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MoonDragon's Alternative Health Information
Medicinal Therapies
NUTRITIONAL THERAPY
Are we what we eat? All health systems, complementary and conventional, include dietary advice. Research into the effects of diet on the human body began early in the 20th century, and led to the recognition of the importance of vitamins and minerals in maintaining health. Embracing a wide range of approaches, nutrition-based complementary therapies seek to alleviate physical and psychological disorders through special diets and food supplements. Conventional practitioners acknowledge the benefits of a balanced diet, but tend to be skeptical about the power of specific dietary regimes to treat disease (keep in mind that many conventional practitioners have not received any or very little education or proper training in the field of nutrition and tend to be skeptical of things they do not know or fully understand).
MAIN USES OF NUTRITIONAL THERAPY
Arthritis, muscle & joint pain.
MoonDragon's Health & Wellness: Arthritis
Circulatory problems and disorders.
Allergies, asthma and bronchitis.
Environmental toxicity.
Diabetes, hypoglycemia.
Skin conditions.
Irritable bowel syndrome, digestive disorders, bloating.
Cancer and cancer recovery.
Menstrual problems.
Hypertension (high blood pressure)
Headaches, migraines & fatigue (CFS).
FOR A LIST OF DISORDERS & THERAPIES, SEE THE FOLLOWING LINK:
HISTORY
Food and diet have had an important role in health care for millennia. Garlic, for example, was used to treat a wide variety of health problems throughout ancient Egypt and Greece. Modern clinical trials have since demonstrated garlic's ability to lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels and confirmed its antibacterial and antiviral properties. In the 18th century, the British navy prevented scurvy in sailors by feeding them limes and lemons, although the preventive agent, vitamin C, was not identified until 1928.
In the 19th century, proponents of the "natural cure" (a practice that later known as naturopathy) claimed that food could be used as medicine. Advances in biochemistry in the 20th century led to a greater understanding of the need for a balanced diet containing nutrients that included vitamins and minerals. The term "vitamines or "vital amines" was coined by a Polish biochemist, Casimir Funk, working in London. In 1912, he suggested that minute quantities of substances found in various foods were essential for health. Within a few years, investigators discovered that pellagra, a disease whose psychological symptoms resembled schizophrenia, could be cured with large doses of niacin (vitamin B-3). Further research isolated the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K, and the water-soluble vitamins C and B complex.
The role of antioxidants in maintaining health, preventing and treating disease, and delaying the aging process has only recently become well understood. Other nutritional topics making headlines in the 1980s and 1990s include the importance of dietary fiber in digestion, the detrimental effects of food additives, cholesterol and other fats, and pesticides on the body, and the discovery of natural estrogens, or phytoestrogens, in soy. Public health bodies worldwide now recognize the value of diet in maintaining an healthy population and reducing the burden on health services.
KEY PRINCIPLES
The links between disease and poor diet have long been recognized, and some medical practitioners specialize in nutrition. Together with nutritional therapists, who are not medically qualified, they use diet and nutritional supplements to prevent and treat disease. All practitioners believe that good health is directly related to the quality of food eaten by the individual. For example, food grown in poor soil will lack nutrients, crops sprayed with pesticides could contain toxic chemicals, and antibiotics given to livestock may find their way into the human bloodstream. Although there is an overabundance of fresh food in the West, many people prefer to eat highly processed "junk foods, from which nutrients have been stripped, and as a result their diets may become deficient in essential vitamins and minerals.
Both medically qualified nutritionists and practitioners of nutritional therapy seek to explore every avenue by which a patient's nutrition can be improved to promote maximum health. In general, treatment is said to improve the patient's mood, fitness, and well-being, and delay aging. Practitioners look for nutritional deficiencies, for allergies or intolerances to food, and for environmental factors, which can cause poor digestion or absorption in the stomach and intestines, preventing nutrients from reaching the bloodstream. Other factors are said to be "toxic overload" from an excess of heavy metals or environmental chemicals and problems with the balance of gut flora, which complementary practitioners often refer to as "dysbiosis".
THE THEORY OF HEALTH & DIGESTION
The digestion of food and the elimination of waste products are cornerstones of well-being. If impaired, the body may be deprived of essential nutrients and become overloaded with toxins. A balanced diet and low stress levels are vital to the healthy functioning of the digestive and excretory systems.
An entire ecosystem of bacteria, known as the gut flora, inhabits the intestines, protecting the gut lining and maintaining its delicate chemical balance. This balance can be disrupted by illness and medications - particularly antibiotics - leading to a condition that nutritional therapists call dysbiosis.
EVIDENCE & RESEARCH
Research linking nutrition and health is substantial. Many studies associate excessive fat intake with cancers of the breast, prostate, colon, and rectum, and colon cancer in particular is linked with a diet that is too low in fiber.
In a study at the University of Cambridge and Papworth Hospital in the UK, reported in The Lancet in 1996, large supplements of vitamin E, and antioxidant, slowed down the process of underlying arterial disease in angina patients.
A study reported in The Lancet in 1994 found that the "Cretan Mediterranean diet" reduced the incidence of secondary heart attacks by 70 percent. This diet is low in saturated fats and red meat, and high in plant foods, olive oil (which lowers harmful cholesterol levels), and oily fish (containing an essential fatty acid).
Antioxidants given to 30,000 people in Linxian province in China over a five-year period resulted in a 20 percent drop in stomach and esophageal cancer, according to research published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute in 1993.
A study at Epsom District Hospital in Surrey, in the UK, published in 1993 in the British Journal of Rheumatology, indicated a possible link between rheumatoid arthritis and food intolerances.
Other dietary supplements with strong clinical support include folic acid (taken by pregnant women to help prevent neural tube defects and reduce the risk of cleft palate in babies), magnesium (shown to alleviate pre-eclampsia in pregnancy, a condition characterized by high blood pressure and fluid retention), and vitamin B-6 (helpful in treating PMS).
CONVENTIONAL MEDICAL OPINION
Most conventional health care providers are open-minded about the role of nutrition in preventing illness, although there is much interest in the potential of certain diets to reduce the risk of cancer. Conventional practitioners are more skeptical about the effectiveness of nutrition as treatment for illness, except in the case of specific conditions, such as gout, diabetes, high blood cholesterol, and to a lesser extent, migraines, irritable bowel syndrome, and eczema. There is widespread acceptance among conventional practitioners of the benefits of the Cretan Mediterranean diet, which can help prevent heart disease.
CONSULTING A PRACTITIONER
Some health care practitioners specialize in using nutritional approaches to the treatment of illness, often as one aspect of their interest in clinical ecology. Non-medically qualified nutritional therapists will usually be trained in nutrition, physiology, biochemistry, pathology, naturopathic techniques, and the principles of clinical ecology. You may decide to consult a nutritional therapist if you have unexplained, long-term symptoms for which conventional medicine finds no cause - for example, fatigue, headaches, bloating, and skin or digestive problems.
Nutritional therapists believe that you can be lacking in essential nutrients even if your diet is healthy. Before beginning treatment, the practitioner may ask you to complete a questionnaire about your current diet, medical history, and symptoms. You may be asked now much you drink or smoke, and about your exercise habits, your emotional state, and any medications you are currently taking. He may also request that you keep a diary of typical food intake over approximately three days. The practitioner also examines the condition of your skin, hands, and other features; these can provide important clues about nutritional intake. Nutritional therapists (and some medically qualified nutritionists) often use other diagnostic techniques to determine nutritional deficiencies and food allergies. These may include tests on samples of your hair, urine, and sweat, and muscle testing, or applied kinesiology. You may be required to follow an exclusion or elimination diet, cutting out suspect foods progressively over a period of several weeks until a food allergy or intolerance is detected. Some nutritional therapists use Vega testing, in which you are connected to an electrical device that is designed to indicate the presence of allergens.
Using the test results, and taking into account factors such as your age and sex, the practitioner develops a dietary regime tailored to your needs.
STANDARD TESTS
Physical symptoms are assessed, and laboratory tests carried out if necessary.
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Q: How long does a treatment session last?
A: The first consultation lasts about an hour and subsequent sessions 15 to 20 minutes.
Q: How many sessions will I needed?
A: Several sessions are usually required. The number and timing will depend on the condition and how long you have had it.
Q: Will remedies taste unpleasant?
A: Most nutritional supplements are in tablet or capsule form and are quite palatable. Individuals who may have difficulties swallowing tablets or capsules, many supplements are available in liquid or powder form and may come in a variety of flavors and/or may be mixed with compatible foods or liquids.
Q: Will there be any aftereffects?
A: You may experience a worsening of your symptoms when following an elimination or detoxification diet. Expect a coated tongue and a headache, especially if you usually drink a lot of non-herbal tea and coffee.
PRECAUTIONS
Check with your health care provider before beginning a course of nutrient supplements if you are taking medication; they may be incompatible.
Excessive doses of vitamin A, D, E, and B-6 and zinc may have toxic side effects. Do not take high doses of vitamins or minerals without consulting your health care provider or a nutritionist who is also a health care practitioner.
Do not follow a strict diet for long periods without the supervision of your health care provider or a nutritionist who is also a health care practitioner.
TREATMENT
The nutritional therapist will prescribe a course of treatment based on his analysis of your condition. If he believes you have a nutritional deficiency, he will probably recommend and monitor one of various diets. He may further supplement the diet with enzymes, herbal remedies, and vitamins or minerals, which are usually taken with meals in the form of tablets, capsules, powders, and liquids (some practitioners also give injections). At the end of the course of treatment, the practitioner will help you establish a balanced diet to maintain health, and may suggest that you get more exercise. He may also advise other lifestyle changes or further treatment with another form of complementary therapy.
Many practitioners believe that even if you eat a balanced diet and have an otherwise healthy metabolism, you may be adversely affected by toxins. Due to industrialization and the increasing number of cars on the road, the environment now contains higher levels of lead, cadmium, mercury, and aluminum than at any other time in human evolution. Coping with these can put a strain on the body, and practitioners are convinced this causes problems ranging from frequent infections and vague aches and pains, to serious conditions, including chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), depression, developmental abnormalities, kidney disease, high blood pressure, and cancer.
The practitioner will recommend minimizing the effects of toxins by eating plenty of fiber and organically grown fruits and vegetables, and avoiding foods bought from roadside stands, which may be exposed to leaded exhaust fumes. Suggestions may include avoiding food that has been cooked in unsuitable utensils, such as aluminum, plastic, or synthetic non-stick lining, and reducing exposure to exhaust fumes and tobacco smoke.
A PATIENTS EXPERIENCE
Wendy, 35, saw a nutritional therapist after suffering from depression and other symptoms for 18 months: "I had hot flashes, palpitations, blurred vision, and wanted to sleep all the time. I thought it was early menopause. My health care provider wanted to give me antidepressants but I felt the cause was physical, not mental. The nutritional therapist diagnosed candida. He prescribed vitamin and mineral supplements and a strict diet - no sweeteners, vinegar, alcohol, or cow's milk products. Cooked food had to be eaten within 12 hours and fresh food within 24 hours. It was three months before I saw signs of improvement, but gradually I felt less tired, and later the other symptoms cleared."
DEFICIENCIES & SUPPLEMENTS
Believing that people can be nutritionally deficient even on a healthy diet, nutritional therapists prescribe vitamin and mineral supplements to treat a wide range of conditions. The recommended daily allowance (RDA) of supplements is indicated on package labeling. However, every country sets its own levels, and practitioners insist that the RDA may not be reliable, since individuals need different amounts of nutrients, and have different rates of absorption. Prescriptions are therefore tailored to the patient's individual requirements.
DIET THERAPY
Medical research today confirms what nutritional therapies and naturopaths have said for years: a diet low in fat, animal proteins, and processed foods, high in fruits, vegetables, fiber, and complex carbohydrates, benefits health. Concern about drugs such as antibiotics given to animals, has led an increasing number of people to give up meat entirely. There are, however, a wide range of philosophies and theories advocating different diets. Proponents of more extreme diets claim that these can have even a greater health benefits than eating a standard balance of nutrients.
Some regimes target particular complaints, such as heart disease and cancer. Others may also involve fasting. Strict diets and long periods of fasting can lead to malnutrition and other problems, so professional supervision is advisable, particularly for children, pregnant woman, and elderly people.
Fish and meat are excluded from this diet, but dairy products and eggs are allowed. Studies show that vegetarianism can reduce the risk of heart disease, gallbladder problems, diabetes, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, colon cancer, and diverticular disease.
In an approach devised by the Japanese practitioner George Osawa in the 1950s, foods are chosen for their yin and yang properties. Yin foods, said to be calming, include green vegetables, fruits and nuts. Fish, root vegetables, and cereal grains are strengthening yang foods.
In an approach devised by the Japanese practitioner George Osawa in the 1950s, foods are chosen for their yin and yang properties. Yin foods, said to be calming, include green vegetables, fruits and nuts. Fish, root vegetables, and cereal grains are strengthening yang foods.
The ultimate conclusion of vegetarianism, this diet also excludes eggs, dairy products, and honey. Protein is supplied by legumes, nuts, grains, and seeds. High blood pressure, angina, rheumatoid arthritis, and asthma have been treated with a vegan diet, but vegans may be deficient in vitamin B-12.
Nutritional therapists recommend diets of fruits, raw vegetables, water, and yogurt to eliminate toxins caused by poor excretion of waste products, poor digestion, or absorbed from the environment. Detoxification is said to help headaches, allergies, arthritis, and respiratory and hormone problems.
This controversial anti-cancer regime was developed in the 1920s by Dr. Max Gerson, a German-born American practitioner. It is based on a low-salt, organic vegan diet, supplemented with vegetable and fruit juice hourly, and coffee enemas. The aim is to increase the alkaline level of body tissues.
Adopted in the 1980s by Dr. Dean Ornish, this diet is high in fiber and carbohydrates, but low in fat and cholesterol, excluding oils and animal products apart from non-fat milk and yogurt. With exercise, yoga, meditation, and support groups, the diet is part of the American doctor's program to reverse heart disease.
William Hay, an American practitioner, developed this "food-combining" diet in the early 1900s. He believed that carbohydrates and proteins are "foods that fight" and should not be eaten in the same meal, since proteins cause the stomach to produce acid, and carbohydrates must be digested in an alkaline environment. Neutral foods are said to combine with either group. The Hay diet has many followers, but no scientific basis. The digestion should cope with any food mixture, and most plants contain both proteins and carbohydrates.
MEDICINAL THERAPIES
MoonDragon's Alternative Therapy: Naturopathy
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