DRUGS: FRIEND OR FOE?

ANTI-INFLAMMATORY DRUGS DEADLIER THAN THOUGHT" •COUGH SYRUP INGREDIENT LINKED TO STROKE" "POPULAR BOWEL DRUG BANNED" These are just a few of the numerous headlines of this kind that have appeared in recent news- papers. As scientists continue to study over-the-counter drugs and their effects, more and more frightening evidence continues to surface about what we once thought were "harmless" drugs. Doctors are taking note of these studies and are slowly becoming more careful now than ever before when recommending various medica­tions to their patients. However, more must be done. President Lyndon B. Johnson said. "The world's "wealthiest nation' can never be satisfied, until we are the 'world's healthiest'." If we are to become the healthiest nation in the world, we must drastically reduce our use of over-the-counter and prescrip­tion drugs, and begin practicing responsible nutrition and supplementa­tion instead. Why steer away from over-the-counter and prescription drugs? For years, the government has been waging a war against illegal drugs in the United States. Millions of dollars and countless hours have been spent to educate the American people on the extreme damage these drugs cause. Meanwhile, the dangers associated with legul, over-the-counter and pre­scription drugs go largely untold. So. what exactly classifies a substance as a drug? According to Tuba's Medical Dictionary, a drug is "any substance that, when taken into the living organ­ism, may modify one or more of its functions". A drug is also defined as an\ substance that, when adminis- tercel, causes a lesser side effect them the action of the drug. Take for exam­ple, the commonly used drug, aspirin. When a headache strikes, aspirin is usually the first thing many people turn to. Does it relieve their pain? Yes. But. what most people don't realize, when taking aspirin, is the same drug that just relieved their headache also caused their stomach to bleed a tea-spoonful of blood. A teaspoonful of stomach bleeding every now and then may seem like a small price to pay for headache relief, but fast-forward this picture twenty years, and the avid aspirin user will most certainly devel­op severe internal bleeding or ulcers. Similar harmful and even fatal effects are caused by other legal drugs. Also, by consuming drugs, whether they be over-the-counter or prescrip­tion, a person is covering the symp­tom, rather than addressing the root of the problem. Could you imagine hav­ing a fire alarm in your house, hearing the alarm go off (signaling there is a fire), then cutting the wires to the alarm because you didn't want to hear the noise any more? Of course, this action would be absurd, because the whole purpose of the alarm is to alert you when there is a fire in your house. However, many people perform the equivalent when they ingest drugs after experiencing pain. They want a quick fix that will ease their discom­fort. What they fail to realize is the pain they are feeling is their body's way of telling them that something is wrong. Contrary to what the practice of many individuals may suggest, illness and disease are not the result of drug deficiencies. Therefore, no matter how many drugs a person consumes, though they may receive temporary pain relief, they will not cure the prob- .■in and. in fact, will even make mat-lers worse. What alternatives are available? In the United States, almost two mil-lion people die each year from dis­eases that the Surgeon General calls ! "highly preventable". If this is the case, then how can these diseases be prevented? The answer lies a great deal in proper nutrition and specific supplementation. Instead of ingesting drugs, one must eat a balanced diet and supplement with whole food vita­mins, minerals, and enzymes in order to achieve and maintain optimal health. Since only the nutrients found in foods can give the cells what they need to help heal the body and prevent disease, it is vital that one use and rec­ommend only those supplements that are made from whole foods. On the other hand, synthetic supplements must be avoided like the plague, since they are not only devoid of vital nutri­ents, but also cause drug-like effects in the body. Numerous studies have shown the remarkable healing powers of supple­ments in their most complete and nat­ural form. One recent study, conduct­ed at the University of Liege in Bel­gium, demonstrated the remarkable effects that glucosamine sulfate has on individuals with arthritis. The test group used in this study consisted of 212 individuals with arthritic knees. Over a period of three years, half of the study group consumed 1.500 mil­ligrams of glucosamine sull'ate a day, while the other hall' consumed dummy pills. In order to gauge how the dis­ease was progressing, researchers com­pared the test subject's X-rays through­out the three-year period. The results showed that "patients assigned to glu­cosamine experienced significant improvements in pain and disability that were sustained for the three years of the study, whereas the scores among the placebo group worsened." In healthcare, the "available" option is not always the "best" option. The Surgeon General once stated that. "You. the individual, can do more for your health and well being than any doctor, any hospital, any drug, or any exotic medical device". Is this to say that doctors, hospitals, drugs, or med­ical inventions are unnecessary? No. of course not. But. as a health care professional, the only way you can provide your patients with optimal health is to motivate them to adopt a more health-conscious lifestyle. In preventing and treating pain, sick­ness, and disease, there are many options to choose from. Just because an option is available, though, does not necessarily mean it should be used as a first resort. In the medical realm, just as in any aspect of life, there is a time and a season for all things. When a patient visits a chiropractor because they are experiencing pain, it is com­mon to want to perform the appropriate adjustments, then send the patient on his or her way. However, if a patient is still experiencing discomfort and pain, the chances that they will use an anti-inflammatory or other drug are very high. Consequently, if you are not recommending a safe alternative to your patients, you are essentially promoting drug use. A truly wholis-tic health care professional should be concerned not only with addressing symptoms and relieving immediate pain, but also in balancing the body and helping their patients achieve opti­mal health safely and effectively. In order to accomplish this when treating a patient, the following hierar­chical order of health priorities must be followed: Lifestyle mmM neat ions and physical medicine (adjustments, massage, etc.): Therapeutic nutrition (foods, juicing): Therapeutic supplementation; Over-the-counter drugs; Prescription drugs; Surgery. By following this priority list, when a patient comes to you in pain, you would first perform the necessary adjustments to relieve pain and dis­comfort. Then, you would recommend certain lifestyle modifications to the patient, in order to ensure that your adjustments hold effectively. You would also make specific nutrition and supplementation recommendations. As you can see from the list, over-the-counter and prescription drugs, as well as surgery, are at the bottom of the list, meaning they would only be used in extreme cases where warranted by severe circumstances. Thomas Edison once said. "The doc­tor of the future will give no medicine. but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, in diet, and in the cause and prevention of disease." In order to become u "doctor of the future", it is imperative that you provide your patients with alterna­tives to over-the-counter and pre­scription drugs, as well as synthetic supplements. If you do not currently recommend lifestyle, nutrition, and supplementation programs to your patients as an alternative to drugs, you are inhibiting their ability to achieve optimal health. I challenge you to implement a system that will allow you quickly and easily to educate your patients about the health priority list and motivate them to follow it. By so doing, both you and your patients will see dramatic results! Doug Grant is a degreed nutritionist and the President of Optimal Health Systems, a customized health company that creates lifestyle, nutrition, and therapeutic supplementation programs for doctors and professional athletic teams throughout the world. Doug can be reached at: www. oplimalhealthsystenis.com or by calling (800) 890-4547. 0