Even Nutritional Medicine Can Cause Devastating Damage

I just watched the BBC report where nutritional therapy caused brain damage to a person. This was by a graduate from a nutritional therapy slimming program.

It is clear that the truth was spun and comments taken out of context. And the expert that stated that giving more Iodine will cause hyperthyroidism is just hypocritical. She seems has never had the chance of hearing about homeostasis.

Having said all that this does not removes the fact that how bad can things go even with “natural therapy.” Even when only using water, food and food supplements. Mainstream medicine is not immune of such disasters. US Institute of Medicine 1999 report: To Err is Human reports 44-99 thousands US hospital deaths because of medical mistakes!

However there is no excuse for causing such a devastating damage. I think if we truly believed in nutritional medicine, we should train new graduate well. In mainstream medicine this is what happen. A licensed physician passes through years of directly supervised training. It is my opinion that this should be emulated.

Why does ‘mom’ plant packs nutrients in its seeds?

Imagine a mother getting her child a lunchbox. Both moms (human and seeds producing plant) want to make sure that their children have enough food to get them through few hours, a day, or more.

Let have a look at what mom plant packs in its seed:
minerals
vitamins
antioxidants
fat
starch
proteins
etc..

Are you a good mom if you do not pack all of these; without exceptions and in the right proportions?

Eating Incomplete Food is a Form of Theft

At a certain level we all agree that to metabolize a given amount of carbohydrates, fats, or proteins, we need to consume essential nutrients; mainly vitamins and minerals.
Every-time a meal does not provide these vitamins and minerals your body must use its reserves. In other words when you eat that piece of seemingly innocent cake, it is stealing from your reserves (if present.)
I can even-rephrase it further:
when we rob our food from their nutrients, as in the process of producing white wheat, food turns around and robs us.

How to use Clinical Trials in Nutritional Medicine?

Image via Wikipedia

Few days ago I had the pleasure of watching a nutricentre  webcast for Linda Lazarides, author and course director at the School of Modern Naturopathy

Lazardies dedicated the first 20 minutes or so for her take on how to integrate clinical trials in nutritional medicine. I am not qualified to assess a person as Lazardies, but I must declare my humble opinion. Lazardies take on the integration of medical research in nutrition is thought provoking and insightful (which is expected from a person of her stature). I see her opinion as one of the missing links I was searching for to formulate my own opinion for the proper scientific methodology to formulate and advance nutritional therapy.

Lazarides mentioned three points relating to clinical trials, yet the third is the most poignant and deserves deep thinking. Please note that I am extensively rephrasing:

Let assume you read a trial for giving pyridoxine (vitamin B6) for premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and the trial shows benefit. Would this lead to you recommending vitamin B6 to PMS sufferers?

If you are interested in Lazarides answer than continue reading. However, I will first mention Lazarides first two points.

NEJM Article: I am Astonished to the Ignorance by Medical Researchers to Basic Facts About the Food We Eat!

Image via WikipediaLeaving aside the outcome of this study and what it means, I am astonished to the ignorance of basic chemical facts about polyunsaturated fatty acids as EPA and DHA used in this study? The ignorance of the fact that polyunsaturated fatty acids are unstable compounds unless handled appropriately. Mishandling of polyunsaturated fatty acids can convert them into the dangerous trans-fatty acids!

In short, this study compared margarines’ that post myocardial infarction (MI) patients would eat with margarines with added low dose two omega three fatty acids; EPA and DHA. (usually present in cold seas fish as salmon and cod) These patients were kept on the standard post MI drugs. In the published article there is no mention of how was this margarine used and handled. For anyone with knowledge about the chemistry of fatty acids, this information is vital to know if patients truly consumed EPA and DHA or altered ones.

N–3 Fatty Acids and Cardiovascular Events after Myocardial Infarction — NEJM

Good Research that is Unable to Go all the Way

Image via Wikipedia

Again a very nice podcast by Michael Krasny on KQED. It is an interview with Dr. Dr. Dean Ornish. The show brings good news and shows a path to disseminating nutritional treatment, however, also illustrates a fundamental problem with orthodox approach to nutrition.
First the good news: medicare and medicaid, the US Governmetal organizations that deliver free health care to the elderly and poor, will pay for lifestyle programs that diet is one of their cornerstones. This shows that a government organization is willing to considered the available evidence that proves that nutrition can be used successfully for the treatment of illness.
In my first paragraph, I eluded that Dr. Ornish approach goes in-line with orthodox approach. This is not totally fair. Dr. Ornish approach is a bit of a departure. He advocates the use of nutrition and lifestyle as a central tool for the treatment of illness, which most of orthodox medicine do not agree with. He conducted randomised controlled trial that was published in the Lancet in 1990 with a follow up published in JAMA in 1998, that shows reversal of coronary artery atherosclerosis with nutrition. Publishing of his papers in these two reputable medical journals speaks to the quality of Dr. Ornish work. It is actually surprising that not enough attention is paid to his work.

Do not Fall in the Evidence Based Medicine Trap

Human subtlety...will never devise an invention more beautiful, more simple or more direct than does nature, because in her inventions nothing is lacking, and nothing is superfluous

Leonardo de Vinci

I just bought a book titled "an evidence-based approach to dietary phytochemicals" by Higdon for the Linus Pauling Institute. The title is very attractive Having the term “evidence-based” in the title justified spending $ 57 for the book. The book covers a number of phytochemicals; ones with studies supporting them. I still think the book is worth having. But, I do think using the term “evidence-based” in the title is worth nothing more than its marketing value.

Orthodox medicine uses the term evidence-based medicine (EBM) for a specific purpose, which is not addressed in this book. The book uses this term to emphasize that the claims presented in the book are supported by research. But, this is not EBM as per the people who coined the term. Here, I am not taking orthodox medicine off the hook. I believe that the term EBM is also abused in orthodox medicine literature. You can check my post.