What Is The Theory Of Water Memory?

In 1988, scientist Jacques Benveniste published an article in the internationally renowned journal Nature that claimed that water "remembered" an antibody after being so diluted that the original molecule had left. Water memory refers to the theory that water can retain information about substances that were once dissolved in it, even after extreme dilution. This concept was a central tenet to the alternative medicine field of homeopathy, a controversial and non-conventional method of treating illness with diluted compounds untraceable in the final product. 

After being published in a reputable journal, these experiments were considered "on the fringes" of science, becoming the subject of speculation and controversy. The idea that water, the substance human bodies are made of, could have memory intrigued many. Understanding the theory of water memory may help those interested in this study further understand its meaning.

What is the theory of water memory?

The theory of water memory states that when you dissolve a substance in water, it still has the memory of the substance, no matter how many times you dilute the water afterward. Water memory is a central theme in the field of homeopathy. Thus, to understand water memory, you may benefit from understanding homeopathy. 

What is homeopathy?

Homeopathy is an alternative medicine practice. In homeopathy, disease and illness are treated with minor doses of a natural substance that causes the same symptoms in a healthy person. Homeopathy was invented by German chemist and physician Samuel Christian Friedrich Hahnemann, who based his theories on the following two concepts. 

"Let like be cured by like" 

"Let like be cured by like" was a concept that existed before Hahnemann's work but was popularized by his practice. The premise of this phrase is that diseases can be cured by a substance that produces the same symptoms in a healthy person. 

The law of minimum dose 

The other tenet of homeopathy refers to the dosage of the natural substance. This law stipulates that the lower the dose of the medication, the stronger its effectiveness. Homeopathic products are often diluted to the point that there are no detectable molecules of the original substance in the "medicine." 

Homeopathic products are made by placing natural substances in water and weakening them until diluting or dissolving. The products are also agitated or shaken in diluted water, which is a process known as potentization. Homeopathic products are often made as sugar pellets that dissolve under the tongue. They also come in creams, ointments, gels, drops, or tablets.

The concept of water’s memory in homeopathy

There is an element of truth to the idea of building up immunity by being exposed to tiny amounts (such as vaccines), but homeopathy takes a different approach. For example, if you are treating allergies, homeopathy may use common allergens in its formula, such as red onions, bee venom, or poison ivy. Following the law of minimum dose, homeopathic practitioners believe that the lower the doses, the more effective the immune response. These doses are so tiny that the substance might not be present in the final product. In these cases, water memory is used. Homeopathic experts may believe that the water still has the memory of the substance and that you can use it to treat your ailments. 

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Does homeopathy work?

Homeopathy claims to treat many conditions, including allergies, depression, fatigue, arthritis, premenstrual syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome, and mental health conditions. Despite these claims, homeopathy is viewed as a pseudoscience, with some people reporting that homeopathic medicine involves the placebo effect. The placebo effect is the theory that when a person takes a medicine that they believe will work, they will experience an improvement in symptoms because of this belief. The mind can be powerful in healing; if you believe you are being healed, you may see positive results.

Another skepticism people may have about homeopathy concerns the idea that the original substance is not in the final product. In conventional and herbal medicine, the natural substance contains medicinal chemicals in measurable amounts that are directly responsible for treating disease or illness. However, in homeopathic preparations, the central tenets preclude that there is no measurable amount of molecules present to effect action within the body. Homeopathy also seems to be the opposite of what experts know about modern medicine in that an active ingredient needs to be present, and a larger dose may give you more powerful results.

Homeopathy may be harmless when you treat symptoms such as a headache or cold. However, there may be a risk when people use homeopathy to treat more serious illnesses, such as cancer. Consult your healthcare provider or physician to ask whether homeopathy is appropriate for your situation. 

Homeopathy and water memory theories 

Researchers of homeopathy believe that water memory is the explanation for why homeopathy works. The study that first proved water memory was first published in 1988 in the journal Nature by French immunologist Jacques Benveniste. Before his experiments with water, Benveniste was internationally renowned for his research in allergies and inflammation, which included novel patented allergy tests that used basophils (blood cells). In his studies of the mechanisms of allergies and inflammation in the human body, Benveniste looked at minor amounts of substances to discover how allergens affected living organisms. 

In the early 1980s, Benveniste hired a medical doctor who believed in homeopathy as an appropriate alternative disease treatment. The two teamed up to develop an experiment proving why homeopathy worked with the end goal of publishing in a journal for scientific credibility. His study worked by diluting human antibodies to the point that no molecules were left in the solution. According to Benveniste's team, despite the molecules being absent from the water, there was still an immune response to the water, as if they were responding to the antibody itself. Benveniste and his team proposed that it also needed to be agitated or shaken for the dilution to work. 

While the study purportedly supported the theory of homeopathy, critics believed that the research was not credible and did not follow the science of chemistry. Nature did not want to publish Benveniste's study when he first submitted it to the magazine. They believed that publishing the study would give credibility to the concept of homeopathy, even though the results could not be replicated. If the research were correct, it would change how experts understand chemistry and physics. John Maddox, the editor, published the study despite these misgivings because there were no flaws in the research contained within the article.

Replicating study results to debunk the concept of water memory

A study needs to be replicated in science to cement or debunk its claim. Maddox wanted to redo the experiment using his group of people. He sought the help of magician James Randi and a researcher on the paranormal and pseudoscience, as well as a few other skeptics and chemists that could help support or debunk the concept of water memory.

Maddox and his group tried to replicate the study as close to the original as possible. The study was double-blinded, ensuring no one knew the difference between homeopathic and regular treatments. 

The team’s conclusions disproved the concept of water memory and questioned the motives behind the original research being funded by a homeopathic company. Despite these results, the debate continues on the possibility that water remembers a substance's molecular interactions even after it is so wholly diluted there is no measurable amount of the original compound. 

Scientists continue to analyze Benveniste's concept of water memory, with several labs looking into the electrical components of water behavior. No matter the conclusion of these debates, consult a licensed medical healthcare provider to treat symptoms of illness and disease or consider your options further. 

Counseling options 

According to the National Institutes of Health, approximately five million adults and one million children use homeopathy to self-prescribe treatment for ailments such as colds and musculoskeletal pain. These numbers show that people are seeking alternative modes of therapy for treating medical problems and mental illness. However, if you are living with a severe physical or mental illness, seek a licensed professional provider's medical or psychological support first. Some mental health conditions are accompanied by severe symptoms that may benefit from being treated with intensive therapy and prescribed medications.  

If you live in a rural location, cannot afford therapy, or would prefer alternative modes of treatment, you can also try online therapy. Several studies have found internet-based forms of treatment as effective, comfortable, and convenient as other forms of therapy. In addition, online therapy can be done from home or any location with an internet connection through phone, video, or live chat sessions with a therapist. You can sign up with a platform like BetterHelp to get started.