Bernie Sanders is Not Just Against Monsanto – He’s Also a Huge Supporter of Holistic Medicine

[Mika]

Another reason for the pro Monsanto crowd to hate him...

Bernie Sanders is Not Just Against Monsanto – He’s Also a Huge Supporter of Holistic Medicine

As the presidential races continues to unfold and more and more people look for alternatives to the pro-establishment candidates, Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont has gained serious bonus points thanks to his support of organic farmers and his willingness to call out Monsanto.

But did you know that Sanders is also extremely friendly to the alternative health world and has advocated changes to insurance packages to allow for more holistic techniques?

Recently Time magazine ran a piece about Sanders’ affinity for alternative and natural medicine, but those who have followed his career over the years already know that he’s been a longtime friend of the natural health community.

http://althealthworks.com/9686/bernie-sanders-is-not-just-against-monsanto-hes-also-a-strong-supporter-of-holistic-medicine/

[HassleCat]

1. Bad idea

most of his ideas are good. This one is bad. Oh, well.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

5. I have to disagree

Conventional doctors said there was nothing wrong with me... I went thru 3 before trying a naturalistic physician. I was diagnosed after one visit and a blood test. State of Oregon (Obamacare) pays her so i guess they are ahead of the curve too.

[liberal_at_heart]

9. We have been eating poorly and taking pills for decades. It hasn't helped much at all.

We are now learning that eating real, natural food like fruits and vegetables is what keeps us healthy. And for decades doctors ignored things like message, meditation, and acupuncture. They are now becoming mainstream and even being offered at hospitals and even being covered by insurance.

[TheBlackAdder]

21. I take Elecampane for chronic bronchitis, haven't had to take a Z-Pac 10 in 6 years!

.


My Army wife ex-sister-in-law clued me in on Elecampane years ago, to prevent antibiotic resistance. She says they use it over in FRance and in the E.U. to fight off anthrax exposure.

Everyone I know now uses it when they feel bronchitis come on, and none of them need Z-Pacs anymore.



I better tell my local hospitals to shut down their holistic centers, the same thing that Cancer Centers of America promotes as part of an entire body wellness approach to cancer fighting. Only an IDIOT fights disease and illness on one front. Using a multi-prong approach to body wellness is best.


.

[GreatGazoo]

27. Accupuncture works

[mythology]

44. The scientific evidence is pretty clear that it doesn't

https://www.painscience.com/articles/acupuncture-for-pain.php

https://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/acupuncture-doesnt-work/

[GreatGazoo]

47. John Hopkins: Studies have shown that acupuncture is effective for certain conditions.

http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/healthlibrary/conditions/complementary_and_alternative_medicine/acupuncture_85,P00171/

[TheBlackAdder]

32. Every one of my area hospitals and cancer centers incorporate holistic approaches to treatment.

.


But, then again, I live in the Metro Philly/Metro NYC area.

Then again, what the frig does every freakin' hospital around here know?


.

[Ilsa]

51. This isn't Naturopathy or Homeopathy he's talking about.

Canadian definition:

Holistic medicine is a system of health care which fosters a cooperative relationship among all those involved, leading towards optimal attainment of the physical, mental emotional, social and spiritual aspects of health.

It emphasizes the need to look at the whole person, including analysis of physical, nutritional, environmental, emotional, social, spiritual and lifestyle values. It encompasses all stated modalities of diagnosis and treatment including drugs and surgery if no safe alternative exists. Holistic medicine focuses on education and responsibility for personal efforts to achieve balance and well being.

[HassleCat]

53. That would be OK

I'm just not eager to see tax dollars flowing to spiritual healers, psychic surgeons, homeopaths, etc.

[Nailzberg]

2. Will chakra realignment be covered under his health plan?

[NurseJackie]

3. Excellent question.

[Bluenorthwest]

11. Let's try not to seem illiterate, shall we? Holistic is an adjective meaning:

" characterized by comprehension of the parts of something as intimately interconnected and explicable only by reference to the whole."

Holistic Medicine:
"characterized by the treatment of the whole person, taking into account mental and social factors, rather than just the physical symptoms of a disease."


When your doctor recommends lowering stress as well as taking that medicine for hypertension, that is a holistic approach to hypertension. Holistic medical practice can include the full spectrum of common mainstream medicines and treatments and often has absolutely no 'alternative' element aside from the whole person approach.

[G_j]

12. Thank you. nt

[Bluenorthwest]

19. You'd think that a Nurse would have the basic terminology down pat...

I have to assume that since there is no emoticon for 'holistic' that particular segment of DU has no idea what it means....

[JackRiddler]

38. Screen names don't always correspond to actual professions.

I don't know that.

But Nurse Jackie is a TV character, in case you did not know.

[whatchamacallit]

14. Right?

I don't get scientific zealotry.

[drokhole]

15. Brilliant! Also known as "integrative medicine."

[beam me up scottie]

22. I'm not a nurse but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night...

Nice catch, they want this article to be something it's not.

How precious.

[Lizzie Poppet]

25. Exactly! "holistic" =/= "homeopathic"

Holistic medicine isn't (necessarily) quackery.

[scscholar]

52. But it is results driven

Unlike modern mainstream medicine that seems to care nothing about the patient. Nothing about the patient.

[Nailzberg]

36. Talks like a duck.

[Nailzberg]

39. Okay. You win, I'm illiterate.

Since the primary article was about Sander's support of alternative medicines and naturopathy, I'm not sure what you're getting at with my illiteracy. Matter of fact, I never mentioned the word "Holistic", but great work defending it against not being attacked.

Now, will his program pay for chakra realignments, baby chiropractors, essential oils, coffee enemas, etc, and all the other dangerous pseudoscience woo? There's a lot of BS alternative medicine, and I'd like to know if I'm gonna have to pay for someone's healing crystals.

[kristopher]

41. You mean having those treatments evaluated scientifically is "support"???

The OP's meme is a false statement.

[marions ghost]

4. whereas Hillary....

While Hillary Clinton and her husband Bill are personally advised by one of holistic medicine’s biggest names, Dr. Mark Hyman, it is well worth noting that Hillary is an ardent supporter of Monsanto and the Biotech industry, having hired a former Monsanto lobbyist to run her ‘Ready for Hillary’ campaign. Despite this Hillary and Bill were huge supporters of personally eating organic food during their time in the White House.

Hillary and Bill have both accepted big fees to speak on behalf of Biotech (i.e. Monsanto) interests, and the campaign has accepted huge donations from drug companies, believed to be more than any other candidate.

- See more at: http://althealthworks.com/9686/bernie-sanders-is-not-just-against-monsanto-hes-also-a-strong-supporter-of-holistic-medicine/#sthash.r3y8XIgU.dpuf

[djean111]

10. Is there ANYTHING she is not hypocritical about? n/t

[liberal_at_heart]

6. you won't get far with that here on DU. Anything that doesn't come from the pharmacy is

considered woo.

[Mika]

7. I was going to include the "woo" in my comment. Decided not to antagonize.

[djean111]

8. And yet - he wants universal health care. For everyone.

Personally - the last prescription drug I took - 2001 or 2002 - ibuprofen. The big ones. Other than that, birth control pills when I was younger. And I understand I may have dodged a bullet there, we were not told about side effects, really, until people starting suing. Now the manufacturers can claim they told you so, because fine print and speed of light recitation of possible side effects on TV.

I will be 70 next week - no meds. I believe in vitamins and plain food and no carbs or sweets or processed crap if I can help it. Is that holistic? I don't care.

[kcr]

13. He's not anti-vacc, which is a relief

I'm glad the article pointed that out.

[Person 2713]

16. Probably why he s on top of his game at his age! Also another freedom he affirms

++

[longship]

17. Rubbish science makes for rubbish political arguments.

That is all this is. RUBBISH!

[Donald Ian Rankin]

18. Proof that the GOP don't have a stranglehold on scientific illiteracy.

And that the only evidence-based thinker running in this race on either side is Clinton.

[retrowire]

20. Ahem. read the article.

While Hillary Clinton and her husband Bill are personally advised by one of holistic medicine’s biggest names, Dr. Mark Hyman, it is well worth noting that Hillary is an ardent supporter of Monsanto and the Biotech industry, having hired a former Monsanto lobbyist to run her ‘Ready for Hillary’ campaign. Despite this Hillary and Bill were huge supporters of personally eating organic food during their time in the White House.

Hillary's all about the holistic medicine.

Man, it stops being funny watching people not read articles after a while.

[TheBlackAdder]

28. Remember... The Average I.Q. is 100, meaning that 50% of the population is under an I.Q. of 100.

[sweetapogee]

40. do you know what

the median IQ is?

[TheBlackAdder]

42. Yes.

.


It's actually around 98 in the US, but 100 is close enough for conveyance of the message.


.

[G_j]

43. ... Half the people you know are below average

Steven Wright

[TheBlackAdder]

45. Not necessarily. People generally tend to associate with others of similar education and culture.

.


I work with college educated staff and attend continuing education.

I would say it is not close to being half.


.

[G_j]

46. sorry, I wasn't

actually serious. Wright is a comedian. pardon..

[TheBlackAdder]

48. No worries.

.


There were no negatives taken from the previous post I responded to.

It it was my younger days, I'd probably say that was an accurate comment.


Everybody has different intersectional backgrounds and life experiences that shape and guide them.

Sometimes I plateau for awhile, but then find it boring and search for more. Others are happy staying where they are.

I don't fault them, harbor negatives, people are who they are--and I am comfortable in any crowd.


.

[G_j]

50. I certainly agree with you

Water seeks its own level. I'm thrilled with the quality of people in my life.

[Bluenorthwest]

23. Proof that you have not a clue what the word 'holistic' means or what holistic medicine is.

Another term for it is 'integrative medicine'. Virtually all modern medical practice has holistic elements. It simply means treatments that consider the whole person in regard to the medical issue, so while a holistic doctor might give you an prescription for your high cholesterol they will also advise dietary changes, changes to routine and to stress levels and choices of leisure activity to assist the goal of lower cholesterol. That's holistic. Handing you the pill and that's it, not holistic. Handing you the pill and also saying 'be active and eat entirely differently' is holistic.

What is it about an integrative approach to medicine that you object to? Do you feel treatment and diagnosis should be strictly compartmentalized? What is your specific issue with holistic approaches? Take a moment to understand that you can be an oncologist prescribing chemo and also be holistic. Now. What's your beef?

[Scootaloo]

30. Man. You guys are just desperate for those "gotcha!" moments, huh?

[Donald Ian Rankin]

34. Yes. Were you expecting me to deny that?

I make no bones about the fact that I think that the Democrats only chance of holding the presidency is anyone-but-Bernie, which now boils down to Clinton.

I don't think that there's a large or even a medium-sized risk of Sanders winning the primary and gift-wrapping the election for the Republicans, but nor is it minute enough for me to be as confident as I'd like.

And the stakes are high enough, and I'm naturally pessimistic enough, that yes, I'm a little (although only a little) desperate to reduce that risk even further. I live in the UK, where the Labour party has just elected Jeremy Corbyn - Michael Foot MkII - as its leader, and as a result is in very serious trouble indeed; I desperately don't want to see the USA make the same mistake.



However this isn't just a gotcha, it's highlighting Sanders' second most serious weakness, behind his lack of appeal to the general electorate: the fact that he's a faith-based and not an evidence-based thinker, who approaches politics wholly as a righteous crusade rather than as an intellectual exercise in problem solving (the best politicians, like Clinton, balance the two approaches; if you're going to err on one side it's far better to err on the latter).



Out of curiosity - would you agree that, while both sides are "going negative" and trying to gotcha the other to some extent, the Sanders campaign and his supporters are doing so far more than the Clinton camp?

[Scootaloo]

37. Ironically, you're the one operating on faith

Faith that Sanders MUST be bad, so that anything and everything he says or does must likewise be bad.

Here, you're deliberately trying to mis-cast holistic medicine as being identical to quack medicine. As is pointed out up and down the thread, it's not. You are engaging in an effort to mislead others, in an attempt to convert them to your faith of Anti-Sanders Hate. You're not operating on facts here, but are instead lying and trying to manipulate others.

I agree that both sides are throwing punches. There's a crucial different though; we don't have to lie and mislead and obfuscate about Clinton. You obviously need to engage in such prevarications with regards to Sanders, though.

[beam me up scottie]

24. ZOMGWTFBBQ??? He's pro-acupuncture and massage!

Wow that's really OUT THERE!!!

[TheBlackAdder]

26. All my area hospitals & cancer centers incorporate holistic approaches to treatment. They're wrong?

[beam me up scottie]

29. According to some Hillary supporters that's just cray cray!

Better let them know that the scientific minds on DU want them to cut that out!

I'm not a fan of woo but even I know that acupuncture has benefits and scientists aren't sure of the mechanism.

[valerief]

31. Bernie is probably crazy enough to think marijuana can be used as a medicine!

Oh, wait, so don't millions of other people, too.

Never mind.

I guess what was crazy yesterday is normal today. Like recycling and whole grain bread.

[TheBlackAdder]

33. A PRO-MONSANTO OP, trying to tie Monsanto to something that ignorant people might think is fringe!

.



Your corporatist efforts will not go without reward.

Just forward your efforts to Monsanto and they might hook you up with a PR gig.



Just don't tell anyone that all major hospitals, cancer centers, geriatric facilities incorporate holistic approaches to patient care.


.

[PyaarRevolution]

35. Why corporate/industry entrenchment is always a bad thing.

It strangles the truth, especially lying about the fact that Herbology has legitimacy.

When one industry with a competing field starts to make mucho money and knocks out competitors, we see the truth becoming a casualty. Case in point, Alleopathic Medicine and it's demonization of Herbology. This happens in two ways...1.They make an enormous amount of money. 2.They leverage that money in politics to shut out competitors, this is called Crony Capitalism. This can be done in many ways. Two examples are displayed here: 1.Creating your own government agency. 2.Corrupting a government agency, like the FDA. The last example, no less substantial, corruption of the mainstream educational establishment.
This is just one example, another is the electric car which had been created around the 1910's but the infrastructure for gasoline could be developed much quicker so it took off. In the process it became routinized and likely entrenched itself in government; however, I don't know how far the subsidies go back.

[Godhumor]

49. Why the hell would you link to an anti-vax website to support your candidate?

You'd be much better linking to the interview with Time where he made those statements than a site that, in the same article you linked, claims freedom of choice for not vaccinating children.

Whatever message you're trying to get across is completely obfuscated by the horrendous source.

[blueniteflower]

54. You know what they call alternative medicine...

that has been proven to work....?

MEDICINE

- Tim Minchin

I agree with many things, Bernie, but on this, I do not.

[madfloridian]

55. So am I. Good for him.

[MisterP]

56. CAM has always surrounded official medicine (or however you term it)

when medicine pretends to be a bastion, that just further exposes how things are constantly let in through the battlements and expelled, all in secret and all pretending that it's always been this way

even pharmacy and surgery used to be "unmedical" until the 40s--heck, that's why the dentists and ophthalmologists bill separately; the very existence of biopiracy is a case in point

I could go on, but you'd have to go to JSTOR