Usually, they have many treatment alternatives but they have no information about their choices. One example of effective alternatives is the reduction in blood pressure that meditation produces. Others are the dietary changes and exercise programs that lead to lowered cholesterol. Since the medical treatments for these two conditions are often more dangerous than the problems, it is worth seeking safer alternatives.

Dr. Dean Ornish has shown that patients with heart disease can often avoid surgery and reverse their heart disease with a combination of a low-fat diet, meditation, and exercise. Norman Cousins healed his ankylosing spondylitis (a form of arthritis of the spine) with laughter and high doses of vitamin C. He wrote about his experience in the New England Journal of Medicine, and followed this article with a book, The Anatomy of an Illness. Many patients have cured their digestive disturbances simply by avoiding certain foods.

Over and over, we are seeing the results of lifestyle changes in health care. A recent scientific medical conference put on by the American College for Advancement in Medicine was entitled: Lifestyle Medicine—Medicine for the Nineties. Researchers and physicians both attended and taught at this scientific meeting. Much of it related to the role of dietary supplements in medical therapy.

Dietary supplements are amongg the safest and most effective choices in health care. They are almost free of side effects, they are easy to take, they are relatively inexpensive, and they usually enhance many life functions besides the specific condition for which they are being given. Following is an example of how nutritionally oriented physicians might use supplements as part of the treatment for a specific health problem. This is a suggestion that is supported in the medical literature and in the experience of many physicians.

Remember this is an example, not a prescription for you, and the supplement list is in addition to many other health practices. Other supplements may be helpful, and you may not need all of these to get results. For more information on any one supplement, look for its description in Dietary Supplements. No one program is appropriate for everybody, but these suggestions are good starting points from which individual programs can be modified.

Any serious medical condition, sexually transmitted diseases, depression or other psychological disorders, fatigue, overwork or simply lack of adequate sleep can lead to loss of libido (interest in sex) or ability. Hardening of the arteries to the pelvic organs may be a direct cause of sexual dysfunction. Of course, loss of interest or ability may also result from relationship problems.

Many poor health habits lead to deterioration of numerous bodily functions, and sexuality is particularly vulnerable. Smoking, obesity, high stress, lack of exercise, fatty acid imbalance (which affects hormones), and alcohol consumption are examples. Chronic problems such as candidiasis, hypoglycemia, allergies, and chronic fatigue syndrome can all lead to sexual dysfunction.

Almost any health-enhancing program of diet and exercise with basic dietary supplements can help the situation. It is also important to deal first with known medical and psychological problems. Even some of these may be helped with nutrition and dietary supplements. Remember to start by changing those harmful life habits. They will not only begin to improve your love life, but they will help to prevent the chronic and lethal degenerative diseases. An initial dietary supplement program that is likely to help is the following:

If the cause of sexual dysfunction is diabetes, heart disease, or hormonal imbalances, this program is likely to provide some help, but it is only the beginning. There are more vigorous programs for these conditions which may also help restore your sexuality and help you regain your love life.

For women with specific hormonal needs, natural progesterone supplements or natural estrogens may be valuable. For men, testosterone replacement is often part of a total program. (Even for women, there are therapeutic uses of testosterone in the treatment of heart disease and sexual dysfunction.) Hormonal supplementation with DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone) is often of benefit to both men and women. These hormones are prescription medications, and there is a growing number of medical doctors with interest in these modern treatments.