Millions of Americans are turning to acupuncture, homeopathy and herbal remedies to treat everything from headaches to constipation to cancer. Alternative medicine is a multi-billion dollar global business — offering the promise of natural healing and a comforting antidote to the cold bed-side manner of those white smocked MDs.

But a new book by a pair of skeptics is fueling a raging debate about its value. They say most treatments are unproven and untested — no better than a placebo at best, and potentially crippling at worst.

This hour, On Point: “Trick or Treatment” — the facts about alternative medicine.

-Anthony Brooks, guest host

Guests:

Simon Singh, best-selling author and science journalist. He is co-author of the new book, “Trick or Treatment: The Undeniable Facts About Alternative Medicine.”

Edzard Ernst, M.D., professor of complementary medicine at The University of Exeter, in the United Kingdom, and co-author with Simon Singh of “Trick or Treatment: The Undeniable Facts About Alternative Medicine.” He’s also the author of “The Oxford Handbook of Complementary Medicine.”

James Gordon, M.D., founder and director of The Center for Mind-Body Medicine. His new book is “Unstuck: Your Guide to the Seven-Stage Journey Out of Depression.”

Links:

Read an excerpt from “Trick or Treatment: The Undeniable Facts About Alternative Medicine.”