Naturopathy
Naturopathy, often referred to as "natural medicine," is a branch of alternative medicine focused on the prevention and treatment of diseases using natural remedies and holistic approaches. Its foundational philosophy emphasizes the body's intrinsic ability to heal itself, a concept known as vis medicatrix naturae, and advocates for a return to natural living as a means to restore health. Originating from spa treatments in 19th-century Germany and influenced by ancient healing traditions, naturopathy gained popularity in the early 20th century, notably through the efforts of practitioner Benedict Lust.
Practitioners of naturopathy often incorporate various treatments, including nutrition, exercise, detoxification, and the use of vitamins and herbal supplements. Notably, the practice has evolved to integrate evidence-based approaches, especially in response to the growing acceptance of preventive medicine. Naturopathy is typically performed by licensed naturopathic physicians (NDs), who undergo specialized training in accredited institutions. While it promotes healthful lifestyle choices and supplements, the scientific backing for many specific naturopathic recommendations remains limited. Naturopathy encourages a partnership with conventional medicine, particularly for complex health conditions, reflecting a growing trend towards integrative healthcare.
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Subject Terms
Naturopathy
- PRINCIPAL PROPOSED USES: None
DEFINITION: Prevention and treatment of disease through natural remedies and healing, including nutrition, exercise, and detoxification.
Overview
Naturopathy, or “natural medicine,” is one of the most important branches of alternative medicine, exerting an influence far beyond the actual numbers of its formal practitioners. Popularized by medical practitioner Benedict Lust at the beginning of the twentieth century, naturopathy’s immediate roots go back to the spa treatments of nineteenth-century Germany, but its founding principles are in the writings of Hippocrates and other healers of the ancient world.
The defining principle of naturopathy is vis medicatrix naturae, or “nature’s healing power.” From this perspective, disease is caused by departing from the natural way of living, and health is established by returning to it. Other supporters of naturopathy have cited the focus of this typically more personalized alternative therapy on patients' emotional well-being. At the same time, organizations such as the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians have stressed that naturopathy should be used in conjunction with conventional medical treatment, particularly in cases where people are battling complex or chronic health issues such as cancer. As interest in using and practicing naturopathy continued growing in the twenty-first century, additional states passed laws addressing licensure. However, incidents such as the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic spurred debates about alternative treatments and naturopathy as no vaccine was immediately available, and communities struggled to fight the spread of the disease. Studies have shown that COVID-19 depletes glutathione (GSH), which may be restored with N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), a medication used to treat bronchitis and other respiratory disorders. The supplement GlyNAC (glycine and N-acetylcysteine) and several other natural supplements, including milk thistle, omega-3 fatty acids, cysteine, and turmeric, have shown promise in treating the condition.
Much of conventional medicine’s interest in diet and lifestyle came into being through the influence of naturopathic practitioners. There is little doubt that their general recommendations are health-promoting: Eat a well-balanced diet rich in fruits and vegetables, exercise regularly, maintain a healthful weight, and avoid toxic habits, such as smoking. However, it is less clear whether the more specific dietary suggestions sometimes made by naturopathic practitioners enhance health. Some of these suggestions include drinking sixty-four ounces of water daily, eating organic fruits and vegetables, and avoiding certain food combinations (such as starches and protein).
Vitamins, minerals, herbs, and supplements. Naturopathic practitioners are also known for emphasizing the use of vitamins and supplements. Ironically, early practitioners of naturopathy were quite opposed to the use of vitamins and supplements, considering them refined, processed foods (which they are). Matters changed in the 1960s when Linus Pauling promoted vitamin C as a cure for many illnesses, leading to the development of orthomolecular medicine. This approach, now incorporated into naturopathy, believes that the roots of many diseases may be found in a subtle form of malnutrition caused by a combination of the following factors: poor diet, inability to absorb nutrients, increased need for nutrients, and difficulties metabolizing or using nutrients. When nutrient levels in the body are increased, the theory goes, the body will have the means to heal itself.
On this principle, naturopathic practitioners often recommend that people take relatively high doses of certain nutrients in the form of supplements. In addition, they believe that many non-nutrient substances found in plants can contribute to health.
Naturopathic medicine is also largely responsible for the resurgence in interest in herbal medicine. Growing scientific evidence suggests that some herbs have real healing properties.
Detoxification. Another traditional naturopathic principle is the concept of detoxification. This term refers to the belief that modern life, with its chemical pollutants, poor lifestyle habits, and psychological stresses, causes toxins to accumulate in the body. These toxins are said to be a major cause of disease, and removing them from the body is believed to promote health. Detoxification methods include adopting a healthful diet, drinking large quantities of water, using cleansing herbs and supplements, and undergoing special processes such as colon cleansing, liver-flushing, and removing mercury tooth fillings. There is little scientific evidence that any of these methods enhance general health. In fact, research shows that electing to remove mercury fillings from teeth exposes individuals to more mercury than if left alone.
Immune support. Immune support is another characteristic of naturopathic interest. Based on the indisputable fact that the body’s susceptibility to illness is at least as important a factor as its accidental exposure to microorganisms, naturopathic practitioners utilize a number of treatments that they believe will enhance immunity. These treatments include a variety of herbs and supplements and the elimination of certain foods from the diet, such as white sugar. However, it has proved difficult to establish scientifically that any treatment does indeed boost immunity.
Adrenal support. Adrenal support is also commonly recommended by naturopathic practitioners. This method is based on classic early to mid-twentieth-century studies that found a relationship between stress, illness, and adrenal function. Naturopathic practitioners frequently recommend treatments they believe will help the adrenals, including removing sugar and stimulants from the diet while adding adrenal supplements and other herbs and supplements said to strengthen adrenal function. Sometimes, herbs called adaptogens may be used to improve cortisol levels or other supplements like echinacea, turmeric, Siberian ginseng, and licorice.
Adrenal support is said to be helpful for a variety of conditions, including allergies, anxiety, fatigue, and stress. However, the theory of adrenal support has a limited scientific foundation, and it does not by itself justify the common therapies used with the diagnosis. Furthermore, there is little specific scientific evidence to indicate that methods used to support the adrenals are beneficial for any disease.
Other treatments related to naturopathic medicine. Various other treatments have been gathered under the umbrella of naturopathic medicine more for historical reasons than for a close connection to vis medicatrix naturae. These treatments include emphases on food allergies, the belief that low stomach acid is a cause of many illnesses, an interest in the yeast Candida and other intestinal parasites, an interest in certain animal-based hormones, and an attitude of caution toward many interventions recommended by conventional medicine like vaccinations.
Diagnostic techniques. Besides its unique treatment approaches, naturopathic medicine also uses several characteristic diagnostic methods, such as hair and saliva analysis, stool analysis, and a more fine-grained analysis of standard blood tests than conventional medicine believes to be warranted. Naturopathic medicine also uses more traditional diagnostic methods like blood tests to diagnose allergies, hormonal imbalances, other hormone-related conditions, iodine testing, or genetic testing.
In the twenty-first century, naturopathic medicine began trending toward evidence-based treatments that could be integrated into traditional or conventional treatment plans. As naturopathic institutions of learning emerged and expanded and as governing bodies began offering licensure and regulation of these practices, the standards of treatment and acceptable practice in naturopathy improved. With evidence-based, integrative medicine practices, naturopathy gained considerable popularity in the twenty-first century and contributed meaningfully to preventative medicine.
Choosing a Practitioner
The principles of naturopathic medicine are applied by holistic medical doctors (MDs), doctors of osteopathy (DOs), chiropractors, massage therapists, herbalists, and nutritionists. However, the premier practitioners of this form of medicine are naturopathic physicians (NDs). More than fifteen states offer ND licensure, and most major Canadian provinces also license NDs. In states where the ND license is not granted, NDs may still practice, although in a legal gray zone.
Also, some accredited collegeswith accreditation overseen by the Council on Naturopathic Medical Education, recognized by the U.S. Department of Educationin North America grant the ND degree. These colleges include Bastyr University (Kenmore, Washington; San Diego, California), Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine (Toronto, Ontario; New Westminster, British Columbia), National University of Health Sciences (Lombard, Illinois), National University of Natural Medicine (Portland, Oregon), and Sonoran University of Health Sciences (formerly Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine and Health Sciences) (Tempe, Arizona). Universidad Ana G. Méndez also offers an accredited ND program in Gurabo, Puerto Rico.
Bibliography
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