Not having a ready answer and not wanting to just sell them something, I began to research the idea of preventative supplementation. Then I came upon a tape that was being sent around during those days entitled “Dead Doctors Don’t Lie,” written by Dr. Joel Wallach, a 1991 Nobel Prize nominee for his work in nutritional supplements. He had been a veterinarian for over 20 years before becoming a medical doctor and noted that when animals get sick we feed them healthy foods, but when people get sick we give them drugs.
Dr. Wallach further noted that every living thing will die for one of two things: an accident or a nutritional deficiency. When they finished mapping the human genome, the scientist stated that the genetic potential of mankind appeared to be about 120 years. In other words, if we die before we’re 120, it will be from an accident or a nutritional deficiency. So he began to research the nutritional needs of the average man. In his research, he stated that we need 60 different minerals, 16 vitamins, 12 essential amino acids, and three essential fatty acids in our diet every day to really stay healthy for life. And that doesn’t count the addition of other herbal supplements that may be needed to help combat “family histories” of disease. For example, you may need additional supplements if your family has a genetic history of cancer, heart disease, arthritis, etc.
And there’s a real sense of truth in the old adage “you are what you eat”. Your body isn’t going to function well on a daily diet of junk foods, fats, and sugars. And there are a couple of real problems in this area that we face today:
One: We don’t eat right. In the Bible in Genesis 1:29, God tells Adam and Eve “I give you every herb on the whole earth for your food.” Additionally, Dr. Paul Barney, in his book Clinical Applications of Herbal Medicine stated “In many cultures, there is no separation between food and medicine. In other words, food IS the medicine treating various conditions.” And Dr. Andrew Weil, in his book Spontaneous Healing, says “The body can heal itself [given the proper nutrients].”
Two: Even if we ate good, balanced meals all the time, the land no longer provides all the proper nutrients. For years we’ve stripped the minerals from the land and generally use on Nitrogen, Potassium, and Phosphorous (NK&P) in our fertilizers. These elements generally grow lovely fruiting plants, but their fruits can’t contain vitamins and minerals that aren’t available in their development. There are about half a dozen places in the world where people routinely live to be 100+ years of age. All of them are at high elevations where their crops are watered with glacial runoff – glacial water still has plenty of minerals.
So, like Dr. Joel Wallach, I believe the solution is supplements. Get all those he listed above every day and add supplements to help you ward off genetically potential future ailments. If you need help, remember we have five Naturopathic Doctors at The Health Patch who do private alternative health consultations. We’ll be glad to work with you.
– Randy Lee, ND, Owner, The Health Patch, 1024 S. Douglas Blvd, MWC 73130, phone/fax: 736-1030, e-mail: pawpaw@thehealthpatch.com. See our blog at www.TheHealthPatch.com. Our full staff is now offering affordable private consultations – call to schedule yours!
