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Overwhelming Proof that Natural Medicine Works
I begin today’s message with something I wrote about four years ago. Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, it has now come to pass…
Selling Sickness: Turning Healthy People into Patients
In his book, Selling Sickness, medical journalist Ray Moynihan reveals comments made by the head of Merck pharmaceuticals thirty years ago. The CEO of Merck was distressed that his company’s products were limited to sick people. In an interview with Fortune, he openly wished for his company to be “more like Wrigley’s chewing gum.” He dreamed of making drugs for healthy people so they could “sell to everyone.”
The drug giants now fund aggressive, multi-billion dollar marketing campaigns. Their goal is to expand the boundaries of illness. Case in point: statin drugs.
Statins are already some of the most widely prescribed drugs. The pharmaceutical marketing machine is looking for ways to grow that market. Currently, the drug companies are pushing for statins to be used to treat everything from Alzheimer’s, to diabetes and arthritis.
They have also reduced the threshold for treatment of high cholesterol. In fact, a recent Pfizer study recommends statins for patients with “normal” cholesterol levels. Other companies argue that statins should be taken by EVERY person over 55. Some medical professionals are even recommending these drugs for children.
I wrote the brief above four years ago. Since then, the drug companies have made significant “progress”…
Two weeks ago, an FDA advisory panel approved the statin drug Crestor as a “preventive” medicine. This is the first time such an approval has been granted. It is ominous sign of things to come.
This dangerous statin drug can now be marketed to people who have no history or risk factors for heart disease. This is what the drug companies have been looking to accomplish for decades – to turn healthy people into patients.
In a glaring statement of the obvious, Dr. Steven Nissen of the Cleveland Clinic said “this will expand the number of Americans eligible for statin therapy by millions.”
The CEO of Merck knew that “sick people” are a limited market. All along, the goal has been to expand this market by convincing people that drugs can actually keep you healthy. Now that the door is open, expect an array of chemical concoctions marketed to prevent disease. It won’t happen overnight. But it’s on the way.
Do you want to look and feel your absolute best?
It’s easier than you think!
Overwhelming Proof that Natural Medicine Works
Drugs are anything but natural. But they are often designed to mimic the effects of natural compounds. In fact, many drugs are just synthetic versions of what nature has already created.
In spite of this, there is a pervasive myth (no doubt fostered by Big Pharma) that drugs have been proven to work, while natural remedies have not.
Dr. Michael T. Murray, N.D. is a long-time professor of natural medicine. He is also the author of more than 20 books. Over the years, he has compiled more than 50,000 articles from the scientific literature, proving the effectiveness of nutrition and natural medicine. He writes:
“One of the great myths about natural medicines is that they are not scientific. The fact of the matter is that for most common illnesses there is greater support in the medical literature for a natural approach than there is for drugs or surgery.”
If you want to maintain or improve your health, do what the pharmaceutical companies do when they want to develop a new drug: Look to nature! Not only will you find therapies that work, they will be far safer and less expensive.
Case in Point: Omega-3 Fatty Acids vs. Statins
Researchers at University Hospital in Basel, Switzerland reviewed 97 controlled studies which measured the results of six different cholesterol- and triglyceride-lowering interventions. They used mortality data to assess their effectiveness. The results were published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
Among the six treatments considered, omega-3 fatty acid supplementation reduced the risk of overall and cardiac mortality better than any other intervention. Statin drugs came in second.
If you want to reduce your cholesterol, reduce your risk of heart attack and avoid the serious side-effects of statins, supplement your diet with a couple teaspoons of fish oil each day.
A Pill for Every Ill… And Not a Cure in Sight
What would you do if you were told today that you have high blood pressure… or diabetes… or high cholesterol… or that you are suffering from depression?
Most people would say, “Okay, Doc. What drug should I take?” If that would be your reaction, I hope you’ll reconsider.
Drugs do not “cure” illness. They don’t heal. They only mask. While a drug may temporarily relieve symptoms, it will do nothing to address the cause of an illness. It’s like clipping the leaves from a dandelion to keep weeds out of the garden.
And every single drug – including those you can buy over the counter – can have extremely serious side effects. Did you know that Tylenol is the leading cause of acute liver failure in the United States? In some cases, liver failure occurs at only half the maximum daily dose. Regular use of this drug has also been shown to double the risk of kidney cancer.
That’s right – “harmless” Tylenol.
Take the Natural Route to Health and Wellness
Here’s the good news. Virtually every drug can be outperformed by safe and affordable nutrients. And when you combine the appropriate nutritional supplementation with a healthy diet, sun exposure and exercise, you have a long-term solution that no drug in the world can match.
If you’re making New Year’s resolutions today, make a resolution to identify and curtail the habits that lead to illness. And if you are faced with a health crisis in the future, seek the natural tools your body needs to heal itself.
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If this healthcare bill and CODEX become the laws of the land how much longer will we be allowed to have natural medicines and nutrition?
Great article. The health care reform failed to put the pharmaceutical industry into the limits it requires. It runs our health care system and is responsible for the high cost of mostly ineffective medical care. I am utterly disgusted with what is going on in this country.
PLACE THIS ON FACEBOOK, SO “EVERYONE” CAN LEARN THIS TRUTH…
This is something a few of us have known for years. Now let’s get the word out to all of us. Happy New Year.
GREAT POST
It is evident that BIG PHARMA is more interested in making money along with some doctors who have no scrupulous in receiving bonuses and incentives for treating patients with Chemo and Radiation from the same BIG PHARMA.
HAPPY NEW YR EVERYONE AND GOOD HEALTH!!!
It is a good post, and I really am pro-alternative solutions and not drugs, but the basic concept that this article is ranting against is the same thing health food and natural cure companies and people have been doing for years. There is a herb to cure everything and oh by the way we want to “prevent” as much stuff as possible, so take this natural herb or that natural herb to make sure you don’t start having problems. Extremely expensive and big business. Big pharma is now starting to capitalize on what the natural food industry has been capitalizing on for years, fear of getting sick and having problems. Preventative medicine. Simply from a free market perspective, they have every right to do that…..
Like I said, I am NOT pro big pharma, but they are taking their queue from what natural food companies have been doing for years…..And (like many health food stores and companies) starting to capitalize on the fear of having problems.
Great article. You mention that “Virtually every drug can be outperformed by safe and affordable nutrients.” Is there a book that lists the drugs and then suggests herbs/nutrients to achieve the same effect? I’m sure you wouldn’t just quit using the drug, but would wean yourself off of it while using the nutrients. Thanks!
Lance
What I am finding, through personal experience, is that many doctors are actually being duped into BELIEVING what the big drug companies are ‘teaching’ them. Not only are there those doctors who are being bought and paid for, but those that remain are often being pulled into the scam of it all because they actually think they are doing the right thing by giving every patient who walks through their door some kind of medication. When you think about it, what else do western doctors do other than look you over, give their best guess at what’s wrong with you, run a few standard tests, and send you home with prescriptions?
We need to stop and realize that’s about it, there is not much else western medicine is going to do for us. They are NOT going to help us with our nutrition, they are NOT going to help us with our diets, they are NOT going to help us with long term good health regimes…they just don’t.
To sum it all up, I feel that people, as individuals, must make their OWN choices and not let doctors impose their medications upon us unless perhaps all other resources have been exhausted, and I would be VERY careful even then.
This is a really good article, hope to see more related to this subject. Thank you.
Great article, I truly believe that we need to take care of ourselves before we become ill. I am 54 years old and have been taking vitamins and minerals since I was a teenager. The only medication I take is Prilosec for acid reflux. I very rarely get sick,and knock on wood, have never had any major medical problems. I just recently joined, as a part-time venture, a company called Ultra- International which is a health and wellness company, which has been in business for 20 years. They sell only the best products for nutrition and weight loss. If anyone is interested in checking them out here is the link. http://www.myui.com/betterhealth4you
Thanks, and Happy New Year, Alan Cinqmars
Thanks for your wonderful articles! Keep up the good work!
Sad to know that doctors are now giving harmful drugs that are totally unnecessary to those who trust them with their lives.
Lance (#7) Great question! IS THERE A BOOK THAT LISTS AND THEN SUGGESTS HERBS/NUTRIENTS TO ACHIEVE THE SAME EFFECT? This was a good article and a reminder of what many of us have known, but action is the best remedy and knowing what to do that is safe and beneficial for ourselves is what we need.
Great article! I bet most of us reading it and submitting comments, are the ‘choir’…we all agree! I am a Holistic Nutrition Consultant by way of Allopathic Medical School. I have experienced some pretty serious illnesses and the residual side effects of the meds I was loaded up on. I was was blessed to find an Integrative MD that turned it all around for me…as well as inspiring me to change my pursuit to Nutrition.
In my practice I hear and see how the public has been conditioned to put all their trust into their doctors and the pharmcueticals they script out. Way too much trust! Even in light of studies that come out discovering the harmful effects (after the fact). We are conditioned for the ‘quick fix’. Medicine has indeed made remarkable progress over the years and I believe that contributes to the public’s faith that there will be a pill to fix everything. I will never give up educating my clients and the public. I do see a shift…a very small,slow shift.
Listen I have a hard enough time trying to get clients off of artificial sweeteners and microwaving. The response I get most often about all this ’stuff’,….”they say it’s safe for us”. I ask them, “Who is they?” See who as authored the study and what their agenda is?
Keep is going Jan! Thank you!
I wish to point out the importance of high quality Omega 3 supplements. The same companies (few exception) that manufacture medicines also make supplements. Lucrative business and the huge variety of brands and the content ratios appear arbitrary. Many years ago here in Australia I could purchase in the bio shops Vitamin E, varied quality choices even then but marginally more expensive was one called TOTAL E which included all the tocopherols: alpha, beta, delta and gamma tocopherols as well as 4 alpha, beta, delta and gamma tocotrienols. But only d Alphatocoprerol is sold either natural extract or the synthetic dl Alphatocopherol similarly to vitamin B complex again the complete B . Vitamin B soon after became available separately as Thiamine, Riboflavin, Niacin,
Panthotenic acid, Biotin, Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine),Folate (called folic acid when included in supplements),
Vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin). One MEGA B brand caries the warning since high potency one of them B6 should not be taken for prolonged period, would be dangerous. Less then due scientific protocol followed in the manufacturing.
I thought adverse research findigs about Alphatocopherol were just hostile propaganda. Many studies used low doses and worse: the synthetic version which is eight times less effective. I got alarmed lately learning the fact that some of the conclusions were correct. It was found that taking only Alphatocopherol (arbitrarily designated to be the principal component, lets forget about the rest?)By equating alpha-tocopherol with vitamin E, the authors of the meta analysis arrived at seriously flawed conclusions about vitamin E. Therefore, we can draw the following conclusions:
1) People who take alpha-tocopherol alone may have a slightly increased risk of death. (Five per cent is barely “statistically significant.”).
2) Alpha-tocopherol is not the same thing as vitamin E, as Vitamin E is really composed of multiple sub-fractions.
3) Gamma-tocopherol is a critically important form of vitamin E in terms of anti oxidant benefit.
4) Gamma-tocopherol is the most common dietary form of vitamin E.
5) Alpha-tocopherol supplementation decreases gamma-tocopherol levels.
Therefore, the primary conclusion that can be drawn from this study is that you might have a slightly increased risk of premature death if you take alpha-tocopherol alone. We recommend, therefore, that you do not take alpha-tocopherol as a stand-alone vitamin E supplement. Instead, you should take a blend which contains all of the vitamin E sub-fractions.
Omega 3 long chain fatty acid in marine animals and some grazing ones and poultry truly free range as in wild game is well studied and established of it’s benefits. The short chain version in flax seed oil sold as a supplements are misleading with the claim it is equal to animal sources. It is not, we have to convert it into long chain in our body first and this process is fairly inefficient.
Now about the cholesterol con. To add to your knowledge visit the site of a reputable thoracic surgeon:
thecholesterollie.com Be well! joseph.
I am currently changing host, so incomplete, The above is the same, as why fish stocks are disappearing. From another perspective, because our structure is designed to serve the premise, that Society’s purpose, is to serve the Economy, This Evil structure can no longer carry the load. Our Structure must change, to one that the purpose of the Economy is to serve Society.
Such is the difference between Capitalism and Responsible Capitalism.
I am so thankful more and more people are beginning to wake up. I just pray it is not too late. The drug companies and sadly, most of the mainstream physicians, have more interest in money than the well being of the people they are paid to serve. Unless we unite and stand up for ourselves, we will lose our ability to use alternative and natural treatments. Our ancestors used them with great success but they had no interest in filling their wallets, only helping each other. I am very bitter toward mainstream medicine as they disregarded our family instructions, (a doctor we considered a friend) gave my mother a drug she was known to be allergic to and killed her. Should have known better than to trust him!
I agree with the principle espoused in the article and have attempted as far as possible to live a natural lifestyle and use natural medicine (Omega3, Resveratrol, CoQ10, etc. However, I have not been able to find a natural cure for hypertension. The one time I tried to go off the Prescription medication I ended up in the hospital and (according to the doctors) would have died if I had arrived one hour later. I wish someone had an effective natural treatment for hypertension then I would be off all prescription medications.
To Wolric: “Hawthorne can successfully be used to treat…hypertension” according to “the people’s pharmacist” Shane Ellison, author of “Over the Counter Natural Cures”, pg. 68. You might try to research this!
I have a question myself. I’ve avoided tanning beds for the last several years thinking they would contribute to the possibility of skin cancer. Recently I’ve been reading about the benefits of the sun and have wondered if there are any benefits to moderate suntan-bed use? I live in cloudy rainy Seattle and would enjoy a 10 minute weekly visit to a suntan bed during our winter months if it was considered safe.
it is so very true about statins, the side effects are very nice,and are a big worry. raw sugar cane does the same, but no side effects.
could please write up about nettle and its benifits.
just started to use for arthritis in the ancle, so far sogood ,the other side benifits look very interesting
Hi Jan,
Not sure if you know it, but Dr. Sears and I co-wrote a book on the benefits of sun exposure. You can learn more about that here:
http://www.totalhealthbreakthroughs.com/clickbank/clickbankpromo.html
Tanning beds can be an effective and healthful alternative when you are not able to get out in the sun regularly, or when it is not feasible due to the weather or season. Jeff Rense and Dr. John Cannell of the Vitamin D Council discuss tanning beds, safety and what type of bed is the best and safest here:
http://rense.gsradio.net:8080/rense/special/rense_Dr_J_Cannel_081209.mp3
Excellent interview, by the way.
How sad that this world has come to the point that we are made to believe that we need doctors or their pills. I always thoght that the father of medicine said ” Let your food be your medicine and your medicine be your food”. What has happened? Is not our food supposed to be the source of our nutrition? NOt pills? Good health comes from healthful living, not pills. Good health is self-care, not some quack who is out for your money. Doctors can’t even take care of themselves. They are sick like the rest of the population. So, how can they take care of you if they can’t even take care of themselves? Don’t be fooled. Take care of your body. It is the only one you will get. Gil
Given a fright with the diagnosis eight months ago of advanced prostate cancer I began researching alternative foods for John Hopkins Medicine Centre says researchers are beginning to realize cancer is all about diet. Organic flaxseed oil (five tablespoons a day egg beaten into two cups of low fat cottage cheese, and quarter cup four times a day) seemed one of those to try. The Journal of Urology. quoted in the Prostate Bulletin of John Hopkins, says surveys have show that the oil (due to a substance that inhibits blood vessels to tumors) slows growth of tumor cells and quickens the death of dying tumor cells.
So far the best of it is the increase in energy and the capacity to work, hard physical work, for several hours a day (all I want to do), and then my usual work for the rest of the day. That’s a big change.
This, with a hormone injection, lowered my PSA from 179 to 3.6 in two and a half months. I’ve stopped the hormone shot so will get back to you with progress. So far my doctor tells me that the small amount in my lymph glands will be shriveled with the next CT scan. Sounded strange to me.
A site such as this is a huge boon for throwing light on medical procedures and their worth.
Isn’t it curious when “medicine” is given to healthy people, or formerly healthy people.
Physician and astronaut Duane Graveline is certainly very concerned about statins, especially their propensity to induce global transient amnesia
http://healthjournalclub.blogspot.com/2009/11/statins-and-global-transient-amnesia.html
I have such faith in natural medicines that I refused to subscribe to the DRUG portion of my health Insurance. If I had, I would have felt like a hypocrite.
When asked, wasn’t that taking a big risk? That question sounded like…. I was only against drugs as long as I didn’t need them, ‘Why should I pay for meds I wasn’t ever going to take?’
If others begin to be willing to do the same, our message just may get through.
With gratitude for your spreading the word on our behalf.
Sincerely, JIMILU Mason, sculptor
Very Good article. It will always be about how much money the pharmacutical companies and doctors can make. No more are the times when doctors actually cared for their patients well being. I will always seek out natural or alternative cures over western medicine. Why? Because I want to live a long healthy life.
grate article , we wish to know more about natural methods for defending different diseases .
Twice my doctor has insisted that I take Statins for high Cholestrol, I felt so ill after two weeks of taking them that now I just refuse to take them… Recently I was offered that Sine Flu Jab but turned it down, I used to be so ill every year with flu I decided to look in my natural remedy book, it said Echinacea which I have taken for the past ten years and have never had Flu since, also I used to suffer from chest infections, but now I don’t get them and I think it is the echinacea which works for me ..
I often used to get kidney infections but I find that if I take Milk Thistle it clears it up immediately.
Margaret Wright ..
While big pharma has some sinister motives, I have had epilepsy since the age of 15 (I’m now 49). If it weren’t for Depakote, I would not be able to live a normal life. It’s easy to say “down with big pharma” when you’re not in my situation. Yea, they overpush Statins and a lot of other things, but yo have to understand that there are some of us, like me, that would not have a normal life without them.
Dave,
Yes, Big Pharma does have sinister motives. They are well known to hype (or even make up) the benefits while hiding the risks of their drugs. They have a long history of trying to discredit natural supplements and even restrict our rights to them. And some of the things they have done are downright evil - Bayer, for example, knew that certain batches of vaccine were tainted with AIDS virus… and instead of destroying them, they simply sold them to other countries.
But that is not to say that NO ONE has been helped by drugs. By their very nature, drugs address symptoms. If your symptom involves nasal congestion, then a decongestant could help you get a good night’s sleep. If your symptoms involve seizures, then an antispasmodic could definitely improve quality of life.
Some people think of drugs as cures, however. They are not. And the real tragedy is when people are unaware that there are any risks whatsoever, only to find out that the risk could be to their very life.
Thanks for your comments all along, Dave… Glad to have you reading.
Jon
Interesting article. Anything that brings awareness to natural and holistic health is extremly valuable. Thank you.