Thursday, August 13, 2015

The Toxic Realm of Pharmacology

The Toxic Realm of Pharmacology

It has become the norm in modern society to visit the local pharmacy for an over the counter (OTC) medication or your doctor for a prescription to relieve a symptom that has manifested itself in your body and is taking your attention from the norm of life.  However, the invisible aspect of this day to day chemical medicine ritual is hardly ever a second or third thought as we experience the “cover-up” of pain, swelling, lowered blood pressure, acceptable sugar levels, infertility (contraceptives), nasal decongestant, fever and the numerous other physical annoyances that distract us from our busy lives. Plop, fizz, swallow…what a “relief”!

Let’s for a moment take that look inside of the pharmacology of this temporary relief one experiences from the medications we so faithfully rely on. Pharmacology is the study of interactions of chemical agents with the biochemical functions of the body. It is the Greek term for poison. Every OTC and prescription drug works in the body to change an unnatural or natural pattern of function. People use pharmaceuticals for five main reasons: 1) to mask the symptoms of disease until the body heals itself, ie. Anti-inflammatory drugs, antacids, antipyretics 2) to replace a permanent malfunction in the body, ie, thyroid meds, diabetes meds 3) to alter a normal body function to accommodate lifestyle, ie. Contraceptives, cholesterol meds, 4) to eliminate foreign agents or congestion from the body that disrupt the norm body function, ie. Antibiotics, laxatives and 5) to alter the central nervous system when the mind body experiences an imbalance, ie. Antidepressants, ADHD medications . It sounds wonderful that meds can do all this? This is all good, right? Well…

There are a few things about medications that doctors and OTC instructions don’t normally reveal to consumers and that is the possibility of chemical overload in the body system if pharmaceuticals are ingested for even short periods of time. The body is design to process a certain amount of natural chemicals that are usually found if the foods we eat, otherwise known as acid foods. The cleansing organs of the body, the liver, gall bladder, intestines and the skin work daily to regulate the influx of these ideally naturally occurring chemicals and it operates just fine. The issue comes in when we take in extremely high levels of synthetic chemicals through all manners of pollution, detergents, chemical based perfumes, colognes and lotions, pesticides laced foods, processed foods and pharmaceuticals. The result of this excessive ingestion is a chemical overload in the body where we find ourselves living in a toxic state of existence which causes states of addiction, organ degeneration, premature aging and deceased longevity in life.

Why don’t the average healthcare providers disclose this type of information while they are sitting on the other side of the desk writing the prescription? Unfortunately, many are not trained in the adverse reactions of the thousands of medications outside of the known side effects.  And one must acquaint yourself with the fact the pharmaceuticals is very big business and has economic links to all parts of the world…there are certain things the consumer just doesn’t need to know.

How do you determine your personal level of toxicity, whether it be from the day to day living in an industrial environment of the city or due to the different types of medications you are taking to normalize your lifestyle or keep yourself alive? In the world of natural health where it is customary to practice preventative health and healing without excessive toxin intake, a Naturopath (a Healthcare provider that assist clients in healing through nutritional and alternative modalities), has the means of checking the levels of toxicity through pH testing, iridology, urine analysis and lifestyle assessments. Depending on the level of toxicity a personal detox regimen is formulated to provide maximum relief for the internal organs to restore natural body function and reverse the degeneration process to live healthier and longer in good health.  If pharmaceuticals are a major part of your life, a naturopath can recommend to you a pharmaceutical detox to balance the intake of drugs so that the body works with your allopathic prescription and alleviates some the organ stress and chemical overload.  A detox regimen consist of cleansing the organs, supplying adequate levels of pH balanced foods, herbal therapy, hydrotherapy and touch therapy.


Everyone deserves a life that is not dictated by how often you have to take a pill. We were created with body systems that should work in harmony with the natural rhythms of the earth where the season of life is filled with the enjoyment of health, love and fulfillment according to one’s purpose.  However, we often relinquish that balance in the name of progress and we find ourselves on autopilot in a world against nature. The wise ones remember the way and the fools ignore it and relish in their suffering.


Dr. Akua Gray, ND
August 13, 2015
Houston, TX



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