Confusing Messages

There is a lot of information and advice floating around and much of it seems contradictory. We are bombarded by believers in western medicine and by believers in various alternative practices. There is the perception that "official" or "mainstream" health recommendations flip flop year by year, which I'm sure can be quite frustrating. But a proper understanding of health science is not to be found in your local newspaper; columnists do not have the experience, knowledge and skepticism necessary to properly evaluate medical and scientific studies, and neither does your family doctor. For example, there is often big confusion between association and causation, and the limits of certain kinds of studies on humans. Also, results from nutritional studies on vegetarian animals, like rabbits and hamsters, are often assumed to apply to omnivorous animals, like humans, with proportionately much smaller digestive systems. It is so difficult to do experiments on humans that these animal studies are usually the only well-controlled studies on a particular question regarding human disease. Because of the above confusions and limitations, there is a lack of good, usable information, and medical progress is painfully slow.

Failure of Western Medicine

This is one of the reasons that there has been no reduction in cancer incidence or improvement in cancer treatment over at least the last 30-40 years. This is also one of the reasons that the heart attack rate continues to rise, though advanced treatment methods have recently succeeded in reducing the rise in cardiovascular-related death rates which have seen a mysterious 80-fold increase in the last century. And autism, that perennial football of the toxin/genetics debate, seems to really be on the Rise. And after 75 years of research it is frustrating that nobody seems to have identified a cause or preventative measures with any certainty.

First Do No Harm

Other reasons for the lack of real progress is the influence of the pharmaceutical industry in the research process and regulatory agencies and Associations, and even with medical professionals themselves. Disease mongering is rampant. The goal is naturally profit, often at the price of safety. Emphasis by researchers and physicians is also placed largely on treatment instead of prevention because treatment is usually more lucrative. Indeed these are fundamental conflicts of interest not particularly favorable to you and me.

Alternative Skepticism

The above is a major indictment on the current status of western medicine, and therefore health and nutrition advice from "mainstream" practitioners and reporters should be met with a healthy dose of skepticism. But because western medicine is arguably based on the scientific method, there may yet be hope for transforming it into a purer, cleaner, more altruistic form. I am not a conspiracy nut as are so many with alternative views. I don't think there are large numbers of evil people plotting to release toxins on the world just so they can make money treating the sick as a result. But somehow the practice of medicine has gotten off track. Read some of the books to the right to learn more.

Filtering Medical Research

Seeing the research objectively, placing more confidence in results not tainted by the drug companies, and considering the body of research, rather than just the latest study, is not an easy task. But it gives us some hints at what might be some actual causes and preventative steps. In my own attempt to do just this, I have read through much of the relevant health-related research and articles and discussions by health researchers and analysts that I respect (see Suggested Reading). The more I learn, the more I realize how little of the big picture scientists and physicians really understand regarding human medicine, health and nutrition.

Reasonable Assumptions

But I have a healthy respect for the power of evolution to have fine-tuned our bodies to available resources during the evolution of our species. So when I have to fill in the evidence with hypotheses, I tend to err on the side of what is more "natural" and "traditional" based on our hunter-gatherer evolution, enhanced with what is more likely according to the "inflammation" and "free-radical" hypotheses of human degenerative disease. So based on the evidence and some reasonable assumptions, the Health Tips on this site are a list of principles of disease prevention that I have created for myself.