Role Of Supplements In Healing
Do Herbs Cure Cancer?
With all the buzz around herbs like Graviola, and products such as mushroom extracts or zeolites, clients often
ask whether supplements can cure diseases such as cancer. Let's take a look at the proper role of supplements in
healing.
Can Herbs Cure Cancer?Many products have solid science behind their healing mechanisms, particularly the
new "nutraceuticals". Although scientific studies are demonstrating cytotoxic properties for Graviola (especially
with certain types of lung cancer and prostate issues), more commonly herbs have centuries of consistent healing
results in local use through the wisdom of people who were more in touch with elements of nature than we are today.
As to "curing" cancer (or any other disease) ... this can be a real slippery slope and the words we
use get real prickly.
First, let's look at what "causes" cancer...
Take lung cancer, for an example. They say smoking causes lung cancer. That's not exactly true. (If smoking
"caused" cancer, everyone who smoked would get cancer.)
The carcinogenic materials deposited from the smoke affect the body's ability to function properly, creating
conditions conducive to cancer cells taking hold.
Toxic Heavy Metals
Cadmium is one of those materials. Cadmium is a highly toxic heavy metal, and the lungs are quite efficient at
absorbing it. In part, the cancer is really a symptom of cadmium and other heavy metal and
chemical toxicity.
A host of other factors affect whether or not your body succumbs and develops the cancer symptom from the
toxicity. These factors include your body's pH, the amount of anti-oxidants you consume to defend against free
radicals, and the strength of your immune system in general.
Do Zeolites Cure Cancer?
If zeolites remove cadmium, should we say that the zeolites cure cancer?
No.
The zeolites removed a toxin that did not belong in the body in the first place, restoring the body to a
condition where it can keep itself functioning in healthful balance, all other things being equal.
Some people treat this as a minor difference in semantics. But it's huge.
Do Oncologists Cure Cancer?
Let's take a look at the traditional western medical approach. An oncologist may go in and cut out the tumor,
blast the tumor with radiation, or pour into you more toxic chemicals that are designed to kill the tumor (and
everything else in its path).
This may be necessary in the short run for an aggressive cancer that was discovered too late. But did it really
"cure" the cancer? These toxic treatments may kill the tumor, but do not remove the condition that
induced the body to create the tumor in the first place.
Shouldn't we remove the cadmium as well as kill the tumor?Even if one undertakes a
more invasive western approach in the short run, wouldn't it be better to also remove the toxic conditions
that helped create it? In fact, if one is consuming a lot of drugs or chemo, it's essential to detox - to
cleanse the body so the liver can better process it all.
Inflammation, Leaky Gut & Other Conditions
Let's back up from the extreme of cancer. A lot of conditions that cause pain and
immobility stem from inflammation in our bodies. What is the role of supplements in supporting other
conditions?
If we consume an herbal product that eliminates the inflammation, thus the pain, and we regain mobility, can we
say the herb "cured" our condition?
Not exactly. Removing the inflammation may have reduced the painful pressure, allowed blood and nutrients to flow
to the area again so the body can heal. (Very often, the inflammation is due to toxins lodged in our
joints or cells, so we best be detoxing too!)
Leaky gut syndrome causes a lot of grief, for another example. Through lifestyle and diet usually, some people
develop weak spots in the lining of their digestive tract. Little bits of undigested protein may leak through into
the bloodstream and get deposited elsewhere. The immune system sees this as an invader and insulates it,
causing painful inflammation.
These people are often helped by taking Digestive Enzymes and Probiotics. Our favorite brand is Garden of Life Primal Defense ULTRA, 90 Capsules .
Cooking and processing kills digestive enzymes, and many of us don't get enough enzymes to properly digest
our food. Digestazon Plus adds enzymes that help digest and dissolve these bits of protein before they
leak through the gut, and after.
But this is different than "curing" an arthritic or autoimmune reaction. We are simply supporting the body's
systems. The body has all the innate wisdom of our Creator, and if we just give it the proper tools, it does a
pretty good job of healing itself.
It's a whole-body process, rather than a "cure." We want to get to the source of the problem. If we just
eliminate the symptom, the problem may express itself elsewhere.
Supplements & Holistic Approaches Vs Modern Medicine
With modern medicine, we've grown to expect immediate results. Holistic approaches usually work more
slowly. Some people notice dramatic results very quickly, however. This happens more often when their
condition is extreme and painful. Just reducing extreme inflammation can sometimes eliminate pain and give that
person the will to continue.
These examples are over-simplications of the role of supplements in healing, of course. More body system imbalances
are usually involved in illness.
The point is:
If anyone tries to tell you that herbs or zeolites "cure" cancer, it's important to see that they are taking a
huge shortcut. This shortcut does a disservice to all natural products.
Click Here to learn what supplements my family takes, and why.
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