The lack of science behind mainstream rejection of alternative healing

The lack of science behind mainstream medicine's rejection of alternative healing

by Tony Isaacs

(The Best Years in Life) The mainstream medical establishment's rejection of alternative healing not only flies in the face of hundreds and even thousands of years of history, it also flies in the face of good science. History has taught us time and again that the science of today is often found lacking tomorrow. Apparently, that is a lesson that has continued to be lost or ignored by today's mainstream science, even as many of their longstanding beliefs are being overturned.

Another principle which mainstream medicine fails to understand is that lack of evidence is not the same as evidence of lack. Often, lack of evidence is merely lack of understanding and current knowledge.

In many instances, mainstream rejection of alternative healing violates the foremost principle of the scientific method itself - observation. Successful alternative healing has been observed to be successful dating back hundreds and even thousands of years. Mainstream medicine continues to reject observed success as merely anecdotal and contends that only rigorous testing will provide any validation.

The FDA, which is supposed to oversee medicine in the U.S., carries bias against alternatives medicine to absurd extremes - refusing to allow even natural fruits, vegetables, vitamins, minerals, or any other item to claim health benefits unless they have gone through the complete FDA approval process at costs up to a billion or more dollars

When alternatives are tested, the studies are often marred by lack of current knowledge and understanding as well as design flaws. That includes vitamins and minerals studies which fail to consider how nature works synergistically as well as the differences between natural vitamins and bioaviailable minerals and synthetic petrochemical vitamins and crushed rock minerals.

Modern science has long denied that acupuncture offers any benefit other than the placebo effect and much of the mainstream establishment still clings to that view even as study after study has proven them wrong. For example, a recent report from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) stated that “many well-designed studies have found that acupuncture can help with certain conditions, such as back pain, knee pain, headaches and osteoarthritis.”

Likewise, aromatherapy was long rejected by mainstream science as having any scientifically proven value. Then came a Japanese study which was published in the American Chemical Society’s Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. The study found that inhaling linalool, which is a fragrance found naturally in lavender, mint, and many other fragrant plants, reduced the activity of more than 100 genes that are normally significantly elevated in stressful situations. See:

"Taking Time to Smell Roses Really CAN Ease Stress"
http://www.tbyil.com/roses.htm

A favorite target of mainstream medicine for well over a century has been homeopathy, which is based on the principle of retained memory in extreme dilutions. Just this month, an article in Forbes Magazine bemoaned the "absurdity of homeopathy".

However, it appears that homeopathy may be turning out to be not so scientifically absurd after all: An article this month in The Daily Mail highlighted a study which showed that salt solutions change the structure of hydrogen bonds in water even when diluted to homeopathic levels,. Last July, Nobel Prize winning French virologist Professor Luc Montagnier shocked fellow Nobel prize-winners and the medical establishment by telling them that he had discovered that water has a memory that continues even after many dilutions. See:

http://www.tbyil.com/Homeopathy.htm

Today we continue to see mainstream medicine reject much in alternative healing, including therapeutic, healing energies and frequencies, colloidal silver, herbal medicines and traditional healing practices used for centuries around the world and more. As history has taught us, many of those rejected items may well be validated and accepted by the mainstream once science finally catches up - or owns up, as the case may be.

Other sources included:

http://newsinhealth.nih.gov/issue/feb2011/feature1
http://www.healthcmi.com/index.php/acupuncturist-news-online/410-nihrecommendacupunctureceus
http://www.physorg.com/news167478449.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-184501/Proof-homeopathy-works.html
http://www.forbes.com/sites/alexknapp/2011/09/09/the-absurdity-of-homeopathy-and-the-danger-of-too-much-skepticism/
http://www.tbyil.com/Homeopathy.htm
http://www.tbyil.com/Mainstream_Studies_Flawed.htm

About the author

Tony Isaacs is a natural health advocate and researcher and the author of books and articles about natural health including "Cancer's Natural Enemy".  Mr. Isaacs articles are featured at Natural News, the Health Science Institute's Healthiertalk website, CureZone, the Crusador online, AlignLife, the Cancer Tutor, the American Chronicle and several other venues. Mr. Isaacs also has The Best Years in Life website for baby boomers and others wishing to avoid prescription drugs and mainstream managed illness and live longer, healthier and happier lives naturally. In addition, he hosts the Yahoo Oleandersoup Health group of over 2000 members and the CureZone "Ask Tony Isaacs - Featuring Luella May forum"