Holistic Integrative Perspective
Naturopathic medicine approaches the patient from a holistic perspective. The role of the naturopathic physician is to support the self-healing ability of the whole being, in contrast to the symptom management we see in conventional surgical and pharmaceutical medicine, where each organ in the body has its own specialist.
The fundamental difference between scientific reductionistic medicine and holistic naturopathic medicine is the focus. Holistic medicine looks at the body as a whole because something is lost when looking at the human being as a collection of organs functioning independently. Holistic medicine is interested in understanding how, when one system is not working properly, it causes other problems in the body. There is a myriad of possible interactions within the human body. The physician must consider the ‘trees’ and the ‘forest’ at the same time.
Thus, a successful treatment for an endocrine illness, such as endometriosis, must consider not only the reproductive tract, but also the liver because it functions in the degradation of the hormone produced in the reproductive tract. Someone who treats osteoporosis should consider all the organs involved in calcium metabolism — the skin, liver, kidney, thyroid, parathyroid, and gastrointestinal tract. By supporting the health of the organs not only will the osteoporosis improve, but also many other health complaints will often improve as well. The health of the individual may improve to the extent that other potential diseases are prevented.
Another example is allergies. We do not develop allergies simply because we are deficient in antihistamines. We develop allergies for a host of reasons. Perhaps it is due to omega-3 oil deficiency in the mast cell membranes. Maybe the liver is not able to detoxify foreign substances properly, irritating the immune system. A dysbiosis in the intestinal tract may be irritating the gastrointestinal lymphoid tissue. Therefore, a successful treatment for allergies may involve treating the liver, improving digestion, and balancing the immune system.
Holistic remedies are designed to re-establish balance in the body. This is achieved by a synergy of ingredients acting broadly throughout the organism, guiding it gently (and often slowly) back to equilibrium. In contrast, contemporary therapeutic thinking often considers only rapid and intensive effects on isolated parameters. These effects are often compared to reference drugs that are isolated substances designed for a single effect. No drug ever has a single effect, as evidenced by the long list of side effects of most pharmaceutical medications. Herbal medicines are often considered worthy of use in the West only when they compare favorably to such reference drugs. Yet herbal medicines by their very nature often work very differently than their pharmaceutical counterparts. Herbal medicines have been documented to work in ways similar to pharmaceutical drugs at times, but also as nutritive agents that support new healthy tissue growth, as anti-oxidants that prevent tissue damage, and as tonics that support glandular function by providing precursor molecules, to name a few. Hence, they are well suited to a holistic medical approach, but difficult to study in randomized controlled trials that are designed to investigate the activity of an isolated active ingredient in a limited time frame.
Holistic concepts may actually help explain the therapeutic variability always seen in human clinical trials of both herbs and pharmaceutical medications. Contemporary medicine focuses on the diagnosis of disease, seeking medicines that chemically counter the pathologic results of the condition. Clinical trials of such medicines are conducted on large groups of people lumped together by the fact that they all suffer from the same diagnosis. We have already seen with the above examples, such as the possible causes of allergies, why this may be a problem. No investigation is made into the cause of the disease, only its manifestations. Success in these trials is measured by how well the medicine is seen to counter the pathologic change or its symptoms, quickly and effectively, in a significant proportion of the studied population. Variability in results from person to person is usually considered to be due to such factors as individual variations in the number of receptor sites, enzyme systems, liver detoxification pathways, etc. Conventional Western medical reductionism and specialization may be hindering our ability to understand the use of herbal medicines as agents whose clinical effects demonstrate their ability to re-establish health.
From the holistic viewpoint, there are no disease entities, only individuals suffering the results of an imbalance of ordering principles. The same disease, such as allergies, could result from any number of causes. Treatment would be very different in each case, and a medication that would be effective at curing the disease in all patients is inconceivable. All that could be hoped for (and this is often the case in modern Western pharmaceutical medicine) is to control the symptoms. Thus, the antihistamine is considered efficacious for allergies, yet side effects are common, and there is no mitigation in the disease state, as evidenced by the fact that the medication must be consumed regularly and indefinitely.
Traditional Chinese medicine, Indian (Ayurvedic) medicine, and the Eclectic tradition of Western herbalism have classified disease in ways that are very different from Western conventional medicine, based on seeing patients as individuals, each with a unique manifestation of a disease state. Many of the drugs of the modern pharmaceutical compendiums were derived from medicines used by these ancestors. However, by isolating and concentrating ingredients, or making molecular changes to naturally derived medicines to ensure patent rights, the synergy of multiple ingredients acting in concert may be lost — and the side effects and toxicities of modern pharmaceuticals may be gained.
This is not to say there is not a time and a place for modern pharmaceutical interventions; however, it is time for these allopathic approaches to share the stage with naturopathic approaches.
Naturopathic Therapies [B]
This book focuses on lifestyle and nutritional choices, as well as botanical medicines, traditional Asian medicines, and physical therapies, that can reduce the risk of developing diabetes, reduce the complications of diabetes, and, in some cases, even reverse diabetes.
Naturopathic medicine is particularly well-suited to these tasks.
Lifestyle Counseling
If you were to attempt to create as much diabetes as possible within a given society, the prescription would likely look very similar to the way North Americans currently live. For instance, by examining the epidemiological evidence, you would find that diabetes (Type II) increases with lack of exercise, high stress levels, poor nutrition, overweight, and obesity. According to the Center for Disease Control, more than one half of the American adult population does not get enough exercise. The rate of obesity in North America continues to increase, which, in turn, increases the risk of diabetes by an astounding factor of 20 times.
Naturopathic doctors are well aware of these lifestyle effects and are eager to educate, motivate, and support people who wish to prevent diabetes or are being treated for diabetes. Healthy lifestyle can go a long way toward the maintenance of healthy blood sugar levels. Combining a healthy lifestyle with proper diet, nutritional supplements,
and herbs is a powerful combination for diabetes treatment and prevention.
Clinical Nutrition
Some foods have been shown to promote the development of diabetes, while other foods have been shown to prevent and mitigate diabetes. Naturopathic doctors are well versed in the use of clinical nutrition, which means designing a specific dietary regime for the individual patient. Naturopathic approaches can also be very effective for the individual who recognizes a need to lose weight as part of an overall health improvement plan.
Changes in dietary habits can have a remarkable effect on diabetes, with many diagnosed diabetics able to control their disease with diet and lifestyle changes alone. In fact, these are the recommended first-line approaches to managing Type II diabetes. However, even the best foods may be deficient in some nutrients, and some people suffering from conditions like diabetes may require higher levels of nutrients to regain and maintain good health. Nutritional supplements may be required in these cases to prevent deficiencies and to treat disease conditions.
Botanical Medicine
Many traditional herbal medicines have demonstrated effectiveness for preventing and treating Type II diabetes. In fact, herbal medicines have been used for thousands of years in practically every traditional culture for this purpose. Herbal medicines support blood sugar control holistically by supporting the organs that regulate blood sugar. Many herbs, when taken with a meal, have also been shown to slow the glycemic response. Certain herbs have also been shown to increase antioxidant levels in the body, which is of great interest to diabetes, since increasing antioxidant levels can be of benefit in treating and preventing the complications of diabetes, such as retinopathy, neuropathy, and nephropathy.
Traditional Asian Medicine
Diabetes has been a medical problem since antiquity. Although modern Western medicine and traditional Asian medicine (TAM) share the same treatment goals of reducing symptoms and preventing complications, their approaches to conceptualizing, diagnosing, and treating diabetes are very different. The most commonly employed therapeutic methods in TAM include acupuncture/moxibustion, herbal medicine, diet therapy, and mind/body exercises (such as Qigong and Tai Chi).
The Huang Di Nei Jing (Yellow Emperor’s Inner Classic), which dates from the Han Dynasty (206 B.C.–220 A.D.), listed 13 herbal formulations for the treatment of Xiao-ke (wasting and thirsting disease). A number of these traditional herbs, including Panax ginseng, Momodica charantia (balsam pear), Lagenaria siceraria (bottle gourd), and Psidium gnajava, have been shown in modern research to reduce blood glucose levels. Acupuncture has also been shown in clinical and experimental studies to have a beneficial effect by lowering serum glucose levels, and in the treatment of diabetic peripheral neuropathy, one of the most common complications of diabetes.
Physical Therapies
High glucose levels in the blood are known to accelerate the aging process. Excess glucose binds to important proteins in the body in a process known as glycation. This process causes important proteins in the body to be damaged, including the proteins found in connective tissue, such as in the joints. This can lead to premature loss of function and increased stiffness. Physical therapies can counter this tendency by promoting flexibility, reducing pain without medications, and improving circulation and nerve function.
