"Orderly, natural and academic medicine must separate the stage from the disease"

2001/07/10 Carton Virto, Eider - Elhuyar Zientzia

• Unibertsitateak
• Etika
• Medikuntza
• Farmakologia

Professor Pedro Ramos commented yesterday what is beneficial, what is harmful, what useless... The conference ‘Natural medicine: lights and shadows’ begins by saying that we must act as in natural treatments, as in pharmacological treatments, that is, we must have evidence that a potion is good for the medium kingdom of reaction, doses and side effects. In short, he stressed the importance of the scientific method being at the base of natural medicine.

He studied soy, olive oil, Santiago herb, blue fish and Chinese medicinal plants individually and step by step. Soy, for example, is very fashionable both in society and in the world of research. It improves blood circulation, reduces menopausal symptoms, protects bone tissue, reduces the risk of breast and uterine cancer and, as seen in monkeys, Alzheimer's. It has been found that phytoestrogens (isoflavones) containing soy are responsible for most of these positive effects and that isoflavone tablets are sold extensively. But besides isoflavones, natural soy has fiber, has a compound called genistein and has many other ingredients. Without fiber soy is less effective for improving circulation and without genistein anti-tumor protection is weakened. Therefore, isoflavone pills are not as beneficial as we want to make believe, natural soy is what really serves.

But to what extent? How much soy should be taken daily? Do you have side effects? Pedro Ramos stressed that natural medicine should also seek the answer to these questions. For example, genistein hinders cell proliferation, and hence it is believed that action against cancer is due. But if you take a lot of genistein, cell proliferation can be an obstacle, such as anemia, in situations where it is convenient to occur at full speed. Therefore, soy should not be taken in any way.

Like soy

Although the most important part of the talk was devoted to soy, he also spoke of olive oil, Santiago grass, blue fish and Chinese medicinal plants. Explain its beneficial effects, cite research, analyze side effects and determine doses.

For example, St. James's wort has proven very effective in treating light depressions. It gives as good results as conventional treatment and has fewer side effects, but when depression is severe it is totally useless. In addition, he noted that for the blue fish to be beneficial, in addition to fried, you have to eat in any way. The serious scientific analysis of natural medicine was yesterday.