The Placebo Effect an Underrated Phenomenon?

Definition

Feeling better because you think a treatment helped you, even if the treatment itself didn't really do anything. Your belief makes your body and mind react, even if the treatment is like a pretend one.

Historical Reference

We have recorded the placebo effect in historical documents from the mid-20th century, even during World War II. This led Beecher to conduct further research and publish a paper in 1955, coining the term "placebo effect."

Research

Studies show placebo effect can ease pain, lower blood pressure, improve Parkinson's symptoms, enhance eyesight, and ease asthma.

For instance, participants enrolled in a research study, three trials spaced three to five days apart to ensure physical recovery and substance clearance. In the first two trials, participants received either a placebo or caffeine; in the third trial, they received a caffeine placebo pill.

The study wanted to test if people who believed caffeine helped with fat loss would actually lose more fat, so they told them that before the experiment. They conducted trials in a controlled laboratory, with participants taking an opaque capsule before each trial.

The results show that consuming a placebo caffeine pill can increase fat oxidation during physical activity, similar to real caffeine..

Despite the lack of caffeine, the placebo effect of caffeine consumption stimulated a bio-physiologic response that led to fat oxidation during exercise. People who want to avoid the risks of caffeine but still benefit from it can use the placebo effect to burn more fat..

Clinical trials now use placebos as a standard for new medications. We may start using the placebo effect to treat some diseases.. Based on historical data for Phase 1 clinical trials tested medication have only a 10-20% success rate when compared to placebo. How can we gauge treatment outcomes during phase 3 trials with conclusive beneficial medications while compensating for the placebo effect?

Leveraging the Placebo Effect

An Underestimated Phenomenon? Can We Harness Our Body's Potential through the Expectation Effect?

1. Mindset: A positive mindset can help avoid negative effects from expected negative outcomes.
2. Belief: Our body has the power to function well, and we must understand it to have a good connection between the mind and body.
3. Psychosocial context: Our senses need to confirm your belief and mindset to prepare your nervous system for the desired outcome.
4. Rituals: A repetitive action which trigger a learned experience leading to the expectation effect
5. Imagination: The most important part of this approach is visualizing how you'll feel once you've achieved your desired outcome.

This topic remains open for further discussion and ongoing research; to the efficacy of this approach, I hoped to showcase how we can use the 5 tools above to harness the placebo phenomenon.