Don’t Let Hype Turn You Against Nutritional Supplements

As a pleased consumer of nutritional supplements, I share the concern of skeptics who scoff at “wonder cures.” They give legitimate manufacturers and knowledgeable practitioners a bad name. Nutritional supplements don’t cure anything. The best only help the body heal itself; even then, they have limited success if other, undiagnosed conditions exist or if the primary illness is too advanced.

Despite my frustration with some natural health supporters, I am proud to have persevered enough in my research to develop a regimen that has made a difference in my life.

After years of ridicule from mainstream practitioners, who refused to believe that I was ill, I began research into natural health and sought help from practitioners in various natural disciplines. After several years of trial and error and patience, I have improved considerably.

Any improvement is better than the life I had before. I spent half of each day in bed—after awakening for the day—and seldom left my apartment. I couldn’t wash my hair, put dishes in the dishwasher, or attend church on a regular basis. I do all those things now and more.

Each day I write and help care for an aging parent. Last month I attended my 30-year high school class reunion and danced until 11:30 p.m. Recovering from that experience took most of the following week, but much less activity would’ve landed me in bed for a month in the not-so-distant past.

Many mainstream professionals are embracing natural practices because what they have been taught is not working for the ever-increasing number of chronically ill patients in this country. Older civilizations with healthier populations than ours have used some of these practices for years. Who are we to claim they don’t work?

Even the Journal of the American Medical Association (AMA), once steadfastly opposed to nutritional supplements, stated in 2002 that most Americans don’t obtain optimal amounts of essential nutrients through diet alone and should supplement with a multiple vitamin.

Of course, as with any service or product, caveat emptor (buyer beware) should be your guide. To help sort through all the hype, consult my previous post, which contains links to valuable resources.

Please don’t allow yourself to suffer needlessly. Think about seeking help from someone who is trained in natural practices. You may be pleasantly surprised.

Fatima Hyder edited this post, which originally appeared as a comment to a post on Dx: Unknown.