einstein (São Paulo). 26/Nov/2020;18:eCE6133.
Religion and health: not always good
DOI: 10.31744/einstein_journal/2020CE6133
Dear Editor,
Akerman et al.,() allude to possible usefulness of religious beliefs toward health. There were 69,333 publications on this subject indexed in PubMed® as by Aug 26, 2020, and the hard evidence for health gains to persons with religious convictions is not overwhelming, to say the least. According to Levin there are hints of association, but none that shows that the possible health gains are casual.() Papers exist suggesting that religion is a protective factor for health. Some are funded by Templeton, with a well-known bias for religion, so there are conflicts of interest on board.() On the other hand, there are studies on the risks of infections associated with religious rituals, and they are real and documented.() There are other instances of unhealthy facts associated with religion:
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