Encyclopedia of Health and Medicine

92 Alternative and Complementary Approaches
how to better manage their health to prevent
illness.
Naturopathic Practitioners
Naturopathy traces its origins to ancient HEALING
methods based entirely on natural methods, the
only approach available for centuries. Today in the
United States, naturopathic physicians complete
comprehensive education and training programs
and must pass licensing examinations in the states
in which they practice. A naturopathic physician
receives a doctor of naturopathy degree and puts
the initials “ND” or “NMD” after his or her name.
Many naturopaths have additional training and
certification in ACUPUNCTURE and TRADITIONAL CHI-
NESE MEDICINE (TCM), broadening the scope of their
perspectives and abilities to accommodate diverse
interests in health care among the people who
come to them for care.
Benefits and Risks of Naturopathy
Naturopathy as practiced in the United States
today functions synergistically with conventional
therapies. The risks of naturopathic remedies vary
according to the person’s primary and secondary
health conditions and with the therapeutic
approach. Within such a context, and because
naturopathy does not use medications or major
surgery, naturopathy is overall less risky than conventional
medicine. It is important for people to
receive appropriate conventional medical treatments
for conditions that require it, such as type 1
DIABETES. Herbal remedies can interact with each
other as well as with conventional medications. A
person who receives care from conventional as
well as naturopathic doctors should be sure all
practitioners know they are collectively participating
in that care.
See also OSTEOPATHY; REFLEXOLOGY.
nutritional therapy A therapeutic approach that
uses nutraceuticals, foods, vitamins, minerals, and
special diets to fight disease and maintain health.
Nutritional therapy as a complementary method is
not the same as the NUTRITIONAL ASSESSMENT a registered
dietitian (RD) might provide for compliance
with conventional nutrition requirements. Nutritional
therapy instead blends holistic concepts
with dietary modifications.
From a conventional medicine perspective, the
premise that nutrition and diet influence health
and disease is not new or unique. Foods may contribute
to numerous health conditions. Some
foods energize and others relax the body. Foods
also can be harmful to people who have certain
medical conditions. For example, people who
have HEMOCHROMATOSIS, a metabolic disorder that
allows iron to accumulate in various organs,
worsen the condition when they eat foods high in
iron such as spinach. Food allergies, such as to
peanuts, can have lethal consequences.
HEALTH CONDITIONS FOODS INFLUENCE
ANEMIA
ATTENTION DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY
DISORDER (ADHD)
CELIAC DISEASE (sprue)
chronic OTITIS media
GASTROESOPHAGEAL REFLUX
DISORDER (GERD)
INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE
(IBD)
migraine HEADACHE
OBESITY
OSTEOARTHRITIS
PREMENSTRUAL SYNDROME (PMS)
RECURRENT YEAST INFECTIONS
type 2 DIABETES
ATHEROSCLEROSIS
AUTISM
CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE
(CVD)
ECZEMA
GOUT
HEMOCHROMATOSIS
IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME
(IBS)
multiple metabolic
syndrome
OSTEOPOROSIS
PSORIASIS
RHINITIS
WILSON’S DISEASE
Many of the most significant health conditions
facing Americans today in some way relate to EAT-
ING HABITS. Many people eat too much in general,
too much of foods that do not support health, or
not enough foods that provide the body with the
nutritional foundation it needs to meet its energy
and maintenance requirements. The most compelling
evidence of this is the OBESITY rate in the
United States; more than two thirds of Americans
are overweight (5 to 20 percent above healthy
weight) and nearly a third have obesity (20 percent
or higher above healthy weight). Of special
concern is the significant rise in the number of
children who have obesity, particularly children
under 10 years old. Some studies also link dietary
habits with health conditions such as COLORECTAL
CANCER.
Because many people do not eat nutritiously,
dietary changes to improve nutrition nearly always