The difference is alternative medicine is often used instead of conventional medicine is used in addition to conventional medicine, not as an alternative. …
A Public Information Service of the
4075 North High Street
Date: July, 2008
Columbus, Ohio 43214-3296
6142677867
Contact:
wwwohioafporg
Megan D Smith Director of Communications msmith@ohioafporg
Biologically Based Therapies as Form of Alternative Medicine
COLUMBUS, Ohio–Biologically based therapies, one of the major categories of complementary and alternative therapies, according to the federal National Institutes of Health NIH, involve supplementing a persons normal diet with additional extracts, nutrients, herbs and/or certain foods Complementary and alternative therapies are non-conventional practices for treating patients that involve the use of supplements, acupuncture, hypnosis, etc Both complementary and alternative practices use the same form of remedies to treat health conditions The difference is alternative medicine is often used instead of conventional techniques, whereas complementary medicine is used in addition to conventional medicine, not as an alternative
Biologically based therapies are more often used as a complementary form of medicine These biologically based supplements include botanicals, minerals, vitamins, fatty acids, proteins and probiotics live bacteria often found in whole grains, yogurt and functional foods The Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act DSHEA is a federal law that defines dietary supplements and sets product labeling standards and health claim limits on these supplements, which is different from the standards used to regulate drugs However, the US Food and Drug Administration FDA does not regulate these biologically based supplements In 1994, Congress defined a dietary supplement as a product that contains vitamins, minerals, herbs or other botanicals, amino acids, enzymes, and/or other ingredients intended to supplement the diet Seeing that most supplements are categorized as food, physicians are usually not involved in the specific ones that the patient chooses to take Patrick Jonas, MD, a family
physician in Beavercreek, Ohio, recommends that patients, inform their family physician about the use of supplements at each office visit because they may have negative side effects or interacts with prescription medications, especially blood thinners Many people take too many supplements, while many do not take enough A knowledgeable family physician can be very helpful in these discussions with patients The interest in dietary supplements has increased considerably during the past two decades According to a 2002 national survey on Americans use of complementary or alternative therapies or practices, the use of supplements may be more frequent among Americans who have one or more health problems, specific diseases such as breast cancer, consume high amounts of alcohol or are obese There have been thousands of studies of various dietary supplements, many of which receive strong support in the mainstream medical literature for specific uses Improved quality and acceptable pricing have
caused millions of Americans to look to biologically based therapies as an adjunct to their health strategies Many physicians are pleased that the Journal of the American Medical Association supported the use of multivitamins for all Americans in 2002 Jonas mentions dietary supplements to most of his adult patients I carefully clarify that the supplements they may use might have never been studied, so claims of medical effectiveness cannot be made Most are aimed at health instead of disease
The Ohio Academy of Family Physicians is a statewide professional association with more than 4,400 members, including practicing physicians, family medicine residents and medical students The scope of family medicine encompasses all ages, both sexes and every disease entity Family physicians provide comprehensive, continuing care to all members of the family -30-
A Public Information Service of the
FACT SHEET
Date: July, 2008 Contact: Megan D Smith Director of Communications
msmith@ohioafporg
Where You Can Find Dietary Supplements: Grocery stores On the Internet Health food stores Herbalists Most Common Consumers of Biologically Based Therapies: Women Elderly People who are better educated People who live in one-or two-person households People who have slightly higher incomes People who live in metropolitan areas People who have more health problems People who have specific diseases eg breast cancer Most Common Uses for Biologically Based Therapies Especially Dietary Supplements: Obesity Increase muscle building and improve performance Promote overall health and wellness Treat and prevent illnesses eg: the cold and flu Alleviate depression Main Treatments Using Biologically Based Practices: Biofeedback–a relaxation technique involving careful monitoring of breathing Herbal Therapy–used to alleviate certain ailments or support bodily functions Hydrotherapyy–the use of water, ice, steam, and hot and cold temperatures to sustain and
repair health Nutritional counseling Sources: wwwfamilydoctororg http://nccamnihgov/health/backgrounds/biobasedprachtm http://wwwahnaorg/Defaultaspx
-30-
Source:ncmedicaljournal.com
