How Following Research Trends Can Work Against You

The last hundred years have fuelled some of the most amazing advances in medical sciences, resulting in greater longevity for so many of us. Researchers and scientists have discovered ground-breaking results that have changed medical practice and how the drug industry works, not to mention the life-saving technological advances that have made untreatable diseases treatable.

A short fall of these amazing outcomes has been a growing misconception that treating disease and maintaining health is a “quick fix”. We can pop a pill or have a treatment or surgery, and everything will be better. Sure, there are some complex things, like cancer and chronic disease, but all in all the magic of medical science keeps things simple.

People love a shortcut, so we can love this fantasy that a magic pill or herb can fix all our existing problems. And the media is full of one-sided, popularised versions of complex research findings. This leads to errors in judgement, based upon the simplified understanding that if we take “XYZ” herb or do “ABC” treatment, all our health issues will be corrected. We can come to believe that we don’t need to see a doctor or a specialist practitioner, because everything we need to know is at our finger tips. We just need to read the right blog, watch the right educational video, and we can heal ourselves. But life is not like this, because we are much more complex and interesting than we understand.

The Gooseberry Study

Let’s take a look at a case study. Some time ago, research into a famous Ayurvedic herb, gooseberry (amla) revealed that it was high in flavones and anthocyanin. Both of these compounds are used in fighting cancer, inflammation, aging and neurological disease. It is also very healthy for your liver and kidneys. Since ancient times, it has been used to make some Ayurvedic medicines, mainly because of its anti-inflammatory properties.

Many people began taking gooseberry thinking that it would cure all their health problems after reading the research paper or popular health articles that used that paper as a source. However, they were not fully aware of complexities of gooseberry—they were not aware that while gooseberry will help with the cause of their disease, it does not simply cure it.

Similarly, people read fish oil is good for the brain, so they take it to treat their neurological problems, or that iodine is good for the thyroid, so they take that to treat their thyroid. While these measures are good, they are not adequate for treating disease. At best, they are only part of the solution.

Awareness is the Key

People are happy to live with a misunderstanding until they realise they aren’t getting the outcome they require. It isn’t until a person realises that the specific “super-food” or herbal preparation hasn’t been effective in curing them that they begin to rethink all the easy information they have picked up from the internet, television or magazines. They then go hunting for the next great thing, often times still shirking the opportunity to access sound health and wellness advice from trained professionals. This, however, only continues the cycle of fad heath processes and poor wellness outcomes.

A good practitioner has much more experience and understanding than you can glean from popular articles. They even have a better capacity to understand the impact of research findings for your condition, because they have a better understanding of the whole situation: the client, the research, and the contexts to which the findings refer. That is why a holistic approach to your concern, involving educated and experienced practitioners, is essential to both recovery and total wellness.

At Yatan Holistic Ayurvedic Centre, you have access to trained practitioners with more than 25 years’ experience. We are able to understand the complexity of your condition and the way that condition works in relation to you. We provide a complete analysis of your body and the appropriate treatment, so that you see results quickly and with a minimum of inconvenience. We would love to assist you in obtaining the results you desire. Please call us on 1300552260 for an appointment.