by Jamie G. Phillips, DC
Does it seem to you that it doesn’t matter where we turn these days, there are news stories and advertisements, alike, touting the stupendous studies on a plethora of natural supplements, not to mention the cutting-edge health proclamations of coffee and red wine that, in one way or another, guarantee to decrease or prevent all causes of mortality? It would almost seem, in fact, that a quest for immortality has replaced our search for longevity!
To begin with, let me make it super clear that I solidly believe that certain~particular things that we ingest can be beneficial to our health. So, I’m definitely not opposed to taking supplements. Not only do I advocate them for my patients, but take them myself. Secondly, if confession is good for the soul, and red wine is good for the heart, then I’d like to take this opportunity to help both by stating for the record that I appreciate drinking a glass of red wine. The suggestion that it might have heart-healthy properties, well, that’s like icing on the cake, so to speak. And, lastly, as far as caffeine’s ability to genuinely reverse or prevent Alzheimer’s disease goes, I believe that if that were generally the case, life would be far less frightening and far more enjoyable for many people and their families.
Let’s take a deep breath and reflect on a couple of facts, however, prior to your deciding to add more caffeine to your morning grind, increase the red wine you may imbibe in the evening, or before you consider mortgaging the house in order to pay for high-priced minerals and herbs that promise to extend your life indefinitely.
For example, let us consider the fact that we, humans, are dynamic, biological beings, free to uniquely interact with life. We have not been confined to a cage, and not one of us has been “propagated” to artificially develop the age-related debilitation and disease that lab animals are bred to do, conditions that are then “reversed” by resveratrol, caffeine, or some exotic herb.
Moreover, our being dynamic and biological is another way of saying that we, humans, are not ” mechanistic automatons.” In other words, we aren’t all precisely alike. Due to the fact that our central integrative states are not exactly the same, internal provocation factors and external irritation influences affect us in different ways. For example, though smoking cigarettes is commonly harmful to most people, there are a few individuals who can smoke cigarettes and still achieve longevity without any related ill effects.
The outcomes upon which scientific research and testing are based upon the isolation of a particular variable. That is the method that gives scientific study its legitimacy. However, because tests related to human health issues occur through this very method, and are most often done on lab animals, when it comes to human beings, the effects are very likely to be quite different. In fact, to paraphrase Abraham Lincoln, what might benefit some of the people all of the time, most likely won’t work for all of the people all of the time (and sometimes won’t work at all!).
You make choices each day, some that are intentional and others that may be indifferent, that will affect your physical health, now and in the future. You decide what (and how much) you’ll eat and drink, and the amount of physical activity and rest you’ll get. Even though you can “sense” what is healthy for you, by the way your body responds, sometimes, perhaps too often, you may override the feedback. Clearly, when you don’t consciously make healthy choices, you jeopardize your health and longevity.
Then, a study comes along that hails the discovery of THE THING that has the efficacy to reverse all of the immoderate and unhealthy things you may have been doing to your body through unhealthy choices, and you, like many others, may be ready to take double and triples doses of whatever it is! This kind of “hope” is, unfortunately, a subtle illusion.
The elegantly balanced system of your body (homeostasis) is highly responsive and intricate. This delicate system becomes “off balance” when you live an unhealthy lifestyle. Eventually, the imbalances nurtured through poor health choices, result in diseases.
If supplements help you to feel more energetic and healthy, then as a chiropractor who takes them as well, I say great, take them! If it feels like the thing to do, drink that additional cup of coffee as well. And, have a little more red wine if it honestly feels beneficial. But, keep in mind that the only legitimate way for anyone to avert or reverse age-related health problems is by choosing a consistently healthy lifestyle. You won’t get healthier by chance. There is no “lucky charm” when it comes to health and longevity.
About the Author:
Dr. Jamie Phillips, a
Ventura Chiropractor, has been a practicing chiropractor for over two decades. She is also a consultant for
Bloczone Marketing, a chiropractic internet marketing company specializing in chiropractic websites that attract new patients. She can be reached at (805) 882-1956.