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| By Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum
This article originally appeared on Dr. Teitelbaum’s website, Vitality101.
In recent installments of my “Ten-Point Tune-Up” series, I discussed the importance of eliminating unnecessary medications, and why that’s usually a must for increasing energy, health — and longevity (side effects from prescription drugs kill more than 100,000 people every year!). It turns out my discussions were timely, because a number of troubling revelations about medications have just surfaced in recently published research. Chief among these are:
The moral of these stories: Question or minimize the use of medications when possible, and favor natural remedies (though never stop any drug without the supervision and approval of your physician, as sometimes they may be essential). In this article, I’ll focus on a few classes of medications that are both very popular and potentially very dangerous: drugs for heartburn, osteoporosis or pain-relief from arthritis. As you’ll see, there are effective natural remedies for each of those health problems.
This Friday, my radio show will also discuss the problems with medications, and some key situations in which you should consider safer and more effective natural options. I invite you to tune in (visit “The Cutting Edge of Health and Wellness Today”)!
It’s time to declare your freedom from unnecessary meds and start enjoying vibrant health!
Forty million Americans have regular bouts of heartburn, and we spend $14 billion yearly to prevent and stop the pain. But the OTC and prescription drugs most people take for heartburn — proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) like Nexium and Prevacid — have many possible side effects. By squelching the production of stomach acid, they can also:
Plus, they’re addictive. When you stop taking them, your heartburn gets worse, forcing you back on the drug.
It’s fine to take a PPI a few times a month, but regular use is a big mistake. Try a chewable antacid instead, picking a brand that includes magnesium. (Calcium supplements have been linked to a 31% higher risk of heart attack, so it’s best to avoid calcium-only antacids like Tums.) There are also many natural ways to beat heartburn. Try them for a month or two, and see if you can stop taking PPIs. Four excellent remedies are:
52 million Americans have either osteopenia or osteoporosis — thin, weakened bones, either from outright disease (osteoporosis) or a pre-disease stage (osteopenia). Yearly, millions of people with weakened bones take a billion dollars’ worth of prescription drugs (Boniva, Actonel and others) to prevent bone fractures. But osteoporosis drugs work by hardening existing bone, not creating new bone. And studies now show that long-term use can actually decrease new bone formation, causing spontaneous, serious fractures.
A better approach is to take the product OsteoStrong (by EuroPharma), adding 340 to 680 milligrams of strontium daily. I consider OsteoStrong one of the best bone health protecting products on the market (natural or prescription) because it contains calcium, magnesium, high-dose vitamin D, vitamin K, boron, silica and other crucial yet oft-ignored bone-building nutrients. Add strontium to this, but taken at a different time of day. Strontium is one the most effective bone-building nutrients available, with studies showing it improves bone density by 15% and decreases the incidence of first-time fractures in women with osteoporosis.
There are more than 20 NSAIDs and over 100 NSAID-containing products. Some of the most common are aspirin, Motrin, Advil and Celebrex. Thirteen million Americans take these drugs regularly, usually to relieve arthritis pain — and one in three suffer digestive side effects. Unfortunately, for some people the “side effect” is terminal: a sudden, massive, and deadly bleeding ulcer. NSAIDs can also boost blood pressure, doubling your risk of heart attack or stroke. Good natural choices to relieve arthritis pain include:
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