Zerosmoke - bio-magnets?

[Ivan Seeking]

...Zerosmoke uses two bio-magnets which you wear on your upper ear. The gentle, precise pressure created by the bio-magnets stimulates points in the ear and activates the production of neurotransmitters in the brain to minimize the desire to smoke. [continued]

http://www.asseenontv.com/prod-pages/zro_smke_ontv.html?gid=

So, this is supposed to release endorphins, I assume?

Biomagnets? No such thing. I guess magnets are biomagnets when they are used for smoking cessation.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

So far, most of the information that I find is similar to this

BACKGROUND: Tobacco smoking is a serious risk to health: several therapies are available to assist those who wish to stop. Smokers who approach publicly funded stop-smoking clinics in the UK are currently offered nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) or bupropion, and group behaviour therapy, for which there is evidence of effectiveness. Acupuncture and acupressure are also used to help smokers, though a systematic review of the evidence of their effectiveness was inconclusive. The aim of this pilot project was to determine the feasibility of a study to test acupressure as an adjunct to one anti-smoking treatment currently offered, and to inform the design of the study. METHODS: An open randomised controlled pilot study was conducted within the six week group programme offered by the Smoking Advice Service in Plymouth, UK. All participants received the usual treatment with NRT and group behavioural therapy, and were randomised into three groups: group A with two auricular acupressure beads, group B with one bead, and group C with no additional therapy. Participants were taught to press the beads when they experienced cravings. Beads were worn in one ear for four weeks, being replaced as necessary. The main outcome measures assessed in the pilot were success at quitting (expired CO < or = 9 ppm), the dose of NRT used, and the rating of withdrawal symptoms using the Mood and Symptoms Scale. RESULTS: From 49 smokers attending four clinics, 24 volunteered to participate, 19 attended at least once after quitting, and seven remained to the final week. Participants who dropped out reported significantly fewer previous quit attempts, but no other significant differences. Participants reported stimulating the beads as expected during the initial days after quitting, but most soon reduced the frequency of stimulation. The discomfort caused by the beads was minor, and there were no significant side effects. There were technical problems with adhesiveness of the dressing. Reporting of NRT consumption was poor, with much missing data, but reporting of ratings of withdrawal symptom scores was nearly complete. However, these showed no significant changes or differences between groups for any week. CONCLUSION: Any effects of acupressure on smoking withdrawal, as an adjunct to the use of NRT and behavioural intervention, are unlikely to be detectable by the methods used here and further preliminary studies are required before the hypothesis can be tested.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/..._DiscoveryPanel.Pubmed_Discovery_RA&linkpos=1

So, based on a quick survey of the published papers that I saw, it would appear that any evidence that aural acupressure is effective as a smoking cessastion tool is inconclusive at best. The same is indicated for weight loss and blood pressure reduction.

 

[Moonbear]

It's probably most effective if you squeeze your ear between your fingers...instead of holding a cigarette between them. :uhh: Or maybe if you get strong enough magnets, the pain will distract you from thinking about the next cigarette. Actually, distraction sounds like the entire basis of it if they are supposed to rub the beads when they get a craving. I'd be willing to bet that if you handed smokers a stressball and told them to squeeze it whenever they felt a craving, it would be just as effective as magnets on the ears that they have to rub when they get a craving.

You'd think if there was any credibility to this that you would meet any smokers with the top part of their ear pierced, because the earring there would have stopped the cravings.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

You'd think if there was any credibility to this that you would meet any smokers with the top part of their ear pierced, because the earring there would have stopped the cravings.

And even if acupressure were shown to be helpful, that would not necessarily imply that the use of magnets can effectively simulate acurpressure techniques. I don't know much about acupressure claims, but I tend to suspect that the people who believe that acupressure is helpful might take issue with this product claim.