Are CoFactors affecting your health or medicine?

I can’t believe the hatchet job mainstream reporting does on the effectiveness and safety of nutritional supplements. The idea of health and illness is very complicated which these reports seldom acknowledge. Just like prescribed drugs, not everything is going to work for every person. If fact, the newest of research is on genetic markers showing whether or not new drugs will work on the individual person. Medicine knows there are many cofactors that go hand in hand with any illness as well as the usefulness of medications. I’d add supplements to the list.

As for genetics, something has to flip the genetic switch for illness to happen. The thing that flips or stops the switch is called a cofactor. As for the role of the dice, chance does come into play, but cofactors are a big player as well. Here are some examples according to Julian Whittaker, MD.

He says in his newsletter that if everyone 65 and older took calcium and vitamin D about 776,000 hospitalizations for hip fractures could be avoided. He estimates savings at $16.1 billion. If people in the same age group took 1,800mg of fish oil daily 374,301 hospitalizations for coronary artery disease would be cut back. Estimated total savings $3.2 billion. If just a quarter of the women of childbearing age not taking 400mcg of folic acid/day did use it, 600 mothers could be spared with certain birth defects saving about $1.4 billion. And, he says that if those with macular degeneration took 6-10 mg of lutein with other antioxidants daily, 190,927 of them might be able to remain independent and stay out of nursing homes due to vision loss. Estimated savings: $3.6 billion.

Just a few supplements would cause a huge improvement in health and a huge reduction in cost. There are many, many more beneficial supplements and nutrients. For instance a study I found published by the University of Victoria in Canada shows this from an entirely different point of view. The authors were from the Department of Geography. Geography?? It seems people are more likely to have different diseases, or not, due to the cofactors found in the geographic areas in which they live and the nutritional content of the food grown there.

The goal of illness prevention and quick access to good care includes nutritional supplements specifically a quality multivitamin, vitamin D, quality fish oil and probiotics taken daily. Of course, the mainstream would have to come to terms with reducing cost and profit.