(April 2009) - Millions of people in North America take vitamins to improve their health. In fact, so many people are using so-called alternative therapies that medical students now learn about them in school.
"All medical schools recognize that a big proportion of our patients—a third to one half—are using complementary and alternative therapies outside the mainstream of medicine," says Dr. David Rayner, associate dean of undergraduate medical education at the University of Alberta.
Orthomolecular medicine, which promotes health and treats illness and stress with diet and dietary supplements, has been around for 40 years, says Jonathan Prousky, a naturopathic doctor and professor of clinical nutrition at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine (CCNM). "I certainly advocate for good nutrition and good eating . . . but food alone, including organic food, doesn't do it (provide nutrients in large enough doses)." This is especially true when the diets of the vast majority of North Americans don't meet daily nutritional requirements.
Dr. Prousky sees children as young as four or five with learning behaviors or ear infections, and elderly people looking for help with their arthritis or memory problems. When a patient is on prescription drugs, he confers with their doctor before prescribing any vitamins, minerals or amino acids, and vice versa.
"People look for non-drug approaches. Wouldn't you feel better as a person using naturally occurring substances that are typically found in your body, as opposed to a foreign chemical?"
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Bastyr UniversityBoucher Institute of Naturopathic MedicineCanadian College of Naturopathic MedicineNational College of Natural MedicineNational University of Health SciencesSouthwest College of Naturopathic MedicineUniversity of Bridgeport