a way of having two independent reviewers read through a case and assess against standard criteria, including whether the results of the case are likely due to the homeopathic treatment (7, 8). I have a case which would be a lovely case report - this is something I will try and fit into my workload this year to see if I can join the movement of individual homeopaths contributing to the evidence base of homeopathy, one case at a time.

Homeopathy also was the foundation for ALL drug trials that we have today. It was homeopaths who first trialled remedies on healthy human volunteers - what we call a proving, or is known in the literature as a pathogenetic trial. These are still happening to this day, and I was pleased to take part in one in February with an exciting substance that will be shared publicly at the New Zealand homeopathic conference in June. This idea of testing on healthy individuals is used to this day in a Phase I clinical trial for new medicines.

But let’s go back to homeopathy. We have agrihomeopathy research - that looking at homeopathy for farming, and for growing crops. A scoping review of agrohomeopathy in 2024 shows the diversity of areas homeopathy can help in agriculture - from microbial control (bacterial, viral and fungal), pest control, conditions like temperature, cold and heat, heavy metals, and plant growth and production (9). There is research into use in livestock - a review by Doehring & Sundrum considered peer reviewed studies where a number of them showed the efficacy of homeopathy in cattle, poultry and pigs - however, because of the variation and lack of replication they did consider these to be single-case studies (10). It goes to show we still need more trials and more published evidence of efficacy.

The other side of homeopathy research is sometimes called ‘basic’ research. This is to do with how homeopathy works, and also looks at the use of homeopathic remedies in the lab. It’s hard to argue that homeopathic remedies have an effect when there are laboratory trials. This is an increasing area of research, with each remedy tested in different cells showing different things. Two studies that you can read yourself are the effect of drosera on lung cells (11) and the antioxidant effect of Arnica, Arsenicum and Lachesis in microglial cells (12).

My personal interest in homeopathy research is that looking at homeopaths themselves. If we don’t have qualified, practicing homeopaths, there is no individualised homeopathy to support people with chronic conditions. If you’re interested, you can read the two papers from the 2023 demographic survey in the references below (13, 14), but know that there is more to come about our New Zealand homeopaths, and also about who else is prescribing homeopathic remedies in New Zealand.

So after this little walk through research in homeopathy, what are you interested in with homeopathic research? �Do you have a research paper to share - one you have read that is a good example of homeopathic research?
If you are a homeopath, is there research that excites you, that you would like to be involved in? I would love to increase our research base in New Zealand and would be happy to discuss and collaborate with you on a project! Comment here, send me an email or get in touch and let’s talk. ��If you have school aged children who need science fair ideas, pop back tomorrow for my suggestion using homeopathic remedies and plant growth.

References:
1. Horton, R. (2015). Offline: What is medicine’s 5 sigma? The Lancet, 385(9976), 1380. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(15)60696-1
2. Heidel, E. (2023). PICOT Research Question and Statistics. https://picotquestion.com/picot-question-and-statistics.html
3. Siegfried, Tom (2017, November 13). Philosophical critique exposes flaws in medical evidence hierarchies. Science News. https://www.sciencenews.org/blog/context/critique-medical-evidence-hierarchies
4. Ullman D. An Analysis of Four Government-Funded Reviews of Research on Homeopathic Medicine. Cureus. 2021 Jun 24;13(6):e15899. doi: 10.7759/cureus.15899. PMID: 34336416; PMCID: PMC8312774.
5. Mathie, R.T., Lloyd, S.M., Legg, L.A. et al. Randomised placebo-controlled trials of individualised homeopathic treatment: systematic review and meta-a**lysis. Syst Rev 3, 142 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1186/2046-4053-3-142
6. Mathie, R.T., Ramparsad, N., Legg, L.A. et al. Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials of non-individualised homeopathic treatment: systematic review and meta-a**lysis. Syst Rev 6, 63 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13643-017-0445-3
7. Lamba CD, Gupta VK, van Haselen R, Rutten L, Mahajan N, Molla AM, Singhal R. Evaluation of the Modified Naranjo Criteria for Assessing Causal Attribution of Clinical Outcome to Homeopathic Intervention as Presented in Case Reports. Homeopathy. 2020 Nov;109(4):191-197. doi: 10.1055/s-0040-1701251. Epub 2020 Mar 25. Erratum in: Homeopathy. 2020 Nov;109(4):e1-e2. doi: 10.1055/s-0040-1715843. PMID: 32215892.
8. Penrose, S (2023). Influenza A associated binocular diplopia and concomitant accelerated myopia post COVID-19 mRNA biological injection. Similia Vol 36, No 2. December 2023,
9. Ghate, Varsha & Chintalwar, Ragini & Mukherjee, Anupam & Jagtap, Suresh & Sathiyanarayanan, Arulmozhi. (2024). An Extensive Scoping Review on the Potential ofAgrohomoeopathy in Agricultural Evolution. International Journal of High Dilution Research - ISSN 1982-6206. 23. 161-180. 10.51910/ijhdr.v23icf.1397.
10. Doehring C, Sundrum A. (2016). Efficacy of homeopathy in livestock according to peer-reviewed publications from 1981 to 2014. Vet Rec. 2016 Dec 17;179(24):628. doi: 10.1136/vr.103779. Epub 2016 Dec 12. PMID: 27956476; PMCID: PMC5256414.
11. Arruda-Silva, F., Bellavite, P. & Marzotto, M. Low-dose Drosera rotundifolia induces gene expression changes in 16HBE human bronchial epithelial cells. Sci Rep 11, 2356 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-81843-y
12. Paumier, A., Verre, J., Tribolo, S., & Boujedaini, N. (2022). Anti-oxidant effect of high dilutions of Arnica montana, Arsenicum album, and Lachesis mutus in microglial cells in vitro. Dose-Response, 20(2). https://doi.org/10.1177/15593258221103698
13. Gray, A. C., Luketic, C. D., Coleman, J., & Roberts, B. (2025). Demographics, practice characteristics, professional satisfaction and professional association engagement of homeopaths in New Zealand: Results from a cross-sectional workforce survey. European Journal of Integrative Medicine, 78, 102500. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eujim.2025.102500
14. Gray, A. C., Luketic, C. D., Coleman, J., & Roberts, B. (2025). Tensions, Challenges, Risks and Opportunities in the Current and Future Delivery of Homeopathy in New Zealand: A survey of practitioner perceptions. Advances in Integrative Medicine, 100607. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aimed.2025.100607

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