As a cancer survivor who turned down chemotherapy 21 years ago, I’m always interested to hear about others who advocate natural medicine. Suzanne Somers is at the top of my list and I was thrilled to hear she was asked to be a guest on the O’Reilly Factor. Of course, she too, is unhappy about the McCain Supplement Safety Bill, and probably equally unhappy about Mr. O’Reilly’s response. Mr. O’Reilly feels the government should at least monitor what is in the supplements and require warning labels. That makes sense, but do we really believe government control would stop there?
So here is what bothers me the most about Mr. O’Reilly’s argument and it is so typical of why we are all falling prey to degenerative diseases. Apparently, rather than succumb to a pharmaceutical drug to lower his cholesterol, he tried another “quick fix” which he considered to be a natural alternative – red yeast. After a few months of taking the red yeast, his doctor discovered his liver enzymes were spiking and Mr. O’Reilly was angry that he had not been warned there would be any side effects. So what is wrong with this picture? Did his doctor make an exhaustive effort to find out why Mr. O’Reilly had high cholesterol in the first place? Was his high cholesterol an indicator of inflammation? If there was damage or weakening of the arterial walls, cholesterol would do what it could to repair the damage. Why would we think a pill of any kind could fix the problem . . in other words, why would we just “shoot the messenger?” It is the reason tests for inflammation indicators, e.g. homosysteine and c-reactive protein have gained favor as indicators for potential heart disease. Prior to taking any kind of cholesterol suppressant we all need to fully understand why we have cholesterol, how the pills work and what happens when levels are too low? (It is the base of our sex hormones, if that tells you anything!)
My heart goes out to those well-meaning patrons of the supplement stores who wander in and are at the mercy of the clerk behind the counter. Without a comprehensive education in nutrition and a sound understanding of our own bodies, how would be know what to ask for? Balancing hormone levels, tracking adrenal and thyroid function, sugar regulation and colon health are all essential to our making intelligent choices. Finding a doctor or nutritionist who can guide us in this area of natural medicine, however, is a challenge all its own. So you can get this into better perspective, may I suggest you read Jack Challem’s book, “The Inflammation Syndrome.” (I noticed Amazon is offering a special on it today.)
If you have read any of Ms. Somers books or just taken a good look at her, it’s obvious this lady has done her homework. To me she is one of the real heroes. Until we start educating ourselves on the long-range side effects of many of the pharmaceutical drugs, insist on accurate diagnosis rather than symptom management, and acknowledge the benefits of natural supplementation in supporting the body during times of stress, we will likely continue to be the unhealthiest industrialized nation in the world.