no scientific evidence? i would encourage you to look again. just the opposite of the placebo effect, anyone can convince themselves that anything is not real if the try hard enough. there are volumes of scientific evidence for a great number of things called alternative, i deal with most of my health with a healthy diet. however, nothing stops an allergic reaction from shellfish, for me, like peppermint tea. to be sure i wouldn't recommend this to anyone else, i am not a doctor. shellfish reactions can be deadly.
if i am away from the reach of medical attention i could die from something like that if i don't learn to be self reliant. knowledge is power, fear is borne of ignorance. i have read several studies demonstrating that a large number of fda approved drugs act successfully due to placebo effect. if i'm not in danger of dying why would i pay through the nose for these drugs and risk the side effects to boot?