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Another great thing that can help with digestive issues that you can use as a digestive enzyme before meals, have it with meals on salads or take to stop acid reflux.... is raw unfiltered organic apple cider vinegar. Bragg's Raw Apple Cider Vinegar
It works like magic for acid reflux which I have rarely (only if really over eating rich foods and drink late at night) and it stops it in minutes when ever I use it. I should take it with meals to absorb more nutrients but haven't gotten into to the habit of it yet. People think that the reason they have acid reflux is that their stomach is over-acid but actually there isn't ENOUGH acid in your stomach to break down the food. People after the age of 40 stop producing as much acid evidently and supplementation is recommended to help break down your food and help your body absorb the nutrients from your food.
Another great thing that can help with digestive issues that you can use as a digestive enzyme before meals, have it with meals on salads or take to stop acid reflux.... is raw unfiltered organic apple cider vinegar. Bragg's Raw Apple Cider Vinegar
It works like magic for acid reflux which I have rarely (only if really over eating rich foods and drink late at night) and it stops it in minutes when ever I use it. I should take it with meals to absorb more nutrients but haven't gotten into to the habit of it yet. People think that the reason they have acid reflux is that their stomach is over-acid but actually there isn't ENOUGH acid in your stomach to break down the food. People after the age of 40 stop producing as much acid evidently and supplementation is recommended to help break down your food and help your body absorb the nutrients from your food.
Digestive aids can be quite tricky, and you really need to know which issue you are experiencing in order to select the correct remedy. If you are suffering acid-reflux because of GERD/hiatal hernia or ulcers or hyperactive proton pumps, the absolute very last thing you want to do is ingest more acid (vinegar = acetic acid, coffe & tea = tannic acid). In those cases, digestive enzymes like papain or bromelain that help break down proteins and fats are more appropriate. There are many other enzymes available (they end in -ase) targeting specific food compositions (proteins, fats, etc). If you do have low gastric acids, the addition of dietary acids will help with acid indigestion; as will some additional dietary salt forms if your pancreas, liver and/or gall bladder are losing efficiency due to illness or age.
Research all symptoms and cross-reference diagnostic methods, or seek the advice of a qualified professional before self-medicating. You can die from a peptic (bleeding ulcer) or an impacted/tortioned bowel and many times chronic acid indigestion/reflux is the only obvious symptom. As a chronic ulcer, hyperactive proton pump sufferer who has been hospitalized due to peptic ulcers, I urge you to exercise caution with self-diagnosis and treatment.
There is essentially no difference between randomly popping a "magic bullet" whether it is a natural dietary supplement or a prescribed synthetic pharmaceutical. Natural remedies are still producing chemical and biological reactions in your body, you need to understand what they are and what they're doing and when they're appropriate... and when they are NOT. There is no "magic bullet" panacea cure-all that works for everything in all cases. Claims to the contrary are the the reason that many supplement and pharmaceutical companies have been sued and have been cracked down on through regulations and labeling.
TREAD LIGHTLY with this topic and be careful with the claims.
I also agree that USDA/FDA "approval" doesn't guarantee squat diddly. Good concept, poor implementation. There many many substances and methods that the "authorities" don't recommend simply because they haven't tested them, received any test data from elsewhere, or have a vested interested in not promoting. "Not Approved" does not automatically equal "Unsafe"... especially not when something has been used for all of recorded history or in other countries for long periods without incident.
Yeah, I hope I'm not getting off topic too much here, but this morning I went on the FDA website to look something up and after I found it I got distracted with reading the warnings on acetaminophen/Tylenol. My Lord, the stuff is dangerous! If you even take a little bit too much you can set yourself up for liver failure/death and if you have a cold or take pain meds for anything you have to be extremely careful to not take 2 or more products that all contain tylenol. I also read in a book recently that taking tylenol on a consistent basis can deplete your body of glutathione, an antioxidant that is produced in your liver and is much needed by all your body systems, but esp in the brain, where you need acetyl-choline, a neurotransmitter that is needed for learning and memory. Its depletion is thought to be responsible for alzheimer's! Mom took tylenol pm for years to sleep, and she has had memory problems for about that long and now seems to be going into full-fledged alzheimer's. But hey, the FDA lets it stay on the market and give it to little kids. I wonder why they think we should trust them?
Acetaminophen (Tylenol) can be quite toxic (esp. to the liver and kidneys) in high doses or if you are allergic/sensitive. Since it is a common ingredient in many pain relievers and cold medicines it is easy to accidentally ingest too much if you aren't reading the labels and warnings on what you're taking. However, if taken properly, it is one of the safer pain relievers and fever reducers on the market -- natural or pharmaceutical -- as it is not habit forming (unlike narcotics), it does not cause ulcers or metabolic issues (unlike most NSAIDS), and is not counterindicated for fevers in children (unlike aspirin/salicylic acid).
For comparison, feverfew (a natural pain/fever remedy which I take for migraines) can cause miscarriage, fetal abnormalities, gastric erosion, intestinal bloating, excessive bleeding, and withdrawal. Willowbark, contains salicylic acid and is the original form of aspirin, it has a whole slew of similar side effects and warnings.
That's why it's so important to understand what the active compound is in any treatment, how it works, and what the possible side-effects and risks are. I'm not a fan of the FDA for many reasons, but I am confident in their recommendations of acetaminophen NOW -- but I do feel they released and promoted it before fully understanding the risks, and didn't monitor how many OTC meds included it that could be commonly taken at the same time resulting in accidental mega/overdose. As with many other things, it ended up being an "oops" after several years on the market. That's why I take their advice and recommendations with a grain of salt and do my own research.
Dr Michael Murray NMD wrote the Encyclopedia of Natural Health. He has forgotten more about natural medicine than Dr Oz and Dr Weil know.
Talking about health care and sharing info about proven methods in this country is no different than it is when it comes to the economy or the presidential race. It is all about propaganda. God Forbid anyone get too much of the truth , so they discount Ron Paul because they don't want people to know what a sham our government is.
They elevate Romney and Perry who know next to nothing.
As far as the economy goes they want to brainwash the public into thinking Keynesianism is the only way to go despite it not working time and time and time again! So when they speak with the Austrian Economists like Peter Schiff (and Ron Paul) who have been right about the economy they STILL try to ridicule them even though THEY HAVE BEEN RIGHT ALL ALONG.
When it comes to natural medicine there are plenty of Naturopathic Doctors that have gone to medical school to study Naturopathy they could consult like Dr Murray DoctorMurray.com but NOOooooo. They only want to hear what medical doctors have to say who have never been trained in health or wellness at all in medical school. In fact I understand they take more courses IN CONVENTIONAL MEDICAL SCHOOL about how to invest all the money they'll be making as doctors than they do about diet.
The truth is we need both Modern Western medicine and Traditional Natural Medicine but we need to understand the strengths and LIMITATIONS of both. Contrary to popular misguided opinion, western medicine DOES NOT HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS. Its strengths lie in ACUTE care. Western Medicine SAVES LIVES of those ON THE BRINK OF DEATH. HOWEVER, it has precious little to offer to those with chronic and degenerative diseases except expensive Rx drugs that can cover up symptoms but not make you a single bit better! ON THE OTHER HAND, NATURAL MEDICINE CAN RESTORE YOUR ROBUST HEALTH IF YOU ARE PLAGUED WITH AN "INCURABLE" (by the medical establishment) DISEASE by knowing how to find the underlying cause and by then eliminating the cause.
What we need in this country that other countries have which explains why they not only spend less on health care but they have more to show for it with better health than we do is to FINALLY put Traditional Natural medicine on a level playing field with Modern Western medicine.
Another stupid objection I might throw in that doctors who don't read their medical journals constantly try to use is that natural medicine hasn't been scientifically proven. Well YES IT HAS. Just read the medical journals. It is all there. Another objection by Americans is that they don't "believe" in natural medicine. Well it isn't a believe system. It is science and there is measurable cause and effect.
I know that my naturopaths will provide all the double blind scientific studies anybody's doctor needs but often they say on their radio show, the patient brings the studies in and the medical doctor won't look at them. Imagine THAT reaction from someone you go to who you presume who is supposed to CARE about YOUR HEALTH! See? It is ALL ABOUT MONEY! It is PATHETIC really.
www.pcrm.org The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine is an organization of medical doctors who DO CARE who HAVE gone the extra mile who DO know the relationship to food and illness and there are plenty of studies at there site that show which foods cause which diseases.
Sheesh! Sorry I meant, Imagine getting that reaction from someone you presume cares about your health. I didn't meant to put so many "whos" in there. Also there are plenty of studies at their site (pcrm.org).
There is nothing I hate more than coming back to a post I wrote and finding stupid errors I missed by too quickly proof reading.
Sheesh! Sorry I meant, Imagine getting that reaction from someone you presume cares about your health. I didn't meant to put so many "whos" in there. Also there are plenty of studies at their site (pcrm.org).
There is nothing I hate more than coming back to a post I wrote and finding stupid errors I missed by too quickly proof reading.
Emily I thought that was a brilliant post and I'm sorry it didn't get the attention it deserved. Typos schtypos, and I'm an English teacher but I just don't care about that stuff on a forum unless I can't tell what you're trying to say.
Anyway, I agree that western medicine is acute care and they use chronic illnesses for their cash cows, much to our detriment. Better to stay out of their clutches and I could tell you some hair-raising stories, just from my own life. But I take a rather balanced approach too--I don't believe big pharma is the enemy but I don't trust them entirely either so when I have a health problem, I try to correct it myself rather than running to the doc every time I have a cold, just to get antibiotics for a virus. Then if I can't solve it I might go to the doc, lol.
I also agree with Missing that herbs are not as safe as water either and you do have to do your research. I've found this site to be useful: Sloan-Kettering - Search About Herbs It's a list of the herbs and what they're good for and side effects if any and the research that's been done to prove that the herb has the effects. It links right to the research papers so you can look it up yourself. I enjoyed some of your links and went off on a tangent there for awhile.
,,,,,People think that the reason they have acid reflux is that their stomach is over-acid but actually there isn't ENOUGH acid in your stomach to break down the food. People after the age of 40 stop producing as much acid evidently and supplementation is recommended to help break down your food and help your body absorb the nutrients from your food.
Not trying to debate. I will research into this as it is interesting.
I was prescribed anti-acids to fight it so I have to wonder.
I once lived a very stressful life, and I paid for it. I now have lupus. I also have had multiple surgeries to save my life and remove tissue that my own body killed, which caused me to go septic and die 3 times in the ER. My right eye now has a plastic lens in it because my own body ripped the lens apart, I have 2/3 of a colon (I call it my "semi-colon") left, no gall bladder, my teeth all had to be pulled, all due to massive and sudden infections that my immune system could not fight. I once got a sinus infection that, within hours, caused the whole left side of my face to swell, shutting my left eye. They gave me massive injections (I couldn't swallow pills because of the swelling) of antibiotics to keep the infection from spreading to my brain... I was unconscious for 3 days from that infection.
One of the main reasons I moved to the country was to purify my body. We cut out all artificial foods and especially the water we were getting downstream from a leaking nuclear waste depository that the EPA had deemed "safe" (but said we shouldn't eat more than 2 fish a month from the river to avoid hgh tritium levels - go figure that 'safety'). I had a 'flare' when I first moved here 3 years ago; but have had nothing since.
All of my neighbors here believe in homeopathy, even the doctors and nurses. We all debate the efficacy of our different brands of colloidal silver, many of us take the Melaleuka brand of vitamins because they really are supurb at not only their delivery system but in their immune-system building blocks. We also use their cleaning products, which are concentrated and based on organics, not caustic chemicals; and we use the tea tree oil that they sell for everything, from burns to my lupus lesions. Not a lot of herbs grow out here in the Sandhills, and not a lot of us put them in our gardens for that reason. But we trade recipes for homemade bread and pasta, and eat grass-fed 'organic' beef and pork (out here organic is a way of life; the cattle are all grassfed until they are sold to feedlots) as well as wildkill (we swap recipes for deer jerky and sausage too). We pickle everything, from beets and tomatoes and onions to horseradish and cucumbers, so we get a lot of vinegar into our diets.
It isn't just a more organic treatment for problems, but an organic lifestyle to prevent problems, that is necessary for healthy immune systems and a way of life.
Is there any info for fibromyalgia? I do not suffer from this condition, but I know several people who claim to.
Thanks for the thread emilybh.
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