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what is it?
Although conventional medicine now recognises diet as a major factor in the cause and prevention of disease, nutritional therapists go further in claiming to actually treat illness with special dietary regimes and nutritional supplements.
According to practitioners, nutritional deficiencies and food sensitivities are the cause of a number of chronic complaints. Environmental pollution and food processing methods are suspected of removing essential nutrients and placing a strain on body systems.
what it's supposed to do
Nutritional therapists attribute long-term health problems with vague symptoms — such as fatigue, headaches, bloating, frequent infections, and muscle aches and pains that defy conventional treatment or diagnosis — to food intolerances. The modern diet is said to be deficient in nutrients because so much food is grown in depleted soil or treated with chemical additives and preservatives. Industrial pollution may raise levels of heavy metals like lead and mercury that place a strain on the body.
This 'toxic overload' is said to overtax the liver and kidneys, organs responsible for detoxification and elimination, while the ecosystem of bacteria that protect the gut lining in the digestive tract may be disturbed and food absorption affected — a condition known as 'leaky gut'. This is said to contribute to the development of food intolerances, whose reactions are less severe and take longer to appear than food allergies.
Nutritional therapy claims to benefit digestive disorders like irritable bowel syndrome, headaches, migraine, chronic fatigue syndrome, arthritis, circulatory disorders, menstrual problems, asthma, eczema and allergies.
what happens
An initial consultation takes about 60-90 minutes. The practitioner takes a complete medical history, asks detailed questions about your diet and lifestyle and may carry out diagnostic tests that include blood and urine samples for signs of food sensitivity, hair and sweat analysis for any mineral imbalances or toxic metal accumulations, and muscle resistance testing (kinesiology). Some therapists use a vega machine, an electrical device designed to detect the presence of deficiencies and sensitivities, although scientific research has found no convincing evidence that this is an effective method of diagnosis.
Elimination diets are by far the most reliable way to detect a food sensitivity. Suspect foods are removed and then re-introduced in groups until one of them causes a reaction. If certain foods are identified as triggers, then you will be advised to avoid them. Various diets may be suggested, as well as vitamin and mineral supplements (sometimes in higher doses than conventional doctors approve), herbal remedies, enzymes and 'live' bacteria to restore the natural balance in the digestive tract. A three-month programme may be devised to restore the body's state of balance and you will be expected to keep a food diary.
Commonly recommended diets include:
The Stone Age diet — wheat and dairy foods are omitted, but fish, lamb, vegetables and fruit allowed.
Vegan Diet — no meat, poultry, fish, eggs, milk, honey or any other animal products allowed but lots of pulses, nuts, grains and seeds.
The Hay Diet, also known as 'food combining' — proteins and carbohydrates are eaten separately and neutral foods combined with either group.
what's the evidence?
Considerable research now links nutrition and health. Diet clearly has a role in the development and prevention of diseases like cancer and heart disease. Supplements of specific vitamins have been shown to prevent or alleviate certain conditions, such as vitamin E and arterial disease, or vitamin B6 and PMS. But most conventional doctors are wary of theories about food intolerances and 'leaky gut' for which there is less convincing evidence so far.
precautions
Go to the safety first section of 'before you start' for some general precautions to take into account when considering a complementary therapy.
Consult your doctor before starting a course of nutritional supplements if you are taking medication as they may be incompatible.
Do not take high doses of vitamins or minerals nor follow a strict diet for long periods without consulting your doctor or a qualified nutritional therapist.
how to find a practitioner
Nutritional therapy is an unregulated profession, which means that anyone is entitled to call themselves a nutritional therapist, open a training school or start a register.
In general, training courses range from four years full-time to two years part-time. The Nutritional Therapy Council has recently been set up to focus on standardisation of education. The British Association of Nutritional Therapists (BANT) is a self-regulating professional body that holds a nationwide register of practitioners who have qualified at BANT-approved schools and are insured and required to abide by the association's code of ethics and practice.
The British Society for Allergy, Environmental and Nutritional Medicine, whose members are medically qualified doctors, only accepts patients with a doctor's referral.
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(July 2002)
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