New Consciousness Review Spring 2016 | Page 15

HEALTH FIRST, ALTERNATIVE TREATMENTS Tip #1: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is! With alternative treatments, the first rule of thumb is, “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.” So, beware of all the “miracle cures,” “miracle potions,” “breakthrough cures,” “biggest discoveries,” and any treatment that “cures all ____s.” (Fill in the blanks: cancers, infections, etc.) Oh, yes, and let’s not forget about all those “one minute cures” out there! Sadly, these quotes are taken from actual websites that are hawking actual “cures.” Remember, no one treatment can cure ALL of anything. The four treatments I feature in my book, HONEST MEDICINE: Effective, Time-Tested, Inexpensive Treatments for Life-Threatening Diseases, are all promising treatments. But not one of them works for everyone. For instance, one of the treatments, the Ketogenic Diet—a high fat, low carbohydrate, low protein diet for childhood epilepsy—has helped thousands, maybe millions of children since its inception in the 1920s at prestigious institutions such as Johns Hopkins and the Mayo Clinic. In small studies since the 1920s, it has been found to help 60-70% of children who try it. But clearly, it does not help everyone. Yet, for those patients whose seizures are stopped or lessened with this diet, it is a “miracle.” But it is not a “miracle cure,” since it does NOT work for everyone. The same is true of the other three effective, time-tested, but not “miracle” treatments featured in my book: Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) for autoimmune diseases; intravenous alpha lipoic acid for end-stage liver disease; and Silverlon for non-heal- Pharmaceutical companies are not likely to want to put money into studying natural treatments, or those that are too inexpensive. 15 | NEW CONSCIOUSNESS REVIEW Ketogenic Diet—a high fat, low carbohydrate, low protein diet for childhood epilepsy—has helped thousands, maybe millions of children since its inception in the 1920s at prestigious institutions such as Johns Hopkins and the Mayo Clinic ing wounds. Like the Ketogenic Diet, these treatments help many thousands of patients who have used them, and my book contains contributions by several people who have been helped by these treatments. But still, they do NOT help everyone. Tip #2: Avoid Treatments with Obvious Financial Ties. Second, it is important to realize that in the US, money is closely tied to healthcare, both conventional and alternative. So, if you want to find a treatment that is worth trying, keep away from those with questionable financial ties. Be wary of a treatment if the only positive information you find has been provided by the doctors who are proponents of the treatment, or by people (doctors or laypeople) who profit from it. These are often thinly veiled testimonials, and it’s easy to spot them. You’ll be able to know which are obvious testimonials because they are too enthusiastic, too “salesy.” Instead, look for solid information provided by third parties— people who have NO “skin in the game.” Tip #3: Look for Small Studies on the Treatment You’re Considering. Third, if the treatment is reputable, there may well be small studies available on the government-run PubMed (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/). Please note that most so-called “alternative”