10 Most Mind Numbingly Stupid Alternative Medicines

Ozone molecules are generally found in a layer in the upper atmosphere (it's the thing we punched a hole through, remember?). The layer filters out the sun's damaging UV rays before they hit Earth.

Ozone therapy involves introducing the gas into the human body, often by injecting it either under the skin or sometimes directly into the bloodstream. This therapy supposedly treats a wide range of diseases, including cancer, AIDS, multiple sclerosis, arthritis, heart disease, Alzheimer's dementia, Lyme, and many more.

As well as "oxidizing" the body, O3 also has strong anti-microbial properties, making it a highly effective disinfectant, and this is the basis for the claims that it will cure HIV/AIDS by killing the HIV virus, as well as inhibiting the growth of cancerous tumours which do not grow well in high-oxygen environments. There is, however, very little evidence to suggest that this has ever worked.

Ozone is actually pretty nasty stuff. If breathed in, it can cause serious damage to the lower lung membranes and there was even a well know condition known as "projectionist's lung" as projectionists were often exposed to it as a by-product of their work. Studies have shown the rats and other animals that have been exposed to ozone show deterioration of the brain the resembles Alzheimer's Disease.

As for the germ-killing part, the concentrations of ozone needed to effectively kill viruses and bacteria are far too high to be safely used in humans.