To Supplement Or Not? That Is The Question!
Written by Chicagohealers.com practitioner Sharon M
. Weinstein, MS, RN -
July 30, 2009 Americans spend almost a third as much money out-of pocket on herbal supplements and other alternative medicines as they do on prescription drugs, a new government report shows.
Out-of-pocket spending on herbal supplements, chiropractic visits, meditation, and other forms of complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) was estimated at $34 billion in a single year.
The estimate was based on responses to a national health survey conducted in 2007 by the CDCs National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS).
The bottom line is that Americans spend a lot of money on CAM products, classes, materials and practitioner visits, National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) Director Josephine P. Briggs, MD, said in a media briefing today. We estimate that this (represents) approximately 11% of the total out-of-pocket spending on health care.
Although we should obtain most of our nutrients from food, we know that with the quality of our environment, the earth in which food is grown, and more it is indeed difficult to get all that we need from food alone. Thus, we turn to supplements!
So, what do we need to know?
Avoid high doses of vitamin E supplements, which have not proven effective in helping to reduce heart disease, as some had thought.
Smokers who take high doses of beta carotene supplements also can have adverse effects.
Antioxidant cocktails can interfere with cholesterol-lowering drugs.
Choose quality supplements; those manufactured to Canadian labeling standards are of a higher quality.
More does not necessarily mean better.
Dietary supplements are not required to be standardized in the United States
Like drugs, dietary supplements have chemical and biological activity. They may have side effects. They may interact with certain medications. These interactions can cause problems and can even be dangerous.
A supplement supplements the diet; it does not replace it.
Seek the advice of a qualified expert.
Core Wellness International offers a service that compares and contrasts your supplements with your prescription drugs to identify potential areas of cross-over and enhancement. Visit www.corelimited.com
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by: ChicagoHealers
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