Nutritional medicine: A critical tool in the fight for longevity and vitality often overlooked by doctors
By kevinhughes // 2025-07-10
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  • In "What Your Doctor Doesn't Know About Nutritional Medicine May Be Killing You," Dr. Ray D. Strand argues that most physicians overlook oxidative stress – a key driver of aging and chronic diseases – and fail to recognize nutritional supplements as a critical defense.
  • Modern medicine focuses on treating diseases rather than preventing them, despite rising chronic illness rates. Less than one percent of healthcare spending goes to prevention, and few doctors receive nutrition training.
  • Strand's skepticism about supplements changed when his wife's fibromyalgia improved dramatically with nutritional therapy, prompting him to research oxidative stress' role in diseases like Alzheimer's and heart disease.
  • Free radicals from pollution, processed foods and metabolism overwhelm the body's natural defenses. Strand advocates targeted supplements (e.g., vitamins C/E, CoQ10, B vitamins) to combat oxidative damage and reduce risks like high homocysteine.
  • Strand urges a triad of diet, exercise and supplementation, emphasizing that individuals must take charge of their health. His book challenges the medical system's drug-centric approach, advocating for nutritional medicine as a vital preventive tool.
In an era where chronic diseases dominate healthcare discussions, a provocative new book argues that the medical establishment is overlooking a critical tool in the fight for longevity and vitality – nutritional medicine. Dr. Ray D. Strand's book "What Your Doctor Doesn't Know About Nutritional Medicine May Be Killing You" challenges conventional medical paradigms, asserting that oxidative stress — a process linked to aging and disease — is being ignored by most physicians, with dire consequences for public health. Strand, a physician with three decades of clinical experience, exposes a systemic flaw in modern medicine: its focus on treating diseases rather than preventing them. Despite soaring prescription rates, chronic illnesses continue to rise. U.S. pharmacies filled over 2.5 billion retail prescriptions in 1997, a number that has since doubled. "We're living longer, but not better," Strand warns. He coins the phrase "living too short and dying too long" to describe the decline in quality of life despite medical advances. Preventive care, he notes, receives less than one percent of healthcare spending, and most screenings like mammograms or cholesterol tests are reactive, designed to catch disease early rather than stop it before it starts. Compounding the issue, fewer than six percent of medical graduates receive formal nutrition training. This leaves many doctors unequipped to advise patients on dietary strategies to combat conditions like heart disease or diabetes. Strand's skepticism about nutritional supplements dissolved when his wife, Liz, was diagnosed with fibromyalgia. Traditional pharmaceuticals failed her, but after introducing high-quality supplements, her chronic pain and fatigue dramatically improved. This reversal prompted Strand to scour medical literature. He uncovered robust evidence linking oxidative stress – cellular damage caused by free radicals – to degenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's, cancer and cardiovascular disorders. Free radicals – unstable molecules generated by pollution, processed foods and even normal metabolism, overwhelm the body's natural antioxidants. Strand argues that modern lifestyles demand supplemental support – vitamins C and E, selenium, zinc and Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) – to neutralize these threats. He highlights homocysteine, a marker for heart disease more dangerous than cholesterol, which can be reduced with B vitamins like folic acid and B12. Yet, most doctors rarely test for it. Case studies in the book underscore supplements' potential. A cardiomyopathy patient improved on CoQ10; precancerous lesions regressed with antioxidants. Strand's approach, termed "cellular nutrition," emphasizes optimizing the body's repair systems rather than just masking symptoms. Strand's message is clear: Individuals must proactively manage their health. He advocates a triad of diet, exercise and targeted supplementation, urging readers to research beyond standard medical advice. Remember that your health is your greatest asset and you should invest in it wisely. As healthcare costs spiral and chronic illness proliferates, Strand's work forces a reckoning: Is the medical system's reliance on drugs costing patients their health? While debates over supplements persist, his evidence and personal anecdotes suggest nutritional medicine could fill a dangerous void in modern care. For readers navigating a labyrinth of health advice, "What Your Doctor Doesn't Know About Nutritional Medicine May Be Killing You" offers a compelling case for rethinking prevention – one vitamin at a time. Watch this video about Dr. Ray D. Strand's book, "What Your Doctor Doesn't Know About Nutritional Medicine May Be Killing You." This video is from the BrightLearn channel on Brighteon.com. Sources include: Brighteon.ai Brighteon.com
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