Despite the fact that the airwaves and print media are blanketed with advertisements telling you to “ask your doctor about ——” or “ask your doctor if —— is right for you,” the Pharma marketing message isn’t reaching half of the US population who prefer taking vitamin and mineral supplements. There is a growing preference for natural remedies versus powerful laboratory creations with long lists of alarming side effects. In fact, a recent survey found that 72 percent of physicians (nearly 3 out of 4) take vitamin and mineral supplements for their own health.
When it comes to advising their patients, the numbers are even more significant. Of the 1,200 doctors surveyed, 79 percent recommend dietary supplements to their patients for bone and joint health, heart health, overall health and wellness, and to maintain healthy cholesterol. Science is good (like the Apple Computer I’m writing this on), but it can also have its downside. The excesses of the Industrial Age have wreaked havoc on the environment and it’s coming back to bite us. In agriculture, our policy of science-engineered quantity over quality gave us herbicides, pesticides, genetically modified seeds, toxic runoff, and produce that has lost between 15 and 75 percent of its nutrient content compared to half a century ago. In the health field, despite the enormous cost, the US has a healthcare system that ranks an embarrassing 37th in the world, according to the World Health Organization.
On the natural side of things, there is a great deal of positive activity. We have some shining examples in this issue—from the nutritional benefits of pomegranate to the culinary artistry of chef Dan Barber, who has found that organic nutrient-dense produce tastes better, to the International League of Conservation Photographers, who share their creative far-flung vision of both the human and wildlife of our environment. The message is simply that people are finding greater benefit from living in harmony with nature than from fighting it.
Of course, not everyone agrees. There are still corporations, lobbyists and their allies in government that seek to maintain their position and with it the status quo. (In case you haven’t noticed, it’s not a very good status quo at the moment.) But in the end, nature will prevail as it always does. We can either learn from our mistakes or continue to pay the penalty. At this juncture, it seems that half of the population (and the majority of doctors) are catching on to the “organic connection.”
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