Marie-France Muller - Colloidal Minerals and Trace Elements: How to Restore the Bodys Natural Vitality

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I dedicate this book, the first of mine to be published in English, to my wonderful American familyto all of you who are directly descended or are related to the Mougin family of eastern France: Mougin, Brennan, Conlin, Gauthier, Jambora, Kelleher, Knapp, LeBlanc, Miler, Pastoreck, Rice, Tyrell, Curtis, Smyth, and all others.

I dedicate this to the remembrance of the fantastic journey of September 2004 that brought us all together and in particular to:

Eugene and Theresa Mougin, who are so close to my heart.

My cousins Dona Rice, Marcy Brennan, and Lynn Jambora, who are truly almost sisters to me, and to their children, Christine and Tom Smyth; Timothy and Kara Rice; Sadie, Meaghan and Kara Brennan; and Rick, Scott, and Brian Jambora.

Viviane Mougin Tyrell, whose sweet smile stands out in my memory, and to her large family, including Carol, Raymond, Thomas, Joan, Dorothy, Robert, Richard, Patricia, Marlene, Constance, Ronald, John, and Barbara.

Lenny Gauthier and her children, Laurie, John, and Chipper.

Jim and Roberta Gauthier (and the great times we shared together) and their children, Jimmy, Joel, and Julia.

The big-hearted Ed Miller and his family, including Bill, Bob, Edmund, John Miller, and Marilyn Curtis, and to all your children and grandchildren.

With the pass of a magic wand, you have enlarged my family to a whole new size and a whole new continent.

CONTENTS

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

FOREWORD

Over the last 30 years, increasing numbers of Americans, particularly those with life-threatening illnesses, have begun to look for healthcare answers in complementary and alternative approaches. They are not turning their back on conventional medicineit is, in fact, those who have had all the benefits of modern scientific medicine who have led the searchbut they are very much aware of its limitations and side effects. They are exploring approaches that would complement this medicineor in some cases, be alternatives to it.

FINAL REPORT OF THE WHITE HOUSE COMMISSION ON
COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE POLICY,
MARCH 2002

Demystifying the role of colloidal minerals, trace elements, and supplements by understanding their relationship to disease prevention and the maintenance and improvement of human health is a complex but essential task that needs to be undertaken in order to advance the science of integrative medicine.

All interested observers know that the database of medical knowledge has grown tremendously over the last two decades, with an increasing emphasis on understanding and diagnosing disease; an increasing awareness of the vast complexity of the regulatory mechanisms that govern cellular homeostasis, response, and function; and a greater reliance on the use of technology or extremely sophisticated medical interventions to manage and treat our patients. In the shadow of all these advances in traditional allopathic medicine lie the virtually untapped role of nutraceuticals and the increasingly popular interest in Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM).

According to the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the definition of a dietary supplement is any product taken by mouth that contains a so-called dietary ingredient and its label clearly states that it is a dietary supplement. The dietary ingredients in dietary supplements may include vitamins, minerals, herbs, colloidal minerals, trace elements and amino acids as well as substances such as enzymes, organ tissues, metabolites, extracts or concentrates. Dietary supplements can be found in many forms such as pills, tablets, capsules, liquids or powders. They must be identified on the label as a dietary supplement. A good working definition of a nutraceutical is a dietary supplement to which pharmaceutical-grade clinical research is applied. In the United States and around the globe, nutraceuticals are usually acquired by patients independent of their physicians. These patients opt to self-medicate without necessarily having adequate product efficacy and safety data or even general information about the specifics of the compounds. This can be a prescription for disaster especially if the patient has multiple comorbidities and is already taking some type of prescription drug. An in-depth understanding of the safety and efficacy of these compounds can be achieved only through rigorous testing. Research into nutraceuticals is therefore absolutely essential.

The interest in nutraceuticals is one indication of the marked change in patients perception of the medical establishment during the last fifteen years. People have become dissatisfied with the care provided by their physicians and the apparent restriction of physician services. In response to the strict control of managed care coupled with mixed results of treatment efficacy, the general public has started to use more CAM therapies, in particular herbal/nutritional supplements. A landmark study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 1998 by Dr. Eisenberg, director of the Center for Alternative Medicine Research and Education and assistant professor of medicine at Harvard examines trends in alternative medicine use in the United States between 1990 and 1997. It reported that the prevalence of CAM use increased from 33 percent in 1990 to 42.1 percent in 1997. The total number of visits to CAM providers during this period increased from 427 million in 1990 to 629 million in 1997. Furthermore, multiple reports during the past five years confirm that the range of CAM usage is broadening and that currently 5080 percent of the U.S. population has used some form of CAM therapy. Nearly three quarters of such patients use it in conjunction with traditional medical care; the remaining quarter seeks such treatments as a replacement for traditional care.

In response to the growing demands of consumers seeking alternative medicine, hospitals and academic medical centers are adding CAM services to improve patient satisfaction. Today, an estimated 20 percent of U.S. hospitals offer alternative therapies and nearly 100 academic medical centers have CAM clinics.

CAM therapies are usually self-prescribed with no communication occurring between the patient and his or her primary care physician. Integrative medicine, in contrast, incorporates CAM therapies under the guidance of an MD (medical doctor), DO (osteopath), or ND (naturopathic doctor) who has training in integrative therapies. It is a healing-oriented medicine that draws upon all therapeutic systems to form a comprehensive approach to the art and science of medicine under the supervision of one of these three practitioners.. Integrative medicine combines the benefits of both conventional medicine and CAM therapies, including the use of nutraceuticals, to benefit the patients health and well-being.

But how does all this relate to this book, Colloidal Minerals and Trace Elements? Credible, accurate, evidence-based information on colloidal minerals and trace elements (nutraceuticals) is essential to facilitate a new era of modern medicine that includes healthier patients and a healthier relationship between practitioner and patient.

Medicine is dynamic and always changing. The ability to analyze, understand, and incorporate new information into healthcare strategies is essential for progress. As Oliver Wendell Holmes has said, Greatness is not in where we stand... but in what direction we are moving.