Day 25 - Read This Before You Go Natural

In the December 2010 issue of Health Magazine, the article "Read This Before You Go Natural" talks about how using natural cures/supplements may be jeopardizing our health (pg 120-123, 164-166).

According to Health Magazine, "Many health-conscious women assume that natural remedies are safer, healthier, and just plain better than conventional medicine." In fact, in a poll taken on Health.com,  83% of women take some type of supplement at least occasionally, and 56% said they believe these products are safer for you than prescription or over-the-counter drugs.

In the last 10 to 15 years, there has been a shift where people no longer want to just use drugs to mask symptoms. Rather, we want to figure out the underlying problems such as nutritional deficiencies, which are making the conditions worse. Therefore, people are turning more and more to natural remedies to cure these conditions. "But", according to Health, "the belief that natural is always good and more natural is even better can lead us to take alarming risks, treating these supplements like food without considering the potential side effects many have."

According to MD Alexander Kulick, 90% of his patients come into their first consultation with "an entire bag of supplements, and quite often they have no idea what they're taking." He continues by saying that "they assume that because these products are labeled as dietary supplements, they can take as much as they want without worrying about side effects, drug or supplement interactions, or overdoses. But the reality is, some of these natural remedies are pretty powerful stuff." Therefore, it is especially important for us to know how to use these natural supplements smartly and safely.

So here, according to Health Magazine, is what every smart woman must know about going natural safely:

1. Keeping your doctor out of the loop is a risky move. In another poll administered on Health.com, only 31% of respondents say they always discuss their supplement use with their doctors, the majority of people do not! In fact, it may not even occur to many of us that we should. But why don't we since these supplements also affect our health? Health believes there are many reasons for our silence when it comes to our doctors. One reason is that the availability of natural supplements from places like the drugstore, nutritionists, spas, and even salons make natural supplements seem harmless and out of the realm of a medical doctor. But unknown to many supplement takers, most supplements on the market have potential aversive effects, just like prescription drugs. Another reason for our lack of telling our doctors about our supplement use is because of the short amounts of time we actually spend with a doctor. On average, research shows that a doctor will spend about 7.5 minutes with their patients. However, these patients that go to the health-food store spend more like 15 minutes with the store sales clerk discussing a product. Unfortunately, attention does not always equal expertise. "Most sales staff", according to an investigation from the U.S. Government Accountability Office published in May, "at herbal supplement retailers often gave incorrect or even potentially harmful advice." It is important that we talk with our medical doctors about supplement use in order to fully understand the side effects and interactions they may have with any other medications we are taking.
2. Natural cures can interact with your medications, or with each other. One of the main risk factors with taking supplements are the dangerous interactions they can have with other medications or with each other, especially if you don't let your doctor know what supplements you are taking! "Even some of the most innocuous-seeming of these products", Health tells us, "can lead to problems when combined with medications. Fish oil, for example, can cause problems if used before surgery or at the same time as anticoagulant drugs, because high doses of fish oil may slow blood clotting." Another example is when taking two supplements together, such as ginkgo and folic acid, which can increase the risk of seizures. It is important to know every side effect of both the supplements and the medications you are taking in order to stay away from these dangerous combined effects.
3. Supplements aren't a substitute for medicine. A lot of times, women are hesitant to go on prescription medications because of the cost, side effects, or the label of illness. However, according to Dr. Edwards who has had experience with patients deciding to go off medications for blood pressure or cholesterol and to take only supplements, untreated high blood pressure or cholesterol levels can have extreme aversive effects as well; including damage to the heart and blood vessels and even damage to the eyes, brain, and kidneys. It is important to remember that supplements are not intended to treat diseases. In fact, according to Health, "FDA regulations prohibit manufacturers from labeling them as treating, preventing, or curing a disease or condition." So make sure to take your doctors advice on medications intended to treat any disease you may encounter rather than using supplements to attempt to cure it.
4. The Internet doesn't have a medical degree. According to Health, "many of us are getting our info primarily from the Internet." In fact, according to a poll on Health.com, 83% of respondents claim they go online for information about what supplements to take and 53% say the web is the #1 place they go to for learning about natural cures. While the internet is full of information, some of that information can also be misleading; such as information on dosages of different vitamins. Some sites will advise you to ingest a higher dosage that is actually good for you, which can cause severely averse effects such as headaches, bone and joint pain, liver damage, or even birth defects for pregnant moms. Therefore, you should always seek advice from a multitude of sources. The internet can be a valuable resource of good information, but it is even better when coupled with advice from an expert.
5. There's such a things as too much natural. Sometimes, when we are taking supplements we can actually get a higher amount of certain vitamins than is actually recommended. With fat-soluble vitamins this can actually be dangerous because they are being stored up in the body rather than excreted when the max is met. In addition to the supplements, many of the foods and beverages we consume can also add to the amounts of vitamins and minerals we are getting, which can cause further imbalances in nutrients in our bodies. It is important, therefore, to be totally aware of the vitamins and minerals we consume through both our supplements and our diet in order to prevent ourselves from overdosing on them.
6. You can take them safely. According to Health, "Experts stress that both conventional and alternative medicine can be a part of a healthy life, provided you take a few precautions." First, we need to check with our doctor or a pharmacist before we start on any new supplements. When looking for information online, Health tells us to look mostly at impartial, research-backed sites; such as those sponsored by the NIH. These will mostly be sites ending in .org or .edu. We are also advised to never replace a medication we have been prescribed with a supplement unless our doctor explicitly tells us it is OK to do so, and to always let them know when you experience any unusual symptoms. Finally, we have to be careful to stay in a happy medium between medicine and natural supplements. It is never a good thing to go too extreme on either side. After all, according to Health, "remedies and harms can come from both test tubes and tree leaves."

Today's Workout: Unfortunately, today I was still sick with Strep Throat and in no way, shape, or form ready to start working out. If you are feeling up to a workout though, I recommend doing a swim workout today. Go back to a previous post from a Tuesday for an idea for a good workout.

Today's Food Tip: Yesterday was my dad's birthday and for his dinner we made mashed potatoes, roast beef, carrots, and rolls. Today we got to have the leftovers for dinner. If you ever make a good roast beef, one of my favorite next-day-meals is a roast beef sandwich. All you have to do is toast up some bread, pile on some re-warmed up roast beef, put some potatoes on top if you have any left over, and then pour gravy overtop the whole thing. You can sprinkle on some salt and pepper for taste. Then just dig in and enjoy!

Today's Relaxation Activity: After not feeling well for almost two whole weeks, I decided to take a nice, hot bath this evening and I would highly recommend it to you. Grab your current book or favorite magazine, put on some relaxing tunes (I had Enya playing), and just relax in a hot bubble bath. It'll help warm your muscles up and sooth them while making you feel fresh! The perfect thing to do for relaxing!