Cell salts

[[File:Schuessler-Salze-1923 1.jpg|thumb|right|165px|A box of 11 jars of Schüßler salts, from 1923]]
{{altmed}}
{{Lang|de|'''''Schüßler-Salze'''''}} (translated: {{Lang|de|'''Schüßler}} salts''' or '''Schuessler salts'''), also sold as '''cell salts''' and '''tissue salts''' are a group of mineral salts, claimed to be a remedy for virtually any ailment. It's a [[homeopathy]] soap opera spin-off.

The invention of cell salts is credited to {{wpl|Wilhelm Heinrich Schüßler}}<ref>[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17451116 Wilhelm Heinrich Schüssler's healing system "Biochemie" and its further development by Dietrich Schöpwinkel. — PubMed — NCBI]</ref><ref name="pzonline">[https://www.pharmazeutische-zeitung.de/index.php?id=4367 ''Pharmazeutische Zeitung'': Wilhelm Heinrich Schüßler: Ein Therapeut als Kind seiner Zeit]</ref> (1821–1898), a homeopathic medical doctor in Oldenburg, [[Germany]]. Cell salts are entirely without merit and a waste of money.<ref>[http://www.stern.de/gesundheit/ratgeber-alternativmedizin-schuessler-salze---teuer--aber-wertlos--3885802.html ''Stern'': Ratgeber Alternativmedizin: Schüßler-Salze — teuer, aber wertlos?]</ref><ref>Even German health insurance can admit [https://web.archive.org/web/20170517054615/https://portale.aok.de/entscheidungshilfen/behandlung-nichtmedikamentoese-und-alternative-therapien-schuessler-salze-36424.php there's no merit] — unless of course [https://www.aok.de/inhalt/naturarzneimittel-wahltarif/ profit] is involved</ref>

=="Biochemic healing"==
After {{wpl|Jacob Moleschott||,}} {{wpl|Justus von Liebig}} and {{wpl|Rudolf Virchow}} published their works on [[cell]] theory and cellular pathology, Wilhelm Schüßler came to the conclusion that the cause of many or most illnesses must be what is known today as {{wpl|mineral deficiency||:}} a lack of important nutrients leads to cells not working properly.<ref>[https://www.pharmazeutische-zeitung.de/index.php?id=48422 ''Pharmazeutische Zeitung'': Schüßlers Biochemie: Mit Salzen heilen]</ref> But hold on! Aren't there only minuscule amounts of salts in cells? That's right, so in order to introduce only minuscule amounts of salts into billions and trillions of cells, [[Potentization|dillute]]! I'm sure it all makes sense.

"Biochemic healing" has nothing to do with [[biochemistry]]. It is pure [[woo]], intended to be applied to your worries. Literally. If you're worried, there's <strike>an app</strike> a salt combination for that.<ref>[http://schuessler-salze-liste.de/anwendungs-gebiete/ Schüsslersalze Anwendungsgebiete]</ref>{{efn|This is not a joke. There are salts that are claimed to cure your  belief in the salts ([[credulity]]),<ref>[http://schuessler-salze-liste.de/anwendungs-gebiete/leichtglaeubigkeit.htm Schüsslersalze Anwendungsgebiete: Leichtgläubigkeit] Schuessler-Salze-Liste.de</ref> your fear (angst)<ref>[http://schuessler-salze-liste.de/anwendungs-gebiete/angst.htm Schüsslersalze Anwendungsgebiete: Angst] Schuessler-Salze-Liste.de</ref> of [[Big Pharma]], they can even help you forget about offence<ref>[http://schuessler-salze-liste.de/anwendungs-gebiete/beleidigtsein.htm Schüsslersalze Anwendungsgebiete: Beleidigtsein] Schuessler-Salze-Liste.de</ref> once someone tells you cell salts don't work, and get over jealousy<ref>[http://schuessler-salze-liste.de/anwendungs-gebiete/eifersucht.htm Schüsslersalze Anwendungsgebiete: Eifersucht] Schuessler-Salze-Liste.de</ref> that other people seem to be healthier than you thanks to modern medicine. As hilarious as these examples are, having a look at the long list of actual diseases and mental illnesses makes it a lot scarier.}}

Cell salts are stuck on 19<sup>th</sup> century discoveries with misguided conclusions and have been debunked early on.<ref>1946-04-12, ''Government Gasette of Western Australia'': [https://web.archive.org/web/20160303233545/http://www.slp.wa.gov.au/gazette/gazette.nsf/gazlist/2EA19217C675584848257753007FAD11/$file/gg017.pdf The Health Act, 1911-1944: Dr. Schuessler Cell Salts, Kali Phos 3X.], page 352</ref><ref>not even [https://web.archive.org/web/20071001061328/http://home.arcor.de/paralex/content/phlegmonenversuche.htm experiments in Nazi-Germany concentration camps] yielded positive results: the control patient outperformed both the patient treated with sulfoamids and the biochemically treated patient</ref> There are little to no reputable studies.<ref>[https://www.medizin-transparent.at/keine-spur-von-schusler-salzen ''Medizin Transparent'': Schüßler-Salze: Studien fehlen]</ref>{{efn|That doesn't stop amateurs from conducting poorly constructed studies<ref>[https://www.forschung-und-wissen.de/nachrichten/medizin/wirkung-der-schuessler-salze-in-empirischer-studie-nachgewiesen-13372165 Wirkung der Schüssler Salze in empirischer Studie nachgewiesen] ''Forschung und Wissen''</ref> with no [[control group]].}}

Schüßler had no issue with applying scientific scrutiny to other pseudomedicine.<ref>PDF: [https://web.archive.org/web/20130603154954/http://www.poschneider.com/literatur/kneipps_wasserkur_von_dr_schuessler.pdf ''Kneipps Wasserkur – Gedanken darüber'' by Dr. med. Schüßler], see [[Water Cure]]</ref>

===The salts===
[[File:Schüssler Salze.jpg|thumb|left|165px|Schüßler salt tablets]]
After analyzing the ashes of human remains,<ref>[http://www.sueddeutsche.de/leben/teil-schuessler-salze-die-heilsamen-zwoelf-1.854997 ''Süddeutsche Zeitung'': Schüßler-Salze: Die heilsamen Zwölf]</ref><ref>''Google Books:'' [https://books.google.de/books?id=1GtsCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA7&lpg=PA7&dq=sch%C3%BC%C3%9Fler+salz+asche&source=bl&ots=6zks4J9C9_&sig=nl_B8eEn37uC9qX1cL-Wn9U3TNU&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjd8I-sqe3WAhVTahoKHeg_Dn0Q6AEIbDAI#v=onepage&q=sch%C3%BC%C3%9Fler%20salz%20asche&f=false ''Schüßler-Salze'' by Günther H. Heepen], p. 7</ref><ref name="heepen">''Google Books:'' [https://books.google.de/books?id=WDW-gXK7-pAC&pg=PA25&lpg=PA25&dq=sch%C3%BC%C3%9Fler+salz+asche&source=bl&ots=k2TRroqgCN&sig=_qD1TJYztn-atOiUuImT5girVM0&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwitzYi4qe3WAhWDthoKHZpUCm04ChDoAQgzMAE#v=onepage&q=sch%C3%BC%C3%9Fler%20salz%20asche&f=false ''Schüßler-Salze für die Seele'' by Günther H. Heepen], p. 25</ref><ref>''Google Books:'' [https://books.google.de/books?id=7Pd5DAAAQBAJ&pg=PA7&lpg=PA7&dq=sch%C3%BC%C3%9Fler+salz+asche&source=bl&ots=3Ddb-xgO2B&sig=uJcI1QCfwdwVF8LktbNYIEa8Nfo&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwitzYi4qe3WAhWDthoKHZpUCm04ChDoAQhZMAY#v=onepage&q=sch%C3%BC%C3%9Fler%20salz%20asche&f=false ''Schüßler-Salze - Das Kochbuch: Typgerecht ernähren, in Balance leben'' by Hans Wagner]</ref><ref>''Google Books:'' [https://books.google.de/books?id=GEU1CLTWB0cC&pg=PA12&lpg=PA12&dq=sch%C3%BC%C3%9Fler+salz+asche&source=bl&ots=lGhyREI3y1&sig=jcSTtYFE_Ni2cjk_ON-4ks7gU0M&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwigvuyQq-3WAhWCvBoKHWRBCtk4FBDoAQgsMAA#v=onepage&q=sch%C3%BC%C3%9Fler%20salz%20asche&f=false ''Schüßler-Salze: Die fantastischen 12'' by Sabine Wacke], p. 11-12</ref> he came to the conclusion that the following <strike>12</strike> 11 salts are critical for processes in our human flesh bags:<ref>[https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=aae9d9a6-6dcf-1588-cbbc-6b676a255d82 DailyMed - CELL SALTS - calc. fluor., calc. phos., calc. sulph., ferrum phosphoricum, kali mur., kali phos., kali sulph., mag. phos., nat. mur., nat. phos., nat. sulphuricum, silicea pellet]</ref><ref>http://schuessler-cell-salts.com/potency/index.htm</ref><ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20150327221702/http://www.schusslersalts.com/en/schuessler-salts/Dr._Schuessler_Salts_Overview/index.html</ref>
# Calcium fluoride
# Calcium phosphate
# Iron phosphate
# Potassium chloride
# Potassium phosphate
# Potassium sulphate
# Magnesium phosphate
# [[Salt|Sodium chloride (table salt)]]
# Sodium phosphate
# Sodium sulphate
# Silica
# <strike>Calcium sulphate</strike><ref group=note>Schüßler removed this one later on, because it could only be found in the gall bladder.</ref><ref name="pzonline"></ref><ref name="heepen"></ref>
But why stop there when you can [[placebo]] yourself into believing all kinds of salts make you feel better? After all, Schüßler never gave a real explanation of why certain salts or combinations thereof would result in anything specific. Commonly, 15 additional salts are added to the list.{{cn}}
<ol start="13">
<li>Potassium arsenite</li>
<li>Potassium bromide</li>
<li>Potassium iodide</li>
<li>Lithium chloride</li>
<li>Manganese sulfate</li>
<li>Calcium sulfide</li>
<li>Copper arsenite</li>
<li>Alum</li>
<li>Zinc chloride</li>
<li>Calcium carbonate</li>
<li>Sodium bicarbonate</li>
<li>[[Arsenic]] iodide</li>
<li>Aurum chloride sodium (NaAuCl<sub>4</sub>)</li>
<li>Selenium</li>
<li>Potassium dichromate</li>
</ol>

==Differences with homeopathy==
Wilhelm Schüßler himself didn't think of his salts as homeopathic.<ref>[https://archive.org/details/eineabgekrzteth00schgoog ''Eine Abgekürzte Therapie. Anleitung zur biochemischen Behandlung der Krankheiten'' by Schüssler, Wilhelm Heinrich, 1821-1898], p. 4</ref> So here's a handy list of differences:
*"Let like cure like" (''similia similibus curentur'') is not the basis of the woo, instead, all ailment comes from a lack of salts in your cells.
*[[non sequitur|Therefore]], figuring out which salts you need to take is instead based on facial analysis.<ref>[http://derstandard.at/1363706266959/Schuessler-Salze-Wundermittel-gegen-Appetitlosigkeit-Grauer-Star-und-Krebs ''Der Standard'': Schüßler-Salze: Antlitzanalyse als diagnostisches Mittel]</ref><ref name="swr"></ref><ref>[http://www.apotheker.or.at/internet/oeak/newspresse.nsf/e2ebc1555d6a96e6c1257bce00324ab1/0c16487db80ead28c12577d70035f60e Österreichische Apothekerzeitung | 64. Jg. | 25. Oktober 2010 | ÖAZ 22, Schüßler Salze pro & contra Eine unendliche Geschichte?]</ref><ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20160621211851/http://www.adler-pharma.at/en/facial-analysis/?_wb=en/facial-analysis/&lang=EN</ref><ref>http://schuessler-cell-salts.com/facial-diagnosis/index.htm</ref><ref>''Google Books'': [https://books.google.de/books?id=uRWGAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA19&lpg=PA19&dq=Sch%C3%BC%C3%9Fler+Antlitzanalyse+wissenschaft&source=bl&ots=RsWrfNWPSV&sig=9jAbCqk8uFfEIoS1apRP7pRHpxE&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiYrLe58PTWAhXF1BoKHR9hARgQ6AEIbDAJ#v=onepage&q=Sch%C3%BC%C3%9Fler%20Antlitzanalyse%20wissenschaft&f=false ''Antlitzanalyse in der Biochemie nach Dr. Schüßler: Der Bildatlas'' by Thomas Feichtinger, Susana Niedan-Feichtinger], p. 19</ref> While Schüßler said it can't be learned with printed instructions,<ref>[http://dfg-viewer.de/show/?tx_dlf%5Bpage%5D=64&tx_dlf%5Bdouble%5D=1&tx_dlf%5Bid%5D=http%3A%2F%2Fdigital.ub.uni-duesseldorf.de%2Foai%2F%3Fverb%3DGetRecord%26metadataPrefix%3Dmets%26identifier%3D1720902&tx_dlf%5Bpagegrid%5D=0&cHash=4bb26123d16129a655343f217fdee462 ''Eine abgekürzte Therapie, gegründet auf Histologi und Cellular-Pathologie''], p.60</ref> this doesn't seem to have any effect on the industry.<ref>[https://www.google.de/search?q=sch%C3%BCssler+antlitzanalyse&client=firefox-b&dcr=0&source=lnms&tbm=bks&biw=1920&bih=963 Google Books search]</ref>
*As there are usually more than one salt in a typical cell, using several salts is almost a given. Some homeopaths don't like using different homeopathic remedies simultaneously.
*"Biochemic healing" doesn't say a stronger dilution results in a stronger remedy, but maintains that dilution is necessary to bring single molecules to single cells.{{lie}} This results in a [[potentization]] of 6X to 12X (i.e., dilution to 10<sup>-6</sup> to 10<sup>-12</sup>).
Nevertheless, cell salts may be sold under the same regulations as homeopathy.<ref group=note>At least in the EU, otherwise it would count as food.</ref><ref>[https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/advertising-investigations-november-2015/november-2015-websites-advertising-homeopathic-medicines MHRA guidance for Tissue Salts/Schuessler Salts] in a medical context</ref> So you can bet this is sold online and in pharmacies, especially in Germany.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20171013090608/https://www.otv.de/gesundheitstipp-schuessler-salze-292970/ ''Oberpfalz TV'': Gesundheitstipp: Schüßler-Salze]</ref><ref>[https://www.apotheke-adhoc.de/nachrichten/detail/markt/geschuesslert-wird-online-apotheke-pharma-homoeopathie-schuessler-salz-otc-alternativmedizin/ ''apotheke adhoc'':  Geschüßlert wird online], breakdown of online and pharmacy sales</ref><ref>[https://www.deutsche-apotheker-zeitung.de/news/artikel/2016/10/14/linda-wird-gruen ''Deutsche Apotheker Zeitung'': Apotheken-Kooperation: Linda wird „grün“]</ref><ref>[http://www.stuttgarter-nachrichten.de/inhalt.alternative-heilmethoden-schuesslersalze-die-sanfte-kraft-aus-natrium.210c743d-f350-4dfd-85df-0c9c89180a74.html ''Stuttgarter Nachrichten'': Alternative Heilmethoden: Schüßlersalze: Die sanfte Kraft aus Natrium]</ref>
==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note}}
==References==
{{reflist|2|80%}}

[[Category:Homeopathy]]
[[Category:Homeopathy]]

Categories: Homeopathy, Homeopathy