iHealthCast > Physicians<br>& Specialists > Heartbeats Blog - <span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: bold;">Health Care In America - Possibly a Better Type of Reform to Consider </span>

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Posted by: Dr. Chris Meletis, ND	1/15/2010 11:49 AM
There is great debate underway now about the need for universal healthcare access for all US citizens. Most everyone agrees that health care access is a huge issue, and yes at times it would save people's lives. There are arguments that it will save tremendous financial hardship for individuals with HIGH EXPENSE needs, of course those costs will be distributed amongst the rest of the US population. But there is a much BIGGER and SIMPLER issue... Unlike Australia, The USA has not mandated Iodine fortification of our bread supply. And we are only now suggesting people increase their vitamin D intake, even though over 50% of the US population has insufficient levels of vitamin D to protect their health optimally. Low levels of Iodine contribute to thyroid disease, obesity, lower IQ and even cancer. Vitamin D deficiency causes equally big health challenges. Let me share with you something so unbelievable that I am going to share it in quotes from a medical journal with the reference so you can double check it, then share this fact with everyone you know and love. "Based on the dose-response curves identified in this report and modeled using national baseline median population, winter 25(OH)D levels, the projected number of cases that could be prevented in North America with universal attainment of a serum 25(OH)D level of 55 ng/mL would be at least 60,000 cases per year of colorectal cancer and 85,000 cases per year of breast cancer. The projected number of cases that could be prevented annually in the world with this serum level of 25(OH)D would be approximately 250,000 cases of colorectal cancer and 350,000 cases of breast cancer." Reference: What is the Dose-Response Relationship between Vitamin D and Cancer Risk? Nutrition Reviews, Vol. 65, No. 8 August 2007(II): S91–S95 Bottom line: Select nutrients like Vitamin D and Iodine, if provided routinely to the US and World Population, would be a very inexpensive way to impact true foundational wellness. Furthermore, vitamin D for instance has been shown to help modulate risk for certain types of heart disease and diabetes type II as well. Prevention is worth a ton of drug induced cure. Don't get me wrong, I write my fair share of prescriptions as well, on an as needed basis. Yet, the question that must be raised is, if diet and lifestyle can dramatically impact the US associated deaths from smoking (465,000 per year), hypertension (395,000), obesity (216,000), physical inactivity (191,000), high blood glucose levels (190,000) and high levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) bad cholesterol (113,000), then why not focus more on education and prevention? Many of these sources of death could be avoided or lessened with changes in diet and lifestyle. If a website was available to educate healthcare consumers on ways to change their diet, alter their lifestyle and learn about supplements would this not be "the best way to insure better health"? Do you know of such a website? I think so... and I also think it is our responsibility to share it with friends and family. We all can make a difference in changing the health of our fellow Americans.
Copyright ©2010 Dr. Chris Meletis, ND
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