Nutritional Supplements, Diet and Disease – is there evidence? An Integrated Perspective

Nutritional Supplements, Diet and Disease – is there evidence? An Integrated Perspective

Dr. Michael Wald, Director of Nutrition at Integrated Medicine of Mount Kisco, P.C.

914-242-8844, www.intmedny.com

So your doctor says that there is no evidence to support the use of nutrition and nutritional supplements for the prevention and treatment of disease? There is an old saying, “ignorance is bliss”!  I say that although ignorance may be bliss, it is no excuse to give false information. Read for yourself what I have provided so that you, as a health care consumer, can make an informed choice – your life may depend upon it.

Below we have provided just a few examples of links to the National Library of Medicine, a trusted source of scientific studies on virtually every condition and topic of scientific and health interest.  It is not possible to provide a more thorough accounting of scientific evidence than that already present on this or other medical databases. Therefore, you are free to search www.pubmedny.com (the website for the National Library of Medicine) for scientific articles on topics of interest. These articles are provided in abstract form (outlines) of the full scientific studies and sometimes free complete articles are provided.

Studies are based on averages of individuals or animals or other types of methods and are not necessarily applied to the population at large or your individual needs specifically. It is up to the practicing clinician to apply this information using careful history taking, individual testing and other methods of biochemical individualization.  Not all of the studies provided below or on scientific websites like PubMed are all in support of natural or nutritional approaches, nor are these studies entirely supporting the use of the prevailing medical treatments or theories. Once again, it is the job of the practitioner to use the scientific literature as a guide determining if and when it is best applied to the individual (you).  Just because a study on vitamin E, or vitamin C is negative (shows it is useless or harmful) does not mean that under a different circumstance it is not helpful and very useful. All too often in our opinion, practitioners who are not scientifically minded, or are bias, pressured by their profession, impatient or for other reasons fail to appreciate the scientific value of natural therapies; sometimes they (nutritional therapies) are dismissed simply because they were not taught in medical school. Few medical schools n the United States teach adequate nutrition; the average school providing less than 4-hrs of training .

Our office appreciates the fact that medical specialties serve a valuable purpose, but are also limited by their compartmentalized approach to the “whole-person”. Our office researches the medical and nutritional literature for information that may be applied to individuals and then tests (i.e, blood work or other tests) how this information may be developed as part of a natural healing plan.  Putting it all together is a special modality that we have practice; we like to call it holistic-mindedness.  Even the smartest, most compassionate and dedicated medical physicians in a given area of medicine will fall short if they fail to appreciate the interconnectedness, in fact, the “oneness” or “sameness” of the individual patient and providing health care (and not merely disease care) that considers their genetics, current diet, health goals, medications, individual test results and other factors.  This approach is truly the health care of the future as we practice it today.  Confused by the difference of opinion found in books, on the news and among practitioners (even naturally-oriented one’s) that do not practice a truly integrated holistic approach? Well, you should be!  By individualizing our treatments with our blood detective approach, our patience and dedication we can “cut through” the confusion (often based on studies of “average people”) applying our knowledge and efforts to you…the individual.

When someone says to us, “My doctor said that nutrition is a waste. There is no science behind it. It is a waste of time” and that “there is no proof “ – we hardly know how to respond. Just look at the number of studies that appear a the end of each of the scientific links below.  These links are among literally thousands that are found on Pubmed and other search engines.  Considering the confusion among many medical professionals, and the scientific evidence and concepts presented herein, it comes down to (we think) of a matter of trust and common sense. The body requires nutrition to heal. Drugs provide symptomatic help, but do not replace good nutrition and perhaps nutritional supplements.

You are welcome to contact Dr. Michael Wald, the supervisor of nutritional services at Integrated of Mount Kisco, P.C. for further information about the use of diet and nutritional supplements for prevention and treatment of disease at 914-242-8844. Visit Integrated Medicine’s website at: www.intmedny.com.