Trapped in the medical model

The following letter by Ed Jones was sent to the Chattanooga Free Press recently. I couldn't agree more with Mr. Jones.

I guess I know that I live in my own little bubble of my world and this again became apparent to me as I looked at the front page picture on the September 11, 2008 Chattanooga Free Press and saw the [accompanying photograph].

I tend to forget that the average Tennessean takes 18 prescription drugs per year since I deal with so many individuals who use natural therapies to maintain health instead of drugs; I was again stunned to see the reality of pharmaceutical prescribing. This is an article written by Free Press writer Emily Bregel about an 81-year old lady from Cleveland, Tennessee and what you see on her table is by my estimate 26 prescription drugs that she must take every day.

The article was entitled "Trapped in Medicare Gap." The focus of the article was on the high cost of prescription drugs on seniors but my focus is very different. The picture above represents an absolute crime when you consider the followings facts:

(1) 100,000 patients die every year from properly prescribed, properly taken prescription drugs.

(2) No one can determine the true interactions of drugs when you combine three or more at one time.

(3) The majority of drugs are not studied on elderly people.

(4) Most patients, such as this lady, probably have several physicians and each one has given her their choice of drugs without anyone ever removing an old drug.

(5) You know that she has to feel horrible each day with the use of this many drugs, not counting being financially destroyed.

This is sheer madness to me and yet the system endorses this type of medical prescribing. What I also found so fascinating is that in the same A section of the Free Press is an article on page A7 that talks about the medical community becoming more critical of drug companies. The following is the first paragraph of this article and I could not have said it better myself.

Just about every segment of the medical community is piling on the pharmaceutical industry these days, accusing drug makers of deceiving the public, manipulating doctors and putting profits before patients. Three top editors of the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine last month publically sided against the drug industry. The influence that the pharmaceutical companies, the for-profits, are having on every aspect of medicine... is so blatant now you'd have to be deaf, blind and dumb not to see it," said Journal of the American Medical Association editor Dr. Catherine DeAngelis.

Dr. DeAngelis said we should all get together and say, "Enough!"

My final thought on this the following: Health professionals practicing today have almost zero concept of true healing and the absolute effectiveness of safe nutritional therapies and diet change, especially on the elderly. They can dismiss nutritional supplements as untested, unsafe, not approved or any other wording they want but the truth is that research now bears out that nutrition therapy is truly safe, effective and low cost.

Anyone who doubts the research on nutrition and disease, simply go to www.vitasearch.com and you will find thousands of peer reviewed double blind studies to support every aspect of disease with nutrients. Lack of knowledge is no excuse for poorly managing people's chronic health conditions with excessive drugs when safe and effective nutritional therapies and dietary recommendations are available.

— Ed Jones

Complementary Medicine | Natural Health | Nutrition | Herbal Supplements | Nutritional Supplements | Dr. David Ross, ND, CNHP | DrDavidRoss.com

Vitamin D deficiency linked to higher risk of death

People with low levels of vitamin D are more likely to die of any cause than those with higher levels of vitamin D, a study published June 23 in the Archives of Internal Medicine has shown.

Previous studies have shown that low levels of vitamin D are related to heart disease, hypertension, and metabolic syndrome. The eight-year study conducted by Harald Dobnig, MD, of the Medical University of Graz, Austria, found that people with the lowest levels of vitamin D in their blood had the highest chances of dying.

Vitamin D levels may be important to maintaining general good health, the researchers suggest. Doctors generally recommend increasing vitamin D levels through diet and supplements instead of through increased exposure to the sun.

Vitamin D may affect how plaque builds up in the artery walls. Vitamin D may also protect against cancer and immune disorders. It is also essential for bone health, and may help prevent fractures and osteoporosis.

Vitamin D must be present in adequate amounts for calcium to be utilized in the body.

Studies have shown that women are consistently deficient in vitamin D, as are many of the elderly, who may not be getting enough sun exposure or who have inadequate diets.

Prescription and over-the-counter drugs that deplete vitamin D in your body include the use of mineral oil, antacids, prednisone, cholesterol-lowering drugs, dilantin, and many sedatives. Intestinal disorders, liver disease and gall bladder disease also rob the body of vitamin D.

The recommended daily dose of vitamin D is 200 international units (IU) for people up to age 50, 400 IU for people aged 51 to 70, and 600 IU for people over age 70. Some some medical professionals recommend levels as high as 2,000 IU a day. Levels above 600 IU per day should not be taken without first seeking your doctor's advice.

Vitamin D is inexpensive and readily available, and while cod liver oil, coldwater fish, egg yolks and butter are excellent sources of vitamin D, taking it in supplemental form is still the best and most convenient way to insure you're getting enough of this crucial vitamin. Only the most persistent sunbathers are getting enough vitamin D from exposure to the sun.

Complementary Medicine | Natural Health | Nutrition | Herbal Supplements | Nutritional Supplements | Dr. David Ross, ND, CNHP | DrDavidRoss.com

The one-step informational system for health: How to encourage your patients to use nutritional supplements

An open letter to medical doctors, chiropractors and naturopaths from Dr. Gerred Popejoy, D.C., Q.M.E.

Dear Healthcare Professional,

Why do we still use outdated, inefficient ways to sell nutrition to our patients? Why are we still required to stock and retail nutritional products? Why are we spending time to physically show and sell products to patients which takes up our attention from what we do best? Why do patients stop using products when they stop seeing their doctor? Why would your nutritional income stop when you retire or become disabled? Doctors have stopped recommending nutrition because of these reasons, and they, at times, feel like a sales person, not a doctor. I know I did.

Then why are the latest journals and practice management consultants telling us to add nutrition into our practices? Maybe nutrition should be a part of our patients' daily healthcare, and as their doctor, you should be making those recommendations. Maybe they know you can create a new profit center in your office.

Problem #1 – Nutritional companies sell us products to stock and sell at retail.

Problem #2 – They don't provide us with any program to efficiently make recommendations.

For over twenty years, I have been asking when they are going to correct these problems. In 2001, I found an international nutritional company based in Batesville, Arkansas, with a history of selling quality products to doctors since 1936. Since 1992, patients have been able to order directly with a 30-day money-back guarantee; this solved the problem of carrying products. After two years making recommendations to my patients without carrying products, I still was left with a problem. How could I make a nutritional recommendation in less time than it took to write a prescription with all the necessary information to my patients? I spent the next five years creating and testing a new program to solve this problem.

The One-Step Nutritional Information System allows you as a healthcare professional to integrate nutrition into your practice with an uncomplicated, simple delivery system of customized nutritional information sheets in over 20 areas: daily nutrition, whiplash, DJD, fibromyalgia, weight loss, anti-aging, etc. The sheets are available in five languages — English, Spanish, Russian, Vietnamese, and Japanese — on CD at no cost to you. There is the added benefit of a financial return, or not if you choose, without carrying products.

Now, with the One-Step System and a nutritional company with great products standing behind you, you can create a new profit center in your office. I want you to take this opportunity to try the One-Step Nutritional Information System in your office before you make a final decision.

We can provide your office with a complete nutritional program. Email Dr. Ross at david@drdavidross.com. You also will receive a DVD for your waiting room on nutrition and the products.

I’m sure you will have some questions on how to get started, so please call.

Sincerely,


Gerred L. Popejoy, D.C., Q.M.E.
Director of Healthcare Integrative Professionals International

Complementary Medicine | Natural Health | Nutrition | Herbal Supplements | Nutritional Supplements | Dr. David Ross, ND, CNHP | DrDavidRoss.com

FDA warns of salmonella outbreak in red tomatoes

For a tomato lover like me, this is terrible news. Luckily, my patio tomatoes are just beginning to produce.

A nationwide salmonella outbreak prompted the Food and Drug Administration to issue a news release Saturday warning consumers not to eat certain types of red tomatoes.

According to the release, since mid-April, 145 cases of salmonella poisoning have been reported in 16 states.

Consumers are urged not to eat red plum, red Roma, red round tomatoes, or any products that might contain them. Cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, and tomatoes sold with the vine still attached are safe to eat. Tomatoes that are home-grown are also safe to eat.

Salmonella poisoning can be fatal. Symptoms include fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain.

Complementary Medicine | Natural Health | Nutrition | Herbal Supplements | Nutritional Supplements | Dr. David Ross, ND, CNHP | DrDavidRoss.com

Moderate alcohol consumption reduces chance of arthritis

People who consume a moderate amount of alcohol have 40-45% less chance of developing rheumatoid arthritis, a Scandanavian study reported yesterday.

Even more startling, those who consume high amounts of alcohol have upwards of 55% less chance of developing the disease.

The chief author of the study, Henrik Kaellberg of the Institute of Environmental Medicine at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, notes that previous research suggests alcohol interferes with inflammatory processes that trigger heart disease.

Complementary Medicine | Natural Health | Nutrition | Alcohol Consumption | Nutritional Supplements | Dr. David Ross, ND, CNHP | DrDavidRoss.com

Julie Matthews, CNC: Essentials of nutrition and dietary intervention in autism

I hope you listened to last week's Clinical Rounds teleconference, but if not, you missed an exciting and informative hour of discussion. Bernard Rosen, Ph.D., talked about the relationship between poor nutrition and erectile dysfunction. Basically, he said, three specific nutrients can go a long way in reversing a man's erection difficulties: Grape seed extract, omega-3 fish oils, and the amino acid arginine. You can listen to the presentation on our Designs for Health website. If you don't yet have a password to the professionals-only section, drop me an email and I'll get you set up.

Designs for Health offers all three supplements Dr. Rosen recommends. Ask me for details, or see the printed or the online catalog.

Today I found an article about the best-selling book Eat This, Not That by David Zinczenko and Matt Goulding. The article discusses nutrients for improving sex, and includes "high-performance" recipes for breakfast, snacks, smoothies, lunch and dinner. The recommendations even include a nice glass of red wine.

Tonight's (Feb. 6) Clinical Rounds teleconference features Julie Matthews, CNC, who will be discussing the nutritional needs of autistic children. She is the author of a book on diet and nutrition for autism, Nourishing Hope: The Essentials of Nutrition and Dietary Intervention for Autism.

"The more I learn about different imbalances, the more I'm convinced that most chronic disease stems from a combination of environmental exposures and genetic predispositions (sometimes created by toxin exposure). In addition to the toxins in our world, the stressful attitudes and beliefs we hold as a culture and individually, all affect our health. Proper nutrition helps to naturally balance the body's systems and aids in restoring overall health." — Julie Matthews

Next week's (Feb. 13) Clinical Rounds teleconference will feature Sam Visnic, an expert at designing corrective exercise programs that produce results both in the rehabilitative and sports performance settings. Sam's articles have appeared in many sports magazines and on many bodybuilding and fitness websites. His popular video-program End Your Back Pain Now! uses the system he has successfully implemented with hundreds of clients with chronic pain.

The teleconference tonight — Wednesday — begins at 9 pm. Email me for the phone number and passcode.

Calls usually last about an hour.

Complementary Medicine | Natural Health | Nutrition | Herbal Supplements | Nutritional Supplements | Dr. David Ross, ND, CNHP | DrDavidRoss.com

Die-hard sports fans have increased heart attack risk during games

A study published in this month's New England Journal of Medicine bodes a warning for Super Bowl fans this evening.

Research of heart attack rates in Germany during the 2006 World Cup soccer games shows that fans with previously-known heart conditions have a fourfold risk of suffering a heart attack, and those without a history of heart conditions have doubled chances of suffering a heart attack, during a match.

"Apparently, of prime importance for triggering a stress-induced event is not the outcome of a game — a win or a loss — but rather the intense strain and excitement experienced during the viewing of a dramatic match, such as one with a penalty shootout," the study authors wrote.

Don't get too worked up during tonight's game. And keep your cell phone nearby in case you need to call 911.

Complementary Medicine | Natural Health | Nutrition | Herbal Supplements | Nutritional Supplements | Dr. David Ross, ND, CNHP | DrDavidRoss.com

Improving diet 'could cut crime by a third'

It has been known for well over a decade that the lack of certain minerals, such as zinc and iron, as well as an overabundance of copper, can lead to acts of aggression and violence (see bibliography of research).

Now researchers in England and Scotland are going to prove it once again, this time in a prison setting. A three-year study is about to be launched to examine whether young criminals, including murderers, behave better in prison if they are given vitamins and other nutritional supplements.

Researchers believe that the results of the study, which will follow 1,000 youthful prisoners in three different facilities for the next three years.

Scientists think the results will have a profound impact on the criminal justice system, in the U.K. and elsewhere.

John Stein, a neurophysiologist from the University of Oxford, said, "We are not saying that nutrition is the only influence on behavior, but we seem to have seriously underestimated its importance."

Bernard Gesch, honorary director of the charity Natural Justice, said, "It may seem a little strange that what we eat has got anything to do with criminal justice. The law tends to assume that criminal behavior is entirely a matter of free will.

"I wonder if that is entirely true? I wonder how you can exercise free will without involving your brain and how your brain functions properly without a good nutrient supply?

"In that sense, this is potentially something that is very simple, very humane. It is likely to be very cheap and it has been largely overlooked."

Smaller studies have been done in the past, but this is the largest study of its kind. A previous study at Aylesbury young offenders' institution in 1998 found that prisoners who consumed vitamins and other supplements committed 25% fewer disciplinary offenses and 37 per cent fewer violent offenses.

Don't wait for the outcomes of this and future studies. If you have your own little droogies who occasionally get out of hand, try vitamins and minerals and other supplements — before they commit offenses that may hurt themselves or others, and get them locked up.

Complementary Medicine | Natural Health | Nutrition | Herbal Supplements | Nutritional Supplements | Dr. David Ross, ND, CNHP | DrDavidRoss.com

Women of childbearing age not taking folic acid

Two new studies indicate that women of childbearing ages, especially those between 18 and 24, are not taking folic acid. A minimum of 400 mcg per day of folic acid is recommended to prevent possible birth defects if they become pregnant.

To be effective for the prevention of birth defects, folic acid supplementation should begin before pregnancy occurs, not after the woman becomes aware she is pregnant.

The studies found that less than 48 percent of women aged 18-45 took a supplement containing folic acid. Less than 30% of women aged 24 or younger took a supplement containing folic acid, though 61 percent said they knew they should. Only six percent of these young women indicated they had adequate knowledge about the need for the supplement, it was reported.

Authors of one of the studies, by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, wrote: "These findings warrant the continued promotion of folic acid consumption among all women of childbearing age and especially among women aged 18 to 24 years.... Folic acid education that promotes consumption of folic acid from various sources, in addition to foods rich in folate, can increase the possibility of all women consuming the recommended daily amount of 400 micrograms."

Complementary Medicine | Natural Health | Nutrition | Herbal Supplements | Nutritional Supplements | Dr. David Ross, ND, CNHP | DrDavidRoss.com