Which is the best way to health – prescription medications or healthy foods and moderate exercise? Consider some statistics:

• According to a 1998 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association inn 1998, adverse drug reactions cause the death,       hospitalization, or serious injury of more than 2 million people in the United States each year, including more than 100,000 fatalities.
• Almost half (49.5%) of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reports of deaths from adverse drug reactions and 61% of hospitalizations from adverse drug reactions were in people younger than 60.
• All medications used for the treatment of any type of health condition can cause side effects. Examples of common drug side effects include nausea, vomiting, fatigue, dizziness, dry mouth, headache, itching, muscle aches and pains.
• Dey Pharmaceuticals estimates there are 150-200 deaths each year from food allergies. Their estimate is listed in their media resource kit of the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network a lobbying and educational group headed by a former marketing executive. However, the Centers for Disease Control have been tracking data on food allergy deaths and only eleven people died from food allergies in 2005, the last year for which we have data available. More people died from lawnmower accidents.

 That’s quite a contrast – 11 deaths from food allergies a year compared to more than 100,000 fatalies from prescription drugs. That’s approximately 1 food allergy death per 10,000 prescription drug deaths. That alone, is convincing evidence for me but when you consider the potential health benefits of healthy foods…I call that a slam dunk! Just think about what we currently know about eating healthy foods:

• Ginger – Has anti-inflammatory and natural pain killing properties . Reduces nausea and has been shown potential in the prevention and cure of cancer.
• Broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables – Thought to lower risk of cancer and possibly prevent colon cancer. Helps to reduce high blood pressure and risk of stroke.
• Tomatoes –   Good blood purifier. Helps in cases of liver congestion and helps to dissolve gallstones. Protects the liver from cirrhosis, helps protect against infections and helps prevent heart disorders. The vitamin K present in tomatoes helps in preventing hemorrhages. Lycopene, which is the red pigment present in tomatoes acts as a powerful antioxidant which fights cancer cells.

Add exercise to healthy eating and you will feel better and improve your health!

According to the Harvard Public School of Health:

“Regular exercise or physical activity helps many of the body’s systems function better, keeps heart disease, diabetes, and a host of other diseases at bay, and is a key ingredient for losing weight. According to the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, (1) being physically active on a regular basis

• Improves your chances of living longer and living healthier
• Helps protect you from developing heart disease and stroke or its precursors, high blood pressure and undesirable blood lipid patterns
• Helps protect you from developing certain cancers, including colon and breast cancer, and possibly lung and endometrial (uterine lining) cancer
• Helps prevent type 2 diabetes (what was once called adult-onset diabetes) and metabolic syndrome (a constellation of risk factors that increases the chances of developing heart disease and diabetes)
• Helps prevent the insidious loss of bone known as osteoporosis”

Taking a pill may be quick and easy but utilizing healthy food and exercise where emergency measures are not necessary gets my vote!