In reply to tradlad:
No offence intended and none written.
"I suspect the doctor was right. Nothing wrong with a placebo effect.
I love the idea of 'lactose-free' beetroot juice. "
I'm sure your son had ME and I'm sure he got better. I just doubt that beetroot juice had anything to do with it, other than as a placebo, as your doctor said. You should not be offended by the suggestion that he got over a disease by using a placebo. People have open surgery with placebo anaesthetics after all.
As for the lactose free beetroot juice, that is funny. It's like a beef-free apple or a nut-free tuna steak. But you shouldn't be offended by that either.
Either way, apologies. I wasn't intending to mock you or your family.