A pill for all ills
We live in a ‘pill for all ills’ society. Whether you believe we have been driven here by big pharma, or if you think this is just the way of the world because we want everything now – a quick fix – the fact is, that the majority of people over the age of 50 are taking some sort of drug. The figures for England show one in seven people on statins and one in 10 on antidepressants. NHS Digital said a total of 1.1 million prescriptions were dispensed last year - a rise of 47 per cent in a decade, and in total, 48 per cent of people are now taking prescription drugs, with medication for high blood pressure being the most commonly prescribed item, followed by statins, indigestion remedies, painkillers and antidepressants.
But do we really need them? Are they actually fixing the problem, or just masking the symptoms? Are the side effects worth it? Are the associated risks worth it? And do we know all the risks involved?
I love the NHS. I have had tens of thousands of pounds worth of care for myself and my family over the years. I have taken antibiotics for tonsillitis and chest infections. I took the birth control pill for about 10 years. I’ve broken bones, snapped tendons, needed stitches, had operations and two complicated births. My second son was in hospital for 6 weeks after being born prematurely and both children have taken antibiotics, have used inhalers for childhood asthma and had treatment in A&E. I wouldn’t be without it and will fight for its continued place in our society. However, it is overloaded with people struggling with weight gain, obesity and type II diabetes, cardiovascular disease and autoimmunity and it simply will not be able to cope with the increased pressure on its system over the coming years.
I don’t believe all the drugs which are taken are necessary and I know from my biochemistry degree, research I have done, my own experience and that of people I have worked with, that good nutrition can improve health and reduce the need for prescription drugs in a lot of cases. I am 53. I currently don’t have any pain relief meds in the house. I don’t take any drugs – even going through my divorce from an abusive man, the stress and lack of sleep that involved and going through menopause at the same time, I didn’t take any medication. I haven’t had a cough or cold for 4 years. My kids are now off their inhalers and hay fever symptoms are reduced, and although one son is now on medication for ADD, I hope to reduce that over time with further improvements in his gut health and some counselling and work with strategies. This isn’t easy – eating well isn’t the easy option, but in my opinion, it is the only option to guarantee your best health into old age.
It is a fact that doctors only do a few weeks of nutrition training in their 7 years of education. This is ludicrous! Our bodies are built by what we put into our mouths!! On a very basic level, a baby is produced from the meat and two veg we eat while we are pregnant. Simplistically, if we eat well, the baby will be built well. Eat badly, and surely the opposite is the case. This must surely be the case with our own bodies, which continue to rebuild during our lives – put good stuff in and the body will be strong and resilient.
My blogs over the coming weeks will be about what that good stuff is, why I believe supplementation is necessary, and how you can avoid drugs either, because like me, you believe they aren’t the best solution, or because the drugs and treatment become unavailable through the NHS or, God forbid, the NHS collapses and we have no choice…