Need some help finding some information for my dh

[oceanbaby]

My dh and I have had a long standing battle, and I can't take it anymore. He basically thinks that all supplements/vitamins/natural remedies are hogwash. His main source of information is Dr. Dean Edell on the radio. Even though he has seen homeopathic medicine work wonders for our kids, even though I fight off 90% of colds and flus with different supplements and vitamins, he still doesn't believe it. Calls them all sugar pills.

I would like to find good information to give him about the effectiveness of these things, but also, I'd like to find information about how medical studies are funded and published in the U.S.

I remember reading some articles years back that one of the problems with "alternative" medicine is that most medical studies in the U.S. are funded by pharmaceutical companies, and that pharmaceutical companies don't place a real high priority on funding studies about alternative remedies. Also, the problem with getting studies published - I remember reading about how difficult and political it can be to get published, especially when a particular researcher's results are controversial in the eyes of the mainstream medical community.

Can anyone help me find this information? This has gone beyond just a disagreement, and I'm at my wit's end arguing with him about this.

[courtenay_e]

Have you seen the book "Prescription for Nutritional Healing" by Balch and Balch? It doesn't only tell you to take something, but talks about what the healing mechanism is and often quotes studies. I suppose I might agree to disagree on that though...if he prefers to see an MD and get "drugs" to heal himself, fine, but you can also prefer to heal yourself naturally before you ever need to see a doc. *shrug* You might also look to european studies. Because much of european medicine is state run, they ALWAYS look for the non medical/non medicinal/non surgical route first, and have MANY replicated studies on alternative medicine. They are just as "advanced" as we are when it comes to running proper studies, and they have many more of them because they don't have big business pharma companies trying to avoid finding less costly/healthier alternatives to their drugs.

[Otto]

Originally Posted by courtenay_e

They are just as "advanced" as we are when it comes to running proper studies, and they have many more of them because they don't have big business pharma companies trying to avoid finding less costly/healthier alternatives to their drugs.

Except for GSK (UK), Roche (Switzerland), Sanofi-Aventis (France), Novartis (Switzerland), AstraZeneca (UK), and Bayer (Germany), of course.

[mommaklo]

after spending 3 1/2 years working in a vitamin store I can tell you I have encountered MANY people of this nature. I would say, call the companies of the vitamins you are taking. I have spent alot of time with vitamin company reps and educational speakers, etc and know that the majority of people in the industry are in it because they believe in it and want others to see the amazing things they have seen. Reputable companies that I would look into would be Natural Factors, Natures way, New chapter, Megafoods and Garden of life, just to name a few. They should be able to tell you about their studies and as someone who has called companies for the piddliest questions for customers, I can tell you they have all the info they need and most have info lines designated specifically for educating customers.
I have convinced, over time, two partners the benefits of supplements, just at first, by taking them myself, and now with Dh, giving them to ds and taking them during my pregnancy. I took alot of supplements, from lots of extra calciuim to daily mugs of pregnancy tea and red rasppberry tea, small amounts of protein powder and probiotics, and I had the most low risk pregnancy I think could have been possible. Even my midwives said "you never had to page us! thats really abnormal!" (I also gave birth to a really healthy baby, too!)
Walk the walk, I guess. Unless hes not funding your supplement purchases, I would just let him see it through you and your kids. Ive found with men, the less we push, and the more we let it sound like an idea they came up with on their own, the more likely they are to open up. Just my experience.
And keep using them! They work and I could give a million examples. I heard so many success stories at the vitamin store I could write a book. If you ever have a spare hr or two, I would say cruise into a local, maybe independently owned (they seem less rushed than say whole foods, etc no offense whole foods!) health food or vitamin store and tell them your predicament. I bet they would love to fill your ear with their own experiences or ones that have stood out to them in the past. Trust me, we lived for that stuff!

[Crafty]

My dh worked for a company that did the testing on the efficacy of and ingredients in supplements. Let's just say that I've never been quite so horrified in my life as to what some of those companies were trying to pass off as good for your health.

He went into that job very interested in natural health. It didn't take long before he swore off all supplements altogether. We saw some awful, awful stuff during that time. Buyer beware, indeed.

Just sayin'.

[mommaklo]

crafty, did he work for a certain supplement company, or as a third party? This shocks me. I guess there is corruption everywhere.
Just imagine what we are EATING, as the FDA determined purity rate is still just 80%. (far as I know)

[BedHead]

My dh is like that about food. I have decided that he is a grown up and is perfectly capable of making his own decisions about what he puts in his own body, and that it isn't up to me to try to make him change. I have let go of it and now if he wants to eat a huge bag of Doritos it doesn't bug me at all. I eat what I like to and let him consume what he likes. It's much more harmonious that way