Dietary Supplements Are Effective

Dietary Supplements Are Effective

The lack of investment in preventative measures

For the past 18 years, I have advocated for the use of several different nutritional supplements with my patients. Of course, doctors rarely behave in this way. The medical community as a whole is focused on curing rather than prevention. Treatment of disease and illness is more lucrative than disease prevention. The healthcare establishment, including the American Medical Association (AMA), medical schools, hospitals, research institutions, and pharmaceutical companies, has all worked together to hide the facts concerning the effectiveness of health supplements. 

Medical professionals are quick to dismiss what little valid research and data outlining the benefits of supplements makes it to the general public as "unsubstantiated" or "preliminary." It's not uncommon for me to get a sarcastic comment or a joke from a coworker when I tell them about a patient who overcame a chronic ailment by changing their diet and taking some supplements. I am, at best, brushed off with any of several excuses that run counter to what I know to be hard data on the effectiveness of treatment. The vast majority of medical professionals agree that supplements cannot treat or prevent any form of serious sickness or disease.

It's true that chronic illnesses can only be effectively treated by doctors with extensive training. For many in the medical profession, this has become a mantra. The most concerning element of this mindset is that conventional medical training mostly ignores the importance of teaching students about nutrition, nutritional supplements, and other forms of alternative medicine. Preventative medicine is not taught in medical school. Likewise, medical professionals rarely pursue additional training in areas like nutrition or alternative medicine through post-doctoral fellowships. There is no possibility of obtaining any further education or training in this field. 

Once again, it is treatment, not the patient's health and well-being, that is the driving force. To the point where doctors don't realize they share responsibility for their patients' bad health, the healthcare system is reactive rather than proactive. First, doctors wait for patients to exhibit symptoms before making a diagnosis and implementing treatment. Managing healthcare in a holistic and systemic manner would be more efficient and economical. The skyrocketing cost of healthcare in the United States can be traced back to several factors, including Medicaid and Medicare, frivolous litigation, unrestricted tort damages, and the neglect of preventative medicine. All these factors contribute to widespread ignorance about the positive effects of a good diet and supplementation on health.

Measurable Outcomes

The foundation of any successful health maintenance program is proper nutrition and frequent exercise. Once again, the vast majority of individuals do not understand the connection between what they eat and how long they live. Vitamin and mineral deficiencies have been linked to a wide range of health problems. It is essential that you become familiar with the vitamins, minerals, amino acids, antioxidants, and other nutrients in the food you eat. Obviously, reading is the key to success here. There is just too much information to impart for one post to do it justice. The Internet is the best and most convenient place to find such information.

Unfortunately, processing, boiling, and mineral-deficient soil mean that even the cleanest meals will fall short in some ways. Pasteurization is just one of many food-processing techniques that eliminate beneficial nutrients. Many nutrients are lost when food is cooked. Our farmland has been nearly depleted of the 74 minerals essential to human life for decades (for a full list, visit http://www.healthproductsusa.net/govreports_health.htm). Therefore, we are "starving" for nutrients even when we eat healthily because our diets are insufficient without supplementation. 

Therefore, I advise all of my patients to take a high-quality multivitamin (ingredients will vary for men and women), an absorbable mineral complex (either colloidal or an above-sea coral mineral), CoEnzyme Q10, an omega EFA group, methyl sulfonyl methane (MSM), chondroitin, colostrum, and an immune system support supplement (such as beta-1,3D glucan). But remember, supplements can't take the place of a balanced diet. What they're meant to do is implied by the term "dietary supplements." Except for preexisting diseases, patients who have adopted a diversified, healthy diet and a consistent supplement program report far fewer health problems.

Case history, medical profile, symptomology, and test findings let me determine which supplements to give to patients with preexisting problems or new patients with as-yet-undisclosed conditions.

Unless otherwise indicated, I would consider medicine a secondary method and surgery or hospitalization a last resort. Supplements are particularly effective in treating connective tissue and bone disorders. Recovery from connective tissue and bone (joint) ailments can be aided by a variety of substances, including vitamin K1, silica, chrondoitin, MSM, minerals, collagen, and elastin. I could list numerous issues that have greatly improved. Simply put, very few patients, regardless of how severe or long-lasting their condition(s), have not experienced at least some improvement while taking the prescribed vitamins. In addition to the intended increase in health, many patients report feeling better in other ways.

Despite my lack of systematic tracking, I am confident in saying that a high number of my patients have shown improvement after incorporating a nutrition modality into their treatment plan. To the extent that conventional methods were unnecessary.