Progressive Progressive Medical Center - 2019 | Page 12

NUTRA VS. PHARMA
NUTRA VS.
PHARMA
What’s the difference?
Does it matter?
Absolutely.
N
utraceuticals (dietary
supplements) are defined as
“products derived from food
sources that are purported to
provide extra health benefits” and defines
pharmaceuticals (drugs) as “substances
(other than food) intended for use in the
diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or
prevention of disease.” Drugs seem to
come out on top with those definitions!
Would you want “potential extra health
benefits” or an actual “cure, treatment or
prevention” of your health condition?
Both serve a purpose in integrative
medicine, but let’s contrast the
differences to see which one
really comes out on top!
SUPPORT VS. REPLACE
Nutraceuticals, when physician
formulated, are designed to support
your body’s own ability to heal itself
vs. drugs which replace your body’s
function. For example, the nutraceutical
Thyrestore supports your thyroid
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gland to produce optimal levels of
thyroid hormone whereas the common
pharmaceutical thyroid medications
actually replaces the gland’s function
altogether by providing a synthetic
version of the active thyroid hormone.
Long term… Supporting your body’s
own ability produces independence.
Replacing produces dependence.
Progressive Medical believes support
vs. replace whenever possible.
MULTI PURPOSE
VS. SINGULAR
Nutraceuticals offer multi-purpose support
with many nutrients working together to
provide many positive health outcomes.
Pharmaceuticals are targeted to only
provide a singular outcome (mainly
suppressing a specific symptom/s). For
example, taking probiotics can help
alleviate skin rashes, mood disorders,
help balance hormones and recharge
your metabolism in addition to treating
other common digestive ailments. Often
immunosuppressant drugs are used to
treat psoriasis skin condition. While
they may have some merit in treating
Crohn’s disease, but not in every case;
their positive outcome is singular
and carries potential side effects.
Progressive Medical believes
multipurpose vs. singular
whenever possible.
BUILD UP VS.
TEAR DOWN
Quality nutritional supplements build
up your body’s systems and function.
For example, L-Glutamine is an amino
acid (building block of proteins) that
helps repair or rebuild your intestinal
lining and villi wall to create a strong
defense and allow proper absorption
of nutrients into the bloodstream.
In contrast, the popularity of
pharmaceutical antibiotic drugs that
are the traditional “go to” for acute