Medicine & Naturopathy – Snake Oil in the 21st Century
Naturopaths have often been likened to Snake Oil salesmen. (1) I remember being humiliated on ABC radio as a regular guest on the popular National Nightlife program with Tony Delroy in the late 1990s.?Tony had invited a doctor along to the studio one evening. This doctor proclaimed that all naturopaths were snake oil salesmen and that naturopathic medicine had no scientific basis.? “If that was the case,” I asked, “Why do my patients’ health improve when prescribed naturopathic remedies.” He responded that my ‘charming smile’ must be medicinal.?
Bleh!
‘Truth Passes Through Three Stages:
Attributed to Arthur Schopenhauer
Naturopaths were prescribing probiotics 30 years ago, well before mainstream acceptance of the importance of the gut’s microbiome.? Fish oil, St. John’s wort, zinc, vitamin D, and turmeric were prescribed decades before the studies proving their efficacy.
It is reassuring to witness naturopathy catching up with science. Or is science catching up with natural therapies? We were once mocked for suggesting that people cut back on sugar—the same reaction for recommending whole grains over refined flour foods.??
?Naturopathic Bubble
Fortunately, I live in a bubble. I teach students who want to become naturopaths, I treat patients who wish to be treated by a naturopath, and local health professionals, including GPs who enjoy working collaboratively, refer their patients to me.?
I am under no illusion that not all is peachy in the world of natural health.? There are indeed snake oil salesmen and women.? Weight loss tea, anyone? Cure cancer with vegetable juice! Scary indeed.?
领英推荐
A Meeting of Minds
Nowadays, the minimum requirement for Naturopaths, herbalists, and nutritionists is a Bachelor’s degree in their discipline.? This qualification is required to be accepted by major associations such as the NHAA.? ?Alongside the qualifications of natural therapists, there is an avalanche of peer-reviewed journal articles and studies affirming the efficacy of herbal remedies, vitamins, minerals, and other therapies that used to be the domain of ‘quacks’ and ‘charlatans.’??
My fervent hope is that, in the not-too-distant future, natural therapists will be valued members of a therapeutic team of health professionals who have one goal in mind: the well-being of their patients.?
Book a naturopathic consultation with me. https://bit.ly/Naturopathy_Appt_with_MimBeim
Snake oil not included! ??
(1) Although ‘snake oil’ has bad press nowadays as sham medicine, the original snake oil used in the 1800s apparently contained omega-3 fatty acids, similar to fish oil, and just may have been a really helpful medicine.?
#mimbeim #beamingwithhealth #naturopathy #mimbeimnaturopath #nosnakeoilhere #snakeoilsalesman #cairnsnaturopath #cairnsnaturopathy
Helping natural brands grow online through optimized social media content ???? Social Media Content Strategist
4 个月What a helpful and informative article, Mim! I think what's happening right now is Science is finally catching up with natural medicine (but most won't admit it directly ??). I believe in the effectiveness of natural remedies. Even synthetic meds are based/copies of on natural products.
Director Regulatory Training Direct
8 个月Excellent
Evidence-based health information
8 个月Good article Mim keep up with your good work cheers Russell
PhD(Med) Holistic Health Consultant Functional Medicine Practitioner, published author Bahá’i Chaplain, Newcastle University, Australia. Living and working respectfully on Wonnarua and Awabakal Country.
8 个月Excellent article, Mim! Natural therapists like yourself ARE valued and respected members of many a therapeutic team of health professionals, as you so importantly point out, mainly those "who have one goal in mind: the well-being of their patients". I am afraid modern medicine has lost its patient-centred focus in so many ways. I feel for you, Mim, after that radio showdown you described, with an apparently quite ignorant doctor tossing such a cliché'd insult at you. I also remember being chided by Dr Norman Swan at an integrative medical forum on endometriosis at Royal North Shore Hospital, also in the 1990's, declaring that my holistic therapies positive outcomes with managing this condition were probably mostly due to my charisma! Flattering, but not. Bleh, too!
Naturopath - Dynamic presenter- Podcast host & creator
8 个月Great article , Mim