Tidbits
Prescription Drugs
"About twenty-six cents of every dollar spent on a drug goes toward promotion and marketing. This cost translates
into about thirteen thousand dollars per doctor per year... less than sixteen cents of every dollar spent on a
drug goes to research and development."
- Michael T. Murray, N.D. "Natural Alternatives to Over-the-Counter and Prescription Drugs"
Magnesium
"Magnesium administration has been found to be helpful in the management of angina, irregular heartbeat, and
other cardiovascular diseases. A good therapeutic dose is 250 milligrams of magnesium three to four times daily.
A soluble form of magnesium such as magnesium aspartate or citrate is the preferred form, since it is better absorbed
as well as being better tolerated than magnesium oxide or sulfate."
- Michael T. Murray, N.D. "Natural Alternatives to Over-the Counter and Prescription Drugs"
Clot Prevention
Soybeans contain an estrogen-like compound, genistein, which may help to prevent heart attacks and strokes
by keeping platelets from forming unnecessary clots.
When researchers added genistein to the blood of laboratory rats, then added a clot inducing chemical, clot formation
was 57% less than without the genistein.
Populations with high consumption of soy products are long-lived populations.
For more info contact:
Norberta W. Schoene
Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center
Beltsville, MD
(301) 504-8388
Nutritional News
Among women surveyed, intakes of calcium, magnesium. iron, zinc, vitamin B6, and vitamin E were less than the
RDA. Men had low intakes of zinc and magnesium. These represent average intakes, and many Americans exceed or get
less than the average.
"What We Eat in America--First Year Results From Ongoing Survey" (USDA 1995)
Alternatives Validated
As natural therapies become a substantial portion of the marketplace, the mainstream medical community has
finally been motivated to investigate their safety and effectiveness.
This benefits both patients and doctors. Patients, because they will have therapies available which are safer and
more effective than the traditional drugs and surgery. Doctors because they will be free to recommend alternative
therapies without risk of losing their license.
There are now over 50,000 published articles in science literature supporting the use of alternative therapies.
One example is the use of vitamin E for heart disease. The Journal of the American Medical Association June 21,
1995, published an article about a clinical study which came to the conclusion that there is a "connection
between increased antioxidant vitamin E intake and angiographically demonstrated reduction in the progression of
coronary artery disease."
Other nutrients and supplements have been validated scientifically, including: vitamin B6 for carpal tunnel syndrome,
cayenne for the heart and the cardiovascular system, garlic for the same, saw palmetto extract for enlarged prostate,
Enteric coated peppermint oil for irritable bowel syndrome, and glucosamine for osteoarthritis.
As doctors and patients become more aware of and comfortable with the benefits of alternative therapies our medical
system can begin to heal itself.
Mrs. America Speaks
Sheri Rose Shepherd, Mrs. USA of 1994-95 lost 50 pounds and overcame chronic fatigue syndrome in her quest
for better health. When she shifted from focusing on her looks to focusing on her health, she succeeded in losing
weight and keeping it off. She also found increased energy.
"A lot of people are not healthy because they are not eating well. I keep hearing about how tired everybody
is. Good nutrition is essential to be successful in any relationship, to be successful in business, to be successful
as a person in this society," she says.
The former Mrs. America, now 34 years old, has written an autobiography "Who Would Have Thought" and
co-authored a cookbook "Here's to Your Health, America!"
