CLINICAL NUTRITION

If bad nutrition can cause disease, then it is only logical that good nutrition can be used to cure disease.

In addition to curing “nutrient-specific” malnutrition, many supplements have a physiologic effect in the body.  It may cause our bodies to function more efficiently and allow us heal from a condition that had been bothering us.

In fact, this effect is often mimicked by pharmaceutical companies in the laboratory and then patented.  The difference is that the natural substances can provide many of the benefits of the drugs, but are naturally-formed and thus easier on the body.  Synthetic chemicals mimic these natural substances, but do so imperfectly and can result in serious side-effects.  For example, the “statin drugs” used to manage cholesterol are derived from a natural substance found in Asia called “Red Yeast Rice” which has a similar effects in the body by improving the body’s function.

Many approach their use of food and supplements in a haphazard fashion.  They may eat a certain way or supplement with something “because they heard it works for such-and-such.”   Most don’t achieve the kind of success they want because they are unwittingly doing things to counteract their recovery.  This why such interventions should be guided by a knowledgeable provider.

The biggest error we see in people trying this approach to health is in the use of lower-quality supplements.   Walmart, Target, Walgreen’s and other big national brands are not tested by an objective third-party.  That means you may be able 5-gallon bucket of a supplement, but likely has very little real effect in the body.  There is very little regulation on supplements.  Legally, these large companies are not required to meet the requirements of their own labels.  That means they could have 5% of the active ingredient actually in the bottle and still sell it.

Another error people typically make is in the belief that a “One-a-day” Multivitamin is enough to keep them nutritionally sound.  It isn’t.  A One-A-Day will help keep your “status quo” but it isn’t enough to overcome a nutritional deficit for you.  The Recommended Daily Allowances listed on Vitamins and Foods are badly in need of revision, especially in the areas of Folic Acid, B12, EPA/DHA and trace minerals like Selenium and Chromium.  The companies that make these multivitamins simply cannot get enough into that single tiny pill to make a difference.  It is physically and chemically impossible!  One-A-Day’s like “Centrum” use sub-optimal versions of nutrients like Vitamin A instead of Beta Carotene and Vitamin D2 instead of D3, the dl-alpha-tocopherol form of Vitamin E instead of the d-alpha-tocopherol version.

Confusing isn’t it?  That is why it helps to have someone walk through it with you.  Many of the health problems you face could be a direct result of some error in your eating or supplement regimen.  Sadly, most MD’s are ill-equipped to perform this service.  Clinical Nutrition is often an elective in Medical School, one that most opt not to take.  Medical Doctor’s education centers on the use of pharmaceuticals, not the use of supplements and many may offer advice that they are not qualified to give.

A Nutritional Consultation involves taking a thorough health history, providing a patient with a “Comprehensive Health Questionnaire” and “3-day Food Diary,” and if necessary scheduling a time to collect a lab sample.  When all the data is collected, the doctor will formulate a Nutritional Treatment Plan.  Nutritional Treatment Plans are designed to be simple, easy-to-follow, and are based on scientific data indicating  the supplements efficacy.  Make no mistake, we are using nutrition to cure, prevent, and treat disease.

Call today to find out how Clinical Nutritional Therapy may be useful in helping you reach your health goals.