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
Natural Health and Wellness Consultant Online Certification
Naturopathic Herbalist Certifcation - Self Paced Program
Naturopathic Clinician Training - Houston, TX and Accra, Ghana
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