Ill admit im not a fan of holistic/herbal nonsense, but if it makes a person feel better and is COMPLETELY HARMLESS it wont bother me a ton (ok yes it still will, except for pain management in which case it doesnt as much)
But lately ive seen a ton of nurses spreading this CRAP via social media
A list of "truth" about fighting cancer. Now despite the fact that its fake and actually isnt by John Hopkins at all whatsoever, it bothers me when nurses who are supposed to be healthcare professionals start peddling dangerous nonsense that can KILL people.
Some of the stuff in the article is true, or even general and vague. But then it goes on to "insinuate" that chemo/radiation is bad, and all this nonsense about becoming a vegan, getting rid of sugar, aspartme and scifi herbal remedies and what not.
And just makes me worry that people who dont have health science backgrounds see this crap coming from a nurse and having that lend credibility to its claims.
Maybe im nuts for having it bother me so much, but I just find it wildly irresponsible and quite honestly dangerous.
Specializes in ED, Telemetry,Hospice, ICU, Supervisor.
I have a new proven Cancer Fighting All Natural Skin Rejuvenating Male Pattern Baldness Preventing miracle. Its called Snake Oil, from the ancient and wise Aztecs, this miracle has been re-discovered by modern scientist to heal all ailments. Come one, come all!! Snake Oil can fix all!!!
But if we as a society generally accept some supernatural concepts (angels, resurrection, miracles) and not others (Elvis being alive, Thunder is Zeus bowling, etc) then we really can't expect our nursing cohorts to always make sense and use evidence based thinking can we?
Lumping Elvis sightings and mainstream religions like Judism and Christianity together is painting with a bit of a broad brush...and only serves to highlight the limitations of the scientific process. Not to mention, "new-age magical thinking" is a pretty far hike away from religous traditions dating back 5000+ to 2000 years.
Many of us have no difficulty differentiating science from faith, nor in reconciling the concurrent "truth" of both. My own Catholic faith brought the world the "Big Bang " theory (the origins of the world type, not the sitcom!), care of the indigent poor, and palentology. Science answers the "how" and "when" questions, faith answers the "why".
Poeple of deep and abiding faith in the Judeo-Christian religions are no more worthy of your global disrespect than African-Americans, the disabled, or the transgendered. Tolerance does not end where YOU would like it to, and faith does not mean YOUR definition of what is and is not reasonable to accept. Beauty, peace, and love do not lend themselves to evidence based thinking, either.
It's common knowledge that aspartame and sugar promote cancer. And what could be wrong with becoming a vegan or vegetarian?! Also pretty sure radiation IS bad for you.... if you haven't noticed, westernized medicine isn't as great as 'they' would have us believe.
Lumping Elvis sightings and mainstream religions like Judism and Christianity together is painting with a bit of a broad brush...and only serves to highlight the limitations of the scientific process. Not to mention, "new-age magical thinking" is a pretty far hike away from religous traditions dating back 5000+ to 2000 years.
Many of us have no difficulty differentiating science from faith, nor in reconciling the concurrent "truth" of both. My own Catholic faith brought the world the "Big Bang " theory (the origins of the world type, not the sitcom!), care of the indigent poor, and palentology. Science answers the "how" and "when" questions, faith answers the "why".
Poeple of deep and abiding faith in the Judeo-Christian religions are no more worthy of your global disrespect than African-Americans, the disabled, or the transgendered. Tolerance does not end where YOU would like it to, and faith does not mean YOUR definition of what is and is not reasonable to accept. Beauty, peace, and love do not lend themselves to evidence based thinking, either.
Great post.
Most of the folks that I've encountered (in medicine and out) who believe in many of the alternative medicine folks (Natural News/Dr. Mercola stuff) are the crunchy granola hippie-wanna-be types. Not religious-types or at least not Judeo-Christian religions.
The only folks who seem to disagree with me who claim a religion are Christian Science practitioners.
And the sugar and aspartame link to cancer has been widely debunked.
There is no conclusive research on human subjects to prove that sugar makes cancerous cells grow and metastasize. Avoiding foods with processed sugar is a good idea in general, but eliminating foods with natural sugar won’t stop cancer cells from dividing.
It's common knowledge that aspartame and sugar promote cancer. And what could be wrong with becoming a vegan or vegetarian?! Also pretty sure radiation IS bad for you.... if you haven't noticed, westernized medicine isn't as great as 'they' would have us believe.
I think being on one end of the spectrum or the other can sometimes cause a person to be intolerant and judgmental! I know from personal experience! I believe finding a balance and respecting the opinions and choices of others not only makes a mature and compassionate person but a mature and compassionate nurse. Of course, we do not want to see blatant lies spread over social media and the internet! I believe that people are looking for alternatives in their lives because some mainstream ideas aren't working for them.
While I do not condone articles blatantly presented as work from John Hopkins when that is untrue, I do not completely refute alternative beliefs which is what I hear many of you doing. There were some truths presented in the article, but the article cannot be taken seriously because it was presented falsely!
Yes, I understand that there is a need to vent, but what I hear is a complete denial of others peoples beliefs as quackery and "crap," which I find disrespectful! I have been on both ends of the spectrum and when conventional medicine failed me, nutrition and alternative medicine saved me. However, later on alternative medicine failed me and conventional medicine helped me; I came to a more balanced point of view. This was the point where I realized that I could be a future nurse, possibly a nurse practitioner, and still have beliefs that weren't completely opposing each other.
For years, conventional medicine did not help me and I wasted a lot of money and time seeing doctor's. I eventually fixed my own problem after spending hours, upon hours of research using herbs and nutrition. I was dealing with GERD and painful vomiting. The prescription medications and trips to the doctor's office for over a year did not help me! I couldn't get off the medications without experiencing extreme sickness! Then one day I started juicing fresh fruits and vegetables and using various herbs and nutrition supplements. I was immediately able to get off the PPIs, IMMEDIATELY! Whereas before this change, if I tried I would end up doubling over in pain and vomiting! This is just one example of how nutrition and herbs changed my life! Unfortunately, at the time I completely fell away from all conventional medicine and tried to use only herbs and nutrition for many years. Another example I can give is an injury I received in an elevator that slipped about a half a floor while I was on board. This injured my back and for years, I saw doctors received medications, injections, steroids and not a bit of it did any good - I was in pain. Finally I started doing Pilates and using chiropractic care, which was never suggested to me and within a few months no longer had back pain!
Then I tried nutrition and supplements with my son who has severe allergies which failed! I finally gave in to getting him medications that made a huge difference. I was getting sick frequently over the last few years and my doctors' were unable to help. Finally I started taking high dose vitamin D3 and immediately stopped getting sick! I was literally getting bronchitis every couple of months followed by sinus infections for about 2 years. No medications helped me! Within a month of starting high dose vitamin D3 and some other supplements, I have now been completely well for a year!
All to say, I had to realize that I could not completely reside on one side or the other. There is a balance that can be achieved in alternative and conventional medicine. Both have positives and negatives, and both have their place in achieving health and saving lives! There are scammers on both sides of the spectrum, unfortunately!
Completely refuting what was given to us naturally on this earth makes no sense to me anymore than refuting lifesaving medications and treatments. God knows, I would be dead if I hadn't had lifesaving surgery when I ended up with an ectopic pregnancy. But guess what; even my gynecologist said that my tubal pregnancy and subsequent Fallopian tube removal happened as a result of scarring from a previous C-section!
Remember that most medications came from plants at some point and many other life saving medicines come from other sources such as snake venom, spider venom, etc. If you think herbs are "nonsense" then think about where aspirin comes from and many of the popular remedies you probably enjoy! Probiotics come from fermenting foods, from bacteria...oh that was one of the things I did to help cure my GERD!
Our bodies, our cells are composed of the foods we put into our bodies. Of course nutrition has a huge role to play in our health and the prevention and/or treatment of cancer. It is only logical if you really think about it! To me it seems more like pseudoscience to completely set aside the basics and where it came from and how it all came about.
Remember Semmelweis the early pioneer of antiseptic techniques, "Despite various publications of results where hand-washing reduced mortality to below 1%, Semmelweis's observations conflicted with the established scientific and medical opinions of the time and his ideas were rejected by the medical community."
Lumping Elvis sightings and mainstream religions like Judism and Christianity together is painting with a bit of a broad brush...and only serves to highlight the limitations of the scientific process. Not to mention, "new-age magical thinking" is a pretty far hike away from religous traditions dating back 5000+ to 2000 years.
Many of us have no difficulty differentiating science from faith, nor in reconciling the concurrent "truth" of both. My own Catholic faith brought the world the "Big Bang " theory (the origins of the world type, not the sitcom!), care of the indigent poor, and palentology. Science answers the "how" and "when" questions, faith answers the "why".
Poeple of deep and abiding faith in the Judeo-Christian religions are no more worthy of your global disrespect than African-Americans, the disabled, or the transgendered. Tolerance does not end where YOU would like it to, and faith does not mean YOUR definition of what is and is not reasonable to accept. Beauty, peace, and love do not lend themselves to evidence based thinking, either.
The Catholic faith certainly did not "bring the world" the Big Bang Theory, nor did they invent the concept of caring for the poor or paleontology. They certainly participated in the pursuits of these endeavors, but claiming the "Catholic faith brought the world..." this or that is utter nonsense.
Whoever told you that Lemaitre was individually responsible for the Big Bang theory, and so that theory was somehow "brought to the world" by the Catholic (or Christian) faith lied to you. Horribly. You should hold them accountable. He remains an important and recognized figure, but laying claim to the entire theory is ridiculous.
I notice Christians tend to think they invented or caused everything good in the world - even taking credit for ending slavery and enacting Civil Rights - even as Christians participated fully in the slave trade and stood in doorways to prevent black kids from going to school with whites. The audacity of Christian revisionist history is frankly amazing. I'm seeing the "Catholics get credit for the Big Bang theory" more and more recently - especially after Neil de Grasse Tyson's "Cosmos" relaunch.
You said, "Many of us have no difficulty differentiating science from faith, nor in reconciling the concurrent "truth" of both."
Actually, that is my entire point. Many do indeed have difficulty differentiating science from faith - which is most often the cause of these sham miracle cure claims.
Faith purports to answer the "Why" questions but only does so if you buy into whatever magical thinking of the particular faith at that moment. For instance, Scientology answers the "Why" question of human existence in that we are reincarnated souls of space aliens entrapped on Earth during an intergalactic war. So simply claiming to have answered a "Why" question through magical thinking doesn't in any way mean you have actually done so.
There is not a bit of difference on a credulity scale in belief that Elvis is alive when compared to Jesus' virgin birth and resurrection. The sole difference in these beliefs is the number of people who believe them. No different than the gods of Olympus; none of their stories are any more or less credible than they were thousands of years ago, it's just that barely anyone believes in them any more.
I see you have played the "respect my beliefs" card. Even taking it to the extreme of comparing magical thinking claims to race, disability, and gender identity. (While we are on the subject, what is the history of Christian treatment of African Americans, transgendered, and homosexuals?)
No, I don't respect your beliefs. I do, however, respect your right to have them and your right to lay claims of outrageous supernatural magical events and beings. However, and bringing us back again to my point, the encouragement of this type of belief leads to nurses falling for and pushing snake oil miracle cures.
I think being on one end of the spectrum or the other can sometimes cause a person to be intolerant and judgmental! I know from personal experience! I believe finding a balance and respecting the opinions and choices of others not only makes a mature and compassionate person but a mature and compassionate nurse. Of course, we do not want to see blatant lies spread over social media and the internet! I believe that people are looking for alternatives in their lives because some mainstream ideas aren't working for them.
While I do not condone articles blatantly presented as work from John Hopkins when that is untrue, I do not completely refute alternative beliefs which is what I hear many of you doing. There were some truths presented in the article, but the article cannot be taken seriously because it was presented falsely!
Yes, I understand that there is a need to vent, but what I hear is a complete denial of others peoples beliefs as quackery and "crap," which I find disrespectful! I have been on both ends of the spectrum and when conventional medicine failed me, nutrition and alternative medicine saved me. However, later on alternative medicine failed me and conventional medicine helped me; I came to a more balanced point of view. This was the point where I realized that I could be a future nurse, possibly a nurse practitioner, and still have beliefs that weren't completely opposing each other.
For years, conventional medicine did not help me and I wasted a lot of money and time seeing doctor's. I eventually fixed my own problem after spending hours, upon hours of research using herbs and nutrition. I was dealing with GERD and painful vomiting. The prescription medications and trips to the doctor’s office for over a year did not help me! I couldn't get off the medications without experiencing extreme sickness! Then one day I started juicing fresh fruits and vegetables and using various herbs and nutrition supplements. I was immediately able to get off the PPIs, IMMEDIATELY! Whereas before this change, if I tried I would end up doubling over in pain and vomiting! This is just one example of how nutrition and herbs changed my life! Unfortunately, at the time I completely fell away from all conventional medicine and tried to use only herbs and nutrition for many years. Another example I can give is an injury I received in an elevator that slipped about a half a floor while I was on board. This injured my back and for years, I saw doctors received medications, injections, steroids and not a bit of it did any good - I was in pain. Finally I started doing Pilates and using chiropractic care, which was never suggested to me and within a few months no longer had back pain!
Then I tried nutrition and supplements with my son who has severe allergies which failed! I finally gave in to getting him medications that made a huge difference. I was getting sick frequently over the last few years and my doctors' were unable to help. Finally I started taking high dose vitamin D3 and immediately stopped getting sick! I was literally getting bronchitis every couple of months followed by sinus infections for about 2 years. No medications helped me! Within a month of starting high dose vitamin D3 and some other supplements, I have now been completely well for a year!
All to say, I had to realize that I could not completely reside on one side or the other. There is a balance that can be achieved in alternative and conventional medicine. Both have positives and negatives, and both have their place in achieving health and saving lives! There are scammers on both sides of the spectrum, unfortunately!
Completely refuting what was given to us naturally on this earth makes no sense to me anymore than refuting lifesaving medications and treatments. God knows, I would be dead if I hadn't had lifesaving surgery when I ended up with an ectopic pregnancy. But guess what; even my gynecologist said that my tubal pregnancy and subsequent Fallopian tube removal happened as a result of scarring from a previous C-section!
Remember that most medications came from plants at some point and many other life saving medicines come from other sources such as snake venom, spider venom, etc. If you think herbs are “nonsense” then think about where aspirin comes from and many of the popular remedies you probably enjoy! Probiotics come from fermenting foods, from bacteria...oh that was one of the things I did to help cure my GERD!
Our bodies, our cells are composed of the foods we put into our bodies. Of course nutrition has a huge role to play in our health and the prevention and/or treatment of cancer. It is only logical if you really think about it! To me it seems more like pseudoscience to completely set aside the basics and where it came from and how it all came about.
Remember Semmelweis the early pioneer of antiseptic techniques, ”Despite various publications of results where hand-washing reduced mortality to below 1%, Semmelweis's observations conflicted with the established scientific and medical opinions of the time and his ideas were rejected by the medical community.”
I just want to point out that nutrition to treat GERD, and Chiropractic care (to treat back pain ONLY) + exercise are approved "treatments" by conventional medicine. The relationship between GERD and nutrition is actually HUGE (and scientific). Chiropractic and back pain isnt really as scientific, and certainly is more holistic, although it does get some credit as a possible effective remedy for back pain. The other claims by chiropractor are generally completely outlandish though.
Now if you started telling us that your GERD was cured by acupuncture, and the back pain by a shamanistic rain dance, id just think you were nuts. But the things you mentioned generally fall into the approved by modern medicine category.
.... However, and bringing us back again to my point, the encouragement of this type of belief leads to nurses falling for and pushing snake oil miracle cures.
Thanks,
Art
Again - it isn't Judeo-Christian folks, for the most part, who are peddling the false alternative medicine information. I'm not even sure why this is part of this discussion.
I'm a wacko born-again evangelical Christian who completely disavows the anti-vax crowd and is a skeptic when it comes to conspiracy theories (which unfortunately abound on the internet).
I'm a nurse who believes in the science of medicine. Obviously science makes boo-boos at times but the vast amount of scientific knowledge out there is available to refute lies and misinformation put out by folks on the internet. And really, those folks are not the people you are lambasting.
Mercola.com is a horrible chimera of tabloid journalism, late-night infomercials, and amateur pre-scientific medicine.... Unfortunately, it is also one of the more popular alternative medicine sites on the web and as such is uncommonly efficient at spreading misinformation
kalevra, BSN, RN
530 Posts
I have a new proven Cancer Fighting All Natural Skin Rejuvenating Male Pattern Baldness Preventing miracle. Its called Snake Oil, from the ancient and wise Aztecs, this miracle has been re-discovered by modern scientist to heal all ailments. Come one, come all!! Snake Oil can fix all!!!