Alvin H. Danenberg, DDS April 4, 2016
I have a problem.
I am a believer in learning from the past. As a matter of fact, I don’t think a healthy lifestyle or a healthy diet could be understood correctly today if one didn’t study the 2.5 million-year evolutionary history of our species. That’s why I know that a Primal diet and lifestyle are the ways that our body has been designed to thrive.
However, here is my problem.
I know of some holistic medical researchers and practitioners who base their current beliefs solely on research performed years ago. While the facts identified in those days were important at that time, some of them have been disproved today. Unfortunately, some clinical practitioners still stubbornly hold those refuted facts to be gospel today.
One example involves the health risk of saturated fats. It was once believed and proven that saturated fats increased the risk for cardiovascular disease. However, recent peer-reviewed papers have disproved those outdated facts. (HERE. HERE. HERE.) Yet, some healthcare professionals today still discourage the consumption of saturated fats based on those invalidated ideas.
Another example involves root canals performed on abscessed teeth. Many root canals that were performed in the past were biologically unhealthy because residual infection often could invade the blood system. Or, some materials used in the root canal procedure were toxic to the body. The techniques of performing root canals in the past were greatly flawed. However, today, endodontists have perfected procedures and materials to treat abscessed teeth without the risk of bacterial infection or toxic substances leaking into the bloodstream. (HERE. HERE. HERE.) Yet, some holistic practitioners today still profess that root canals should never be done because of improperly performed root canals in the past.
So, what does this mean to me?
Nothing is carved in stone. We all need to have open minds. Many truths in the past turn out to be disproved. That’s just the way it is. If we can think outside of the box, have a healthy degree of skepticism, and relish learning, all of us will be better off moving forward.
My problem is that some practitioners get stuck in facts that become proven false and are unable to open their minds to newer knowledge.
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