These include use of a large range of different vitamins and mineral supplements, natural products such as sulfates, which is derived from shark cartilage; herbals, such as ginkgo biloba and echinacea; and diets such as the low-carbohydrate approach to weight loss by Robert Atkins or the paleo diet.
Diet Therapies: Diet therapy is a method of eating specific foods prescribed by a health professional to improve overall health. These are also known as therapeutic diets. Treatment includes foods that will improve specific health conditions, while avoiding foods that could potentially worsen the condition. Types of therapeutic diets include high fiber diets, diabetic diets, low sodium diets, and renal diets to help improve function of kidneys in certain patients. Herbalism: Herbal therapy focuses on the medicinal use of plants. This is known as traditional medicine. Traditional herbal medicine systems started in regions of Africa, the Americas, China, India, and Indonesia.
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Effectiveness of practiced medicine:
In some cases, orthomolecular medicine involves reducing the amount of a natural substance in the body. In certain disorders (such as vitamin deficiencies and metabolic disorders), treatments that could be considered orthomolecular are scientifically proven. However, for many uses, orthomolecular methods have no proven benefit and in some cases are potentially toxic. All biologically based practices show different levels of effectiveness based on the person. According to the Merck manual, Most people who use dietary supplements assume that they are generally good for their health, are safe and effective for either treating or preventing specific conditions, or both because dietary supplements are natural and because some are supported by centuries of use in traditional systems of medicine. However, the FDA does not require manufacturers of dietary supplements to prove safety or effectiveness. Most supplements have not been rigorously studied. |
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