Every once in a while we catch an episode of Marketplace.
I love this show - at least the episodes that I have watched.
It debunks myths, addresses contradictory statements, misleading advertising and labeling, and tries to out misleading and even harmful health scams and products.
The episode we watched tonight was about food sensitivity testing, the dangers of having a smart-home, and the dangers of tea-toxes.
A while ago I actually wrote about the very issue of these 'slimming teas' and 'tea-toxes' in a blog post.
I loved that this marketplace episode directly addressed some of the issues that I had expressed. The episode talks about the dangers of using ingredients like senna leaf over a longer period of time, as well as the general notion that losing weight because of diarrhea brought about by a natural laxative is not the same as fat loss within the body. Chronic use can be likened to eating disorders and can even alter gut motility.
The other part of this episode was about food sensitivity testing.
Testing that costs a fortune, to test the level at which the body reacts negatively to hundreds of foods and substances.
This testing is usually recommended after initial assessments and the suggestion of a disorder or disease not well understood (or not recognized in Western Medicine) including leaky gut, general food sensitivity of course, candida, ibs, floating rib syndrome, fibromyalgia, endometriosis, chemical sensitivity, lyme disease. Let me be clear here - many of these illnesses are perfectly legitimate, with some torturous symptoms, but are all misunderstood, or not well understood at all. Above all, while some of these illnesses or syndromes have no recognition within the medical community or do not carry the weight of other diagnoses, I think it is vital to remember that the symptoms are not made up.
(It is too often that a patient will come in and let their doctor know they have been diagnosed with something not seen as a real disease, and suddenly the patient's credibility is lost. The patient is not the one who should lose credibility. Being desperate enough for symptom relief to cling onto random diagnoses is gullible, not misleading).
This food sensitivity testing gives us a sense of hope. That we are taking steps to finding out what might help us feel better.
And what we ingest for food has been linked to several diseases by way of triggers and adding to inflammation. So it is natural to attack the diet - with any disease. Foods are an easy target for companies touting supplements and products. We all eat.
But unless a food is directly linked to causing a disease or the worsening of a disease (like Celiac Disease or severe food allergies), it might be a dead end.
What I liked about this episode is that it revealed the inherent flaws in the testing. That these tests can prey upon people who are desperate to feel better, at any cost. Desperate for answers.
It also pointed out how sad it is to watch people remove various different foods from their diet (including healthy foods) unnecessarily.
What we choose to eat can be vital to our health. It has an effect on energy, strength, and general functionality of our systems. But products like 'tea-toxes' and 'detoxifying supplements', unnecessary testing, even IV bags full of 'nutrients' - sure they may help the odd individual, but often they are completely unnecessary. We have livers and kidneys and gall bladders and all sorts of other organs that have those specific jobs.
A special IV may 'work' because your body is being rapidly rehydrated. Dehydration is a major issue when it comes to many diseases - especially those that cause diarrhea and issues with eating and absorption.
Maybe a specific food is being suggested as a food sensitivity because everyone's system has a difficult time digesting that particular food.
Perhaps a tea-tox works to lose weight because it is a natural laxative and helps you lose water weight within your digestive tract - and losing water weight does reduce bloating. (Add on a special nutrient IV and you'll be feeling right as rain).
So do they work? Sure. In some cases - absolutely. But it's important to know exactly why they are working, and how you can achieve those same goals without spending hundreds of dollars.
Really want to tea-tox and lose bloat and a tiny bit of weight by having loads of diarrhea for a month? Instead of buying that horribly expensive brand, why not go for regular run-of-the-mill sleepy-time tea that contains senna leaf? Or just go for a laxative... works faster.
(That's sarcasm - please do not do that. It can be dangerous to your health).
There are so many illnesses and syndromes and symptoms that are not well understood. There are lists and LISTS of symptoms and diseases that have no known cause or cure. There are millions of people suffering from diseases we do not yet fully understand - with no known cause, no known cure, but a fully known and understood prognosis.
It is important to remember that symptoms that people are complaining about are real symptoms. Keep advocating for yourself and for your friends who might be falling into these traps set for people who are suffering and desperate for someone to help them.
And speaking from someone who has always been desperate to find a name for a specific group of symptoms; for a diagnosis....
the diagnosis is only beneficial if it's the RIGHT diagnosis.
Otherwise you might be signing up for years of expensive treatments and diets and IVs and appointments that won't actually do anything to help or slow the true disease lurking there - undiagnosed and untreated.
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