Natural Medicine Podcast

Big Pharma vs. Big Nature: Patient Advocacy and Ethics with Geraldine Headley

May 03, 2023 Andrew Whitfield-Cook
Natural Medicine Podcast
Big Pharma vs. Big Nature: Patient Advocacy and Ethics with Geraldine Headley
Show Notes

In today's episode we explore the paradigms of bias in the natural and orthodox health care profession. As my guest, naturopath Geraldine Headley explains, we need to be aware of how insidiously our unconcious bias to "big nature" may be influencing therapeutic decisions.

In our candid discussion, Geraldine urges practitioners to explore whether pecuniary interests are playing a role in clinical decision making.  As a mentor to the complementary medicine profession, I love how Geraldine raises this issue for discussion and brings awareness to the fact that 'big pharma' isn't the only player influencing health care.
 
Connect with Geraldine Headley

RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE:

Vitamin D interactions:
Diamanti-Kandarakis E, Duntas L, Kanakis GA, et al. Drug-induced endocrinopathies and diabetes: a combo-endocrinology overview. Eur J Endocrinol. 2019. 181:R73-R105.

Coenzyme Q10 does not interact with warfarin:
Engelsen J, Nielsen JD, Hansen KFW. [Article in Danish] [Effect of Coenzyme Q10 and Ginkgo biloba on warfarin dosage in patients on long-term warfarin treatment. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled cross-over trial]. Ugeskr Laeger. 2003 Apr 28;165(18):1868-71.

Coenzyme Q10 does interact with warfarin (look closely at the wording!):
Shalansky S, Lynd L, Richardson K, et al. Risk of warfarin-related bleeding events and supratherapeutic international normalized ratios associated with complementary and alternative medicine: a longitudinal analysis. Pharmacotherapy. 2007 Sep;27(9):1237-47.