Dear Healthy Friend,

I've been accused of being a hypochondriac. I've been told: It's a mossie bite Taryn, not a spider bite.  It's a headache Taryn, not a migraine... My list of imaginary ailments could go on and on and on... But to me, these things are real. But they're also things you don't want to happen to you. People accept hypochondriacs. And now pharmaceutical companies are using this as a scapegoat.

That's right... they're saying side effects of medication are all in our head. Keep reading to see how they got to this conclusion...

In the name of good health,

Taryn Strugnell
Managing Editor of Nutrition & Healing

P.S. How much zinc is enough zinc? Dr Wright reveals the correct dosage for this vital mineral and what else you need to be taking at the same time...

You're making it up...
Christine O'Brien

Want to know why you're experiencing those terrible side effects from pharmaceutical drugs? It's all in your head!

At least that's the conclusion researchers at Philipps University Marburg in Germany came to in a study of 100 patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

They start off by pushing the line that most medication side effects aren't life threatening or serious, but that they can be "frightening and distressing" and can make people not want to take their drugs. I guess some of us are just too weak-willed to put up with a few harmless side effects.

The participants completed the Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire, which first asked people about their beliefs regarding the need for, and risks of, medications. Then they were asked about the frequency and severity of any side effects they were experiencing.

Of the 100 people, 77 reported having been bothered by side effects. After six months of treatment for their arthritis, 87 of the original 100 were brought back in for a follow up. And lo-and-behold, 52% reported being bothered by side effects of the drug.

The researchers reported that the patients who expressed concerns about taking medication were more likely to report side effects. How much more likely? Well, that's where they get considerably more vague in their reports to the press.

Mind you, the study only involved people with one specific type of arthritis. But that doesn't matter!

The lead researcher, Dr Yvonne Nestoriuc, "guesses" that the same thing happens "across a wide range of drugs" and that this is something that happens in a lot of patient populations. She also said that people tend to think pre-existing bothersome symptoms are side effects of a new drug and report them as such.

Well... how convenient. So much for scientific inquiry.

Look. There's something to be said for worry sometimes making things worse. Self-fulfilling prophecies and all that. But the reason we're so worried about these side effects is because they're REAL, not because we're over-thinking things.

It might be a lot easier to pin the blame on us and this study makes it a lot easier for the mainstream to do just that. But I, for one, am not going to sit quietly while my doctor and pharmaceutical giants give me a pat on the head and tell me, "don't worry, sweetheart. It's all in your head."
 

Everything but the kitchen zinc

Q: What does zinc do? How much do I need to get every day?

Dr Wright: Zinc is an important part of maintaining optimum skin health and fighting infection. But since it's not always easy to get enough zinc in your diet, I recommend supplementing with 15mg of zinc per day. (If you're planning on taking more, consult with a doctor experienced in nutritional medicine before you do so.)

Any time you supplement with zinc, you should offset it with a small quantity of copper (approximately 1mg of copper for each 15mg of zinc). If you supplement with zinc without adequate copper intake, you raise the risk of having heartbeat irregularities and you can also raise your total cholesterol while lowering your good cholesterol.