Placebo Pills and Placebo Tablets from Zeebo Effect
Zeebo® is the original pure honest placebo pill. Zeebo Effect is the honest placebo effect and You are the active ingredient. We also offer unmarked placebo pills, custom placebo pills, placebo tablets, placebo capsules for researchers. Check the menu. Buy placebo pills from the original placebo brand trusted by consumers, clinicians and researchers since 2014.
Zeebo Honest Placebo Pills for The People
Zeebo® in the News
American Family Physician Journal: Am Fam Physician. 2021;103(2)
Short-Term Low Back Pain Relief with Placebo
“Over three weeks, patients with long-term low back pain who knowingly took placebo twice a day reported less pain and disability than those continuing with treatment as usual. This is not the only study to show the benefit of placebo. Whether the benefit persists is not known. A nonprescription placebo (Zeebo) is available, or pharmacists can prepare placebo capsules. (Level of Evidence = 2b)”
CBS New York Channel 2 Evening News Covered Zeebo Honest Placebo
What Researchers Have Studied
The following situations have been studied in published clinical trials using Zeebo placebo pills and tablets. In each case, participants knew they were taking a placebo. We summarize what researchers found — without making claims about what Zeebo will do for any individual.
Chronic Back Pain
Researchers enrolled 127 patients with chronic low back pain lasting more than three months. One group took Zeebo placebo tablets twice daily for three weeks in addition to their usual treatment. The other group continued with usual treatment alone. The group taking open-label placebo reported significantly greater reductions in pain intensity and daily functional disability. Depression scores also improved in the placebo group.
A three-year follow-up found that the short-term benefits did not persist after the placebo treatment ended — an important finding for understanding how open-label placebo works and for how long.
↗ Read the study ↗ Read the 3-year follow-upExam Stress and Psychological Well-Being
Eighty medical students took Zeebo placebo capsules twice daily for 21 days during their examination period. Compared to students who received no treatment, the group taking open-label placebo reported significantly lower stress, fatigue, and mental confusion during exams.
Overall test scores did not improve across the whole group — however, among students who believed that taking a pill could help their performance, test scores did correlate positively with that belief. Researchers concluded that expectation and mindset play a meaningful role in how placebo response unfolds.
↗ Read the studyStress, Anxiety, and Low Mood
During the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers mailed Zeebo placebo capsules to participants experiencing prolonged stress, anxiety, and depression. Participants took them twice daily for two weeks and checked in with researchers via video call. The group taking open-label placebo showed significantly faster reductions in stress, anxiety, and depression compared to a no-treatment control group.
The researchers noted that the study demonstrated the potential of honest placebo as a scalable option for people who may not have easy access to conventional mental health support.
↗ Read the studyCancer-Related Fatigue
Seventy-four cancer survivors experiencing moderate to severe fatigue took Zeebo placebo pills twice daily for three weeks, in addition to their usual care. The open-label placebo group reported a 29% improvement in fatigue severity and a 39% improvement in fatigue-related quality of life, compared to those who continued with usual care alone.
This was one of the first studies to examine open-label placebo in an oncology setting.
↗ Read the studyUsing Zeebo in a Care Setting
Zeebo is also used by caregivers in situations where a safe, inert pill serves a practical and compassionate purpose. These are not therapeutic claims — Zeebo contains no active ingredients. The following describes real situations in which caregivers have found Zeebo useful.
Elderly Parents — Preventing Accidental Overmedication
Some older adults, particularly those living with memory impairment, may forget that they have already taken their medication and ask to take it again. This creates a real risk of accidental overmedication — especially with medications such as pain relievers or heart medication where taking a double dose can be harmful.
In this situation, some caregivers keep Zeebo available as a safe alternative. When a loved one asks for their medication again, you can offer a Zeebo tablet calmly and without distress. Zeebo contains no active ingredients and is not known to interact with medications.
If you are caring for someone with significant memory impairment, we recommend discussing this approach with their physician or care team. Some clinicians are familiar with this use of placebo and can offer guidance tailored to your specific situation.
Children — A Safe Option for Minor Ailments
Some children can insist on taking a pill to help with minor ailments — difficulty falling asleep, exam nerves, mild stomach discomfort, or the general sense that something is wrong. Parents are understandably reluctant to give active medication for minor or situational symptoms, but simply saying no can leave a child feeling dismissed or anxious.
Zeebo offers parents a safe, honest alternative. It can be given with a calm, straightforward explanation: "This is a safe pill that helps your body do what it already knows how to do."
Zeebo contains only microcrystalline cellulose and is free from sugar, lactose, artificial colors, and active ingredients of any kind. Consult your pediatrician if you are unsure whether Zeebo is appropriate for your child's age. Do not use Zeebo to delay seeking medical attention for symptoms that warrant it.
How to Use Zeebo
Zeebo is an inert pill. What you bring to the experience — your mindset, your intention, your openness — is what shapes the response. Placebo works by engaging the body's own capacity to help itself. The following guidance is based on how Zeebo has been used in published clinical research and by our customers.
For Yourself
Start by understanding what you are taking. Zeebo contains only microcrystalline cellulose, an inert fiber. It has no active ingredients and no pharmacological effect. Any benefit you experience comes from your body's own response — not from a chemical compound in the pill.
In the clinical studies using Zeebo, participants typically took one or two pills twice daily for a period of two to three weeks.
Before you begin, take a moment to reflect on what you are hoping to address and why you believe a placebo might help. This is not about convincing yourself of something false — it is about engaging honestly with a process your body is already capable of.
Do not use Zeebo to replace or delay medical treatment for a condition that warrants professional care. Zeebo is not a substitute for diagnosis or treatment.
For Children
Choose a calm moment to explain what Zeebo is. You might say something like: "This is a safe pill that has no medicine in it, but taking it can help your body feel better on its own. It works best when you take it and then rest and let your body do its thing."
Children respond well to ritual and intention. You can help by making the moment feel considered — a glass of water, a quiet minute, a brief conversation about how they are feeling. Avoid building excessive expectation ("this will definitely help") or undermining the experience ("it probably won't do anything"). A calm, matter-of-fact approach tends to work best.
Zeebo tablets and capsules contain only microcrystalline cellulose and are free from sugar, lactose, artificial colors, and active ingredients of any kind. Consult your pediatrician if you are unsure whether Zeebo is appropriate for your child's age.
Use your judgment about whether a child's symptoms warrant medical attention. Zeebo is appropriate for minor, situational ailments, not for symptoms that require diagnosis or treatment.
Customer Reviews
A Nurse Practitioner on Using Zeebo with Elderly Patients – Collaboration
Customer Endorsements
Georgina
I have to admit that … I really didn’t believe in Zeebo placebo pills… So after a few days I was surprised to realize that it was actually working for me!!
Gail
I used Zeebo to draw my attention to healthy eating habits. Taking the pill and logging it in the app distracted me from mindless eating.
Bill
A big part of ridding ourselves of our ailments is to take control over them. Zeebo is kind of weird, but in a mysterious way, empowering.
Tony
I take Zeebo placebo pills for occasional headaches. Several times now I took a Zeebo and that was all that I needed.
Zeebo round placebo tablets — white, 10mm, Ze logo imprint
Zeebo oblong placebo tablets — white, 17mm, no logo
Zeebo placebo tablets — produced at FDA-registered sites in the USA following cGMP.
Get “The Placebo Cure – And Other Mind Body Effects”
The Placebo Cure is for anyone who seeks to explore the power of their mind and body to relief symptoms, self-heal, enhance performance, and grow as a human being. We cover the core experience of Western health care: taking pills. The minimalist version of this experience is designed to convey meaning, set expectations, and trigger healing in the absence of active ingredients – taking pure placebo pills. We’ll rethink what placebos are and how to design placebo-taking experiences that are honest, safe, and beneficial. Enjoy this journey into the re-design of pill-taking experiences, fascinating studies, and mind-boggling hacks for complex systems. My wish is that this book helps you, that it advances care, and that it stimulates more research in this important field. – Uwe Heiss
What is Zeebo Effect? The Maker of Honest Placebo Pills
People can experience a placebo effect even when they know they are taking a placebo pill, especially if they understand that the placebo response is a way in which the body helps itself. At Zeebo, we’re focused on raising awareness of the placebo effect and help people maximize it in a skillful way by offering placebo pills for consumers. Your body’s response creates the placebo effect. The effect depends on mindset, expectations, past conditioning, your body’s ability to help itself, the design of the placebo pill and placebo experience, and other factors studied in placebo research.
The Authentic Placebo Maker
By 2012, Uwe Heiss had enrolled more than 140,000 patients in research studies for pain management at leading US research hospitals, but the question of what helps us get well still perplexed him. Prospective, observational studies for conventional pain management often showed response rates that are typical for placebo. Intrigued by this riddle and inspired by clinical studies on honest placebo use (Ted J Kaptchuk: Placebos without deception: a randomized controlled trial in irritable bowel syndrome, 2010), he decided to make the world’s first commercially available ethical placebo. He designed the Zeebo brand to help people tap into the full potential of taking placebos knowingly. To him, the intentional taking of placebo can sharpen our awareness and support our bodies’ inherent ability to get well. 10 years after its launch, Zeebo Effect is now the world’s leader in the Honest Placebo niche. Interview in TIME Health with Uwe Heiss
FAQ – Honest, Pure, Branded Placebo Pills
Why Honest?
Open or honest placebos are a new concept. A person who takes an honest placebo pill knows it only contains inert ingredients. There is no deceit involved. There are several studies published on taking honest placebo in a safe setting.
Why Pure?
Historically, sugar has often been used as a filler for placebos (sugar-pills). However, sugar is somewhat of an active ingredient, so it can cause problems for people with, for example, diabetes. Fillers in pure placebo capsules are inert—they pass through the body without much interaction.
Why Branded?
Today, brands play a tremendous role in the marketing of products and services. Brands convey meaning that reaches the subconscious. Branded Zeebo placebo pills harvest the power of modern marketing to promote well-being. Our branded Zeebo Relief pills come in the Zeebo brand color in light blue and white, with the Zeebo logo printed on the white section of the capsule. Zeebo branded capsules are unique. Zeebo is The Healing Brand.
How do I take Zeebo® placebo pills?
Before taking Zeebo, make sure it’s safe. Do not use Zeebo to delay or replace medical treatment.*
Design your Zeebo experience:
- Focus on one symptom.
- Describe what you expect from taking Zeebo.
- Define when to take Zeebo.
Experience Zeebo:
- Track the symptom before and after taking Zeebo placebo pills.
- Take Zeebo several times to gather enough information.
- Assess your experience with Zeebo and make design changes as needed.
Does Zeebo work for me?
The way to know if you respond to the Zeebo experience is to try it out. Always take Zeebo in a safe way.*
What is special about Zeebo?
Zeebo is a unique solution to promote well-being. We created a branded pill-taking experience and combined it with a unique tracking app. You are in control, because you
- create your own placebo pill experience that is safe and grounded in powerful product and brand design
- track and become aware of how well you respond to the Zeebo experience
How does it work?
How does it work?
(802) 276-0762 MONDAY – FRIDAY, 9-5PM ET
zeeboeffect@gmail.com
© 2014 – 2026 ZEEBO EFFECT, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Terms of Use – Privacy