Clinical Nutrition

The leading nutritional problem in the United States today is that people eat far too much of foods that lack adequate nutrition. We call this the Standard American Diet or "SAD" for short. Although people in the United States eat plenty of food, it is not the right kind of food.

Statistically, studies have concluded that almost two-thirds of an average American's diet is made up of fats and refined sugars having low to no nutrient content. This contributes to nutrient deficiencies that can rob the body of its natural resistance to disease and premature aging. This means the remaining one-third of the SAD is relied upon to supply the essential nutrients needed to maintain health and prevent disease!

The SAD has been continually cited by numerous studies since the 1960's as a contributing, causative factor in a variety of "killer diseases", including cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, arthritis, and cancer.

Most doctors typically only recognize severe nutritional deficiencies that manifest as diseases such as beriberi (Vitamin B1), pellagra (niacin), scurvy (Vitamin C) or rickets (Vitamin D).

Dr. Eric R. Hampton and Dr. Melinda J. Whitsell of Westhampton Natural Medicine in Mesa, Arizona are physicians with extensive experience in clinical nutrition and recognize the importance of mild and moderate nutritional deficiencies, the symptoms of which may often be subtle, overlapping and varied.

Many times the symptoms of nutritional deficiencies are taken for granted as being part of the aging process, however, these symptoms are actually subtle deficiency signs that can be responsive to nutrient supplementation and dietary modification.

For example, the first signs of a B Vitamin deficiency may include subtle changes in behavior such as insomnia, mood swings, an inability to concentrate and depression. The use of oral nutritional supplements are effective in the majority of cases, however, many people require the use of intravenous therapy to rapidly increase the levels of nutrients in the body.

We use blood and urine tests such as the ALCAT, and amino acid profile and a Metabolic Urinalysis to determine specific deficiencies and/or hypersensitivities and then supplement with vitamins, minerals, amino acids or essential fatty acids as indicated by the test results.

The father of medicine, Hippocrates, once said: "Let Food Be Thy Medicine and Medicine Be Thy Food". Those were and still are very simple yet profound words. We regularly witness numerous complex, difficult cases begin to resolve by merely making dietary modifications.

• Ear infections in children clear up without antibiotics by simply removing cows milk from their diet.
• Chronic sinusitis begins to resolve in the absence of gluten containing grains.
• ADD/ADHD improves with the addition of essential fatty acids.
• Anxiety can be controlled with the amino acid Glycine.
• Insomnia can be cured by increasing protein in the diet.

Everything we put in our mouth in the form of food or drink, and of course drugs and supplements, results in changes in our biochemistry and physiology that will either contribute to health or disease.

In todays fast paced society laden with convenient, preserved, chemical rich food and drink, the need has never been greater to carefully examine the ultimate impact our dietary choices have upon our health status.