Interest in herbal and other alternative therapies (also called complementary therapies) has escalated in many industrialised countries since the 1970s. The reasons are complex but probably include an increasing scepticism about science, and a public that is less willing to accept the truth of statements by ‘experts’ including medical practitioners. Periodic national health surveys in Australia from 1977 to 1990 show progressive increases in the number of consultations with alternative therapists. At the same time numerous doctors and others involved in health care have highlighted problems with medical knowledge, for example the limited perspective which drives certain treatment approaches. Recognition that other perspectives may have something valuable to offer is evident among practitioners and trainees of mainstream Western medicine.

A recent survey in Britain showed that 80% of doctors want to include some form of alternative medicine in their practices; and a recent study of Australian fourth year medical students found that an overwhelming majority of 92% were keen to study alternative medicine as part of their degree. The students were most interested in meditation, nutritional medicine, acupuncture, naturopathy, Chinese herbal medicine, homeopathy, hypnosis and the ancient Indian treatment, ayurvedic.

A criticism commonly made about alternative therapies is the lack of solid scientific evidence about their effectiveness and safety, a problem compounded by the lack of quality control in the manufacture of some substances. These therapies have, for the most part, not been submitted to the sort of evaluation of efficacy (double-blind trial) required in recent decades for drugs used in orthodox medicine. While some alternative therapies have stood the test of time, having been used for centuries in some countries, careful long-term studies of risks and benefits tend to be lacking or only recently initiated. Ironically, while orthodox medicine is becoming more open to alternative approaches, alternative medicine is now being submitted to increased scientific scrutiny. As evidence of this, the manufacture of herbal medicines in Australia has been governed by an act of federal parliament since 1993 and the Australian government recently established a Traditional Medicine Evaluation Committee within the federal Department of Health.

Many of the alternative therapies share a common philosophy that life-giving energies and substances help maintain the human body in good health and balance. Ill-health is regarded as the result of a loss of balance caused by a sub-optimal lifestyle or an accumulation of toxic substances, including the products of infectious disease. To correct disturbances to the body’s balance, or to maintain the existing equilibrium, the alternative therapies adopt a holistic treatment approach that emphasises the patient rather than a problem organism or toxin. The focus is on an individual’s ability to overcome disease with the help of substances that clean and strengthen the body, rather than on the disease-destroying abilities of particular pharmaceuticals.

It is sometimes assumed that because herbal products and nutritional supplements are of natural origins they are therefore free from serious ill-effects. Unfortunately this is not always so. All herbal and nutritional supplements should be used cautiously and monitored regularly by a skilled practitioner, because adverse effects can occur—just as they can with orthodox medicines.

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Manganese

Manganese, an essential trace element, is needed for healthy skin, bone and cartilage formation and to regulate blood sugar levels. It also plays a part in cell protection because it helps to activate an enzyme called superoxide dismutase (SOD). SOD is an important antioxidant enzyme because it protects the mitochondria (microscopic structures containing genetic material found in cells) from free radical attack.

Research has shown that women with low manganese levels are more likely to give birth to a baby with a malformation.

You should take 5mg a day.

Your partner should take 5mg a day.

Iron

We need iron to make red blood cells and to transport oxygen around our bodies. Without iron, new cells could not be produced and our organs would be starved of oxygen. The negative side is that we do not eliminate iron; it is continually stored as ferritin. The only time we lose iron is during a period, childbirth, an accident causing blood-loss, or by donating blood. Iron is part of hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying component of the blood. A deficiency of iron causes tiredness, because the body is being starved of oxygen.

Iron deficiency should always be checked during infertility investigations, as taking iron is known to have helped women regain their fertility.

Iron supplements, given together with vitamin Ñ (which increases the absorption of iron), have resulted in a number of women with fertility problems becoming pregnant, including one woman who had undergone nine years of unsuccessful fertility treatment.

Scientists used to believe that the more iron we had the better. Years ago iron supplements were given routinely during pregnancy, regardless of whether the woman had a deficiency or not. Thankfully, this practice has now stopped.

You should only take iron if you know you have a deficiency and your doctor can test you for this. Heavy periods (menorrhagia) can cause iron deficiency because of the excessive blood loss but, ironically, iron deficiency can also cause heavy periods.

The most absorbable form of iron, haem iron, is found in animal products such as fish and poultry. Non-haem iron is found in leafy green vegetables and dried fruit. Vegetarians can have smaller iron stores because the iron in the food they eat is less absorbable.

Apart from eating iron-rich foods, you can increase your iron intake by not drinking tea with food. This is because the tannin contained in tea can block the uptake of iron, as well as other vital minerals. You need to leave at least an hour between eating and then drinking tea, or, better still, eliminate it altogether because of the known effects of caffeine on fertility.

Your choice of cooking utensils can also affect your iron intake. For example, cooking acidic foods, such as tomatoes, in an iron pan can be a source of dietary iron; and studies show that cooking any food in an iron pot can increase iron intake.134

Aluminum, on the other hand, can actually diminish the iron content of food. Conversely, cooking in stainless steel has also been shown to significantly increase the iron content of food.

Symptoms of iron deficiency include:

• Fatigue

• Sore tongue

• Cracks at the side of the mouth

• Vertical ridges on the finger nails

• Spoon-shaped (concave) nails

• Hair loss or poor hair growth

• Breathlessness

• Pale complexion

Not all iron supplements are the same

If you are found to be deficient in iron, you will probably be given a supplement to take. Unfortunately, some iron supplements are ineffective, depending on the form in which they are given.

Inorganic iron, such as ferrous sulphate and ferrous gluconate (the standard irons given medically), is very difficult to absorb and can cause digestive problems, resulting in constipation or black stools. Inorganic iron or chelated forms of iron (which are combined with an amino acid) are much more easily absorbed and do not usually cause any bowel changes. Ask for the latter.

Iron supplements should only be taken if a blood test shows a deficiency.

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