© 2002 Dr. Paul Mach, DN

Q. HOW MUCH WOULD YOU PAY TO CONSUME A PREGNANT MARES URINE?

A. Millions of dollars is what pre- and post- menopausal women in America spend annually on processed horse urine. We call this Premarin (PREgnant MARe urINe).

Remember as stated in prior articles the #1 killer in America is Heart disease, #2 is Cancer, #3 are strokes. The sad, but true aspect is that the #4 killer in the U.S. is prescription medication.

The #1 prescribed drug in America is Premarin. Most doctors want you ladies to think that turning forty and especially fifty go hand and hand with hormone replacement therapy. Menopause is actually not a disease, but a naturally occurring part of this earthly female experience. Clearly it is in the best interest of drug companies to ensure that most women and their doctors view menopause as a medical condition that requires medication. It is interesting to note that the name hormone replacement therapy implies that it is necessary and therapeutic to replace hormones that are naturally lost.

Hormone replacement therapy once again is a woman’s silver bullet. As the Rolling Stones stated so eloquently “they go running for the shelter of Mother’s little yellow helper.” Sorry Valium you have fallen behind in annual sales, Premarin, you win. “You can help her on her way, get her through her busy day”. Hormone replacement therapy promises a whole new list of cures. Symptom and risk reduction in one little pill.

Officially menopause is the cessation of menstruation, what it has come to mean is this whole degenerative lack of reproductive hormone levels and problems affiliated with it. The official questions to propose is not what is the magic pill, but what can be done for prevention, to strengthen the body, and to choose interventions that focus on increasing overall health and not just symptom alleviation. There is never a free ride.

The problem with prevention is that it requires you, yes YOU the reader to actually take control and responsibility for your health. Turning your health and life over to your physician who may spend 5 minutes with you is not taking control. Pharmaceutical companies always have their best interest foremost in their business plans. Yielding to the cries and sales of the marketers and advertisers is not control. You women who are now in this pre- and early postmenopausal group were the ones screaming for equality, women’s rights, and an occasional bra burning. You were the ones spearheading the sexual revolution, what the heck they designed the pill for you. We were from the generation that was, “born to be wild”, “don’t trust anyone over 30”, “the freedom of choice generation” and “hell no we won’t go”. Our thoughts, clothes, actions, songs and concerts screamed personal freedom. We all wanted to think, grow our hair long, and be on our own. We fought all the garbage the suits taught us to do, yelling or thinking, “down with the establishment”. Now the establishment has finally won. Many have sold out, been conditioned and broken.

I invite you ladies to once again take control. Start an internal revolution with yourself. I hate to see others profit from misleading data and at the expense of another human’s welfare. There are many other options for alleviating the menopausal symptoms experienced, along with preventing health problems such as osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, and Alzheimer’s disease. When doctors treat a patient they can only offer what they know. If all they know is medicating, you will always be medicated. It is your responsibility to always ask “WHY?” Ask, “is this necessary?” and “what other options are available?”

So “what other options are available you may ask?”

-The ongoing Harvard Nurse’s Health Study has found that middle-aged women who had taken multivitamins for more than 15 years had a lower incidence of heart disease, osteoporosis and colon cancer and were generally healthier than those who didn’t.

-The Dietary Approach to Stopping Hypertension (DASH) trial from four academic medical centers confirmed that eating twice the amount of fruits and vegetables, and eliminating dairy products or consuming only low fat dairy products, and ingesting only half the saturated fat of the typical Standard American Diet (SAD) can lower your blood pressure in three weeks.

-Similarly, a combination of a healthy diet (including large amount of fruits and vegetables), weight bearing exercise, and limiting alcohol and caffeine consumption can reduce the risk of osteoporosis and fibroid tumors.

-Research on the heart states that the heart immensely benefits from soy products, and especially from its active isoflavones. This research has been so conclusive that manufacturers will soon be able to actually make these claims on their products.

-Hot flashes? Research has shown that soy, vitamin E, exercise and stress reduction all are capable of reducing these and none of these have negative side effects or cause weight gain. Also all studies indicate that acupuncture also helps.

-Vaginal dryness? Dry skin, hair, nails? Worried about your blood being too thick, and taking aspirin to alleviate platelet adhesion? These all respond to essential fatty acids. The best source of EFAs are evening primrose oils, fish oils, and flax seed oil.

Herbs and homeopathic combination remedies can be effective too.

-Black Cohosh Root can reduce hot flashes, heart disease, vaginal dryness, and depression. Pytochemicals and isoflavones are its active ingredients.

-Red Clover decreases the severity and incidence of hot flashes. It contains all four of the major isoflavones.

-Dong Quai is a Chinese herb used to balance the female reproductive system.
Why have I never heard about these products or dietary changes from my doctor before? The answer is clear. There is not a vast amount of money to be made from recommending dietary changes, drinking 10 to 12 glasses of water daily and vitamins and herbs. The medical industry is irritated by lay knowledge. I invite you to irritate away. Take control of your health destiny. Read about your current medications in a Physicians Desk Reference. Many of these have marginal efficacy rates and numerous side effects. Then read about your alternatives to these drugs. Most vitamins and nutrients have zero side effects and countless benefits. Also see a Doctor, like myself, who will spend time educating their patients and giving them the knowledge to take control of their own health destiny.

DO NOT BELIEVE IN AUTHORITY. RATHER EXAMINE ALL THAT AN AUTHORITY SAYS. PUT EVERYTHING TO THE TEST. LET TRUTH BE YOUR AUTHORITY NOT AUTHORITY YOUR TRUTH.