People of all ages are turning to natural supplements to complement their health care. For the past 10-plus years, Americans have spent more than $20 billion on herbs and dietary supplements ” and most of the time, they do so without the guidance of a health care practitioner.
Everything one might want to know about vitamins with questions and answers was discussed Jan. 26-27 at the fifth annual Evidence-Based Natural Supplements Conference at the Paradise Point Resort. Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine in La Jolla, one of the largest and most comprehensive hospital-based clinics in the U.S., sponsored this annual three-day conference featuring more than two dozen nationally renowned experts speaking with timely updates to physicians, nurses, pharmacists, dietitians and other health care providers as well as the general public.
Prevention and early detection also were emphasized in the program. In addition, attendees were welcomed to pre-conference tours of a botanical garden to learn more about dietary supplements from plant to product.
Dr. Mimi Guarneri, conference co-director, co-founder and medical director of the Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine, said, in her keynote address, “Our goal in creating this conference is to raise awareness of herbal and natural remedies and enhance the credibility of integrative medicine among our peers.”
A world-renowned cardiologist, Guarneri is the author of “The Heart Speaks,” a book describing her own journey from a typical stressed, overworked and conventional doctor to one who integrates the “whole person” mind-body-spirit approach into the lives of her patients with amazing results. She has pioneered the art of healing incorporating the latest technology with centuries-old methods of wellness, including modalities seldom combined in modern medicine.
Dr. Robert Bonakdar, conference co-founder and director of pain management at the center, said, “Americans assume that herbs and vitamins are safe because they are natural. Yet, there are known drug-herb reactions that can occur, and for this reason, health care providers need and want to acquire the knowledge and expertise for managing dietary supplement use with their patients. The NIH and other institutions continue to fund research on the subject to ensure public safety.”
As part of Scripps Health, the Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine blends allopathic care with evidence-based complementary treatments and therapies. It provides care for people with heart disease, pain, weight-management needs, cancer, diabetes, stress, women’s health issues and other health concerns.
The center’s statement of purpose is “Healing People and Changing Lives Through Science and Compassion.”
Additionally, the conference hosted a research competition to highlight and acknowledge new research in the use of natural supplements in three categories: original clinical research, comprehensive review of existing research and student research.
Competitors submitted 400-word abstracts judged on concept originality, rigor of research and applicability of clinical practice. Winners will be published in the Journal of Complementary and Alternative Medicine.
For more information on the Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine, visit www.scrippsintegrativemedicine.org.
” Gerontologist Mera Kelley of La Jolla can be reached by emailing [email protected].
