Re: Ignoring the failures of alternative medicine

Actually if you read the actual studies and not just the press releases you will find them highly detailed.  Under the methods section of the report you get detail like location, time, method of preparation even the brand and model of the equipment being used, and some other detail that in many cases may seem inane but could be of great value.

As it has been mentioned many "cures" that have been historically used have been showned to be ineffective, so relying on the traditional or historical cure is often a waste of time.

This is why studies are important and why they should be continued to be used.   There is also the possibility that even though an herb/potion/whatever is useless for its historical purpuse, it does not mean it could not be of use for something else.  Whithout the research you never get to know.  

Finally, statistics show that longevity is continuing to increase and not decrease as you state.   That the last 2 generations in your family have not done so well, only speaks of their individual case and cannot be generalized to the population at large.  Bad genes, bad or too much food, not enough exercise, smoking, or maybe just bad luck.