A few years ago, I was talking to one of my ex-wife’s ( we were still married then), very good friend. I was talking to her about wellness screening and early prevention. Like many Asian ladies who feel what they don’t know won’t hurt them, she said, “ I really rather not know. That way, I can carry on doing what I am doing” Barely six months later, she discovered she had a lump in her breast and she had to do a needle biopsy. Fortunately for her, the lump was benign. It could have very easily been otherwise.
Contrast this with a Spanish lady from Thailand who flew in to consult me after discovering she had a small lump that was cancerous. Her lifestyle was okay, her diet was better than mine and no one had any idea why she developed her cancer. She was smart enough after the surgery to remove the lump not to “Let sleeping dogs lie”. She wanted to get to the root cause. In the end we discovered that the smoking gun was a badly leaking mercury filling that was situated in the tooth related to the stomach meridian. For those who have no idea of acupuncture, the Stomach Meridian is one of the few meridians that passes along the pathway of the breast. Most breast cancers have a dental link, either a badly leaking mercury filling or a root canal gone bad.
The American Medical Association after saying for 40 years that three square meals a day could feed your nutritional needs, has totally reversed this stand. The statement below totally repudiates that stand. The AMA has been forced to revise its views in light of the new evidence. They say it takes 25 years before a new idea takes hold in medicine. In 25 years every medical doctor will be studying nutrition thoroughly. Currently average medical education spends 7 to 12 hours out of a 7 year education on food, vitamins, minerals and health. Can you afford to wait for 25 years before your GP has the “right” education to help you prevent illness?
“ Vitamin deficiency syndromes such as scurvy and beriberi are uncommon in modern (Western) societies. However, suboptimal intake of some vitamins, above levels causing classic vitamin deficiency, is a risk factor for chronic diseases and common …… especially the elderly. Suboptimal folic acid levels, along with suboptimal levels of vitamins B6 and B12, are a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, neural tube defects, and colon and breast cancer; low levels of vitamin D contribute to osteopenia and fractures; and low levels of the antioxidant vitamins (vitamins A, E, and C) may increase risk for several chronic diseases. ……it appears prudent for all adults to take vitamin supplements…….. Physicians should make specific efforts to learn about their patients’ …. to ensure that they are taking vitamins they should, such as folate supplementation for women in the childbearing years, and avoiding dangerous practices such as high doses of vitamin A during pregnancy or massive doses of fat-soluble vitamins at any age. “ (JAMA. 2002;287:3127-3129)
I saw this young lady who said she had a lump in her breast. She refused to have it X-rayed or scanned. I felt that I could not responsibly treat someone without appropriate testing. She opted to work with someone else who promised that her condition would clear up. This someone kept selling her health products for two years giving her the impression that her cancer would improve. She survived for two years and then her cancer went out of control. What would have been a fairly simple issue with the correct surgical intervention with nutritional follow up became a death dealing downward spiral.
Every other week I see a new young autistic child in my practice. Most of these children which I am treating will within 1.5 years will be unrecognizably positively changed in their physical, mental and emotional ability. They will have the ability to increase their educational and emotional horizons in a way their untreated brothers and sisters will not have.
Meanwhile there will be mainstream doctors saying nothing can be done and you have to live with it and complementary and alternative physicians saying that they can do “something” when the reality is that they do not understand what they are dealing with. I attended a International Homeoepathic Conference of mostly classical homeopaths who were still trying to treat autistic cases using classical homeoepathy. Than I heard about acupunturists from China who were claiming to treat autism with acupuncture. Nether group had done any kind of serious formal research to document the effectiveness of their study. I found this really sad. Parents will be given false hope. When these methods fail to provide results, there will be a backlash (like there was in Singapore) and someone will deliver a blanket statement that non of these methods work for “Autism” Its absolutely amazes me how such definitive comments are passed.
What you can do for yourself in the event of having a significant health issue? Educate yourself. Find out what is the standard medical approach? What are the success rates. What are the down sides? Check for complementary approaches to the problem. Explore exactly the same issues, the plus and minuses. Talk to physicians that you trust from both camps about what their experiences are. See if you can find a consensus approach. There are very few absolutes. If someone says that they all the answers on one topic, it may be possible. If they purport to be an authority on a whole scope of unrelated medical conditions, its time to be careful.
Nothing of course beats pre-emptive wellness care. Eat wisely. Exercise appropriately and for long enough (but not too long). Make sure you are taking enough supplements.
And no, taking just 1000 mg of Vitamin C and nothing else is not appropriate supplementation. Make sure that you are taking Vitamins and Minerals. If you are older than 35, ensure you have digestive enzymes and probiotics as well together with a broad spectrum essential fatty acids (Omega 3, 6 and 9). Ensure that you do some form of wellness screening especially after 35 apart from the standard medical testing. What happens after this? Make sure that you have a life worth living. Meaningful work, a happy family. Friends that share your interests and you can have deep conversations with.
A deep meaningful spiritual connection in whatever way that speaks to you. And yes curiosity and an open mind.
Be well
Dr Sundardas