Natural Cures 'They' Don't Want You to Know About.(News You Can Use)(Book review)

Natural Cures "They" Don't Want You to Know About Kevin Trudeau

Every late night infomercial junkie has seen him: Kevin Trudeau. This review is about his New York Times best seller: Natural Cures "They" Don't Want You to Know About.

In his introduction, the author challenges the reader to, "Have the vision that you can prevent and cure almost all illness and disease with natural methods, without drugs and surgery."

Trudeau recounts a traumatic experience when at age 21 while driving in his car he thought he was having a heart attack. After a myriad of tests, medical doctors diagnosed him with mitral valve prolapse and told him there is no cure and his life expectancy would be cut short. Posing to only want a checkup, Trudeau recounts consulting with Dr. Yiwen Y. Tang, a Harvard medical doctor who founded the Century Clinic in Reno, Nevada (now known as Sierra Integrative Medical Center). Dr. Tang used a diagnostic device from Germany called the Dermatron machine and diagnosed him in minutes. When Trudeau told him he heard it was incurable, Dr. Tang said, "Yes, in America it is incurable, but there are natural treatments in other countries that can reverse this problem in a matter of weeks.... Unfortunately, the FDA has not approved these treatments." Trudeau left the country to be cured. When Trudeau revisited the doctors that originally diagnosed him, they dismissed the "cure" as a wrong diagnosis. Thus began Trudeau's quest to challenge the medical establishment and more.

Trudeau challenges just about every conventional line of thinking. He dismisses claims by those who espouse that Americans enjoy longevity, claiming that the figures are grossly skewed by agendas. His book analyses reasons for our nation's deteriorating health. Tap water ranks top. He calls chlorine and fluoride "toxins." He states that counties with higher contents of chlorine and fluoride in their tap water have higher obesity rates because these toxins adversely affect the thyroid gland. He shuns use of pesticides and herbicides in our agriculture and calls for using organic produce and meats. He slams the artificial sugar industry, citing a book's claim that it causes problems ranging from "headaches and memory loss to hyperactivity in children and seizure disorders." He vilifies fast food chains, claiming its leaders purposely put chemicals in their foods to cause addiction. Trudeau denigrates sunscreens, claiming their ingredients cause skin cancer. He writes, "There is no skin cancer in Africa," and claims that because of the use of sunscreen, "People with African heritage living in America have the highest rate of skin cancer and they are in the sun the least." But perhaps his biggest beef is with the pharmaceutical industry because he says prescription, as well as over-the-counter drugs, are toxic to our bodies as evidenced by the number of side effects they cause.

Trudeau believes powerful forces are at work in this country to suppress knowledge about natural cures. His mantra throughout the book is, "It's always all about the money." He claims the federal government and corporate America are in bed to make a buck. He believes elected officials, the media, and even non-profit organizations all work to suppress the health and well being of our population. He calls attention to the news shows that present an "expert" medical doctor to laud a new drug with absolutely no opposing views. He believes these "experts" are paid spokespersons for the drugs. Trudeau calls these "free advertisements" for the pharmaceutical industries and even alleges that the producers of these shows may hold stock in these drugs. He states that physicians and nurses are "bought" by the pharmaceutical industry. He argues that organizations such as the American Cancer Society and American Diabetes Association have no real desire to cure cancer or diabetes, for if a cure were to suddenly become known, there would be no need for them or their rich leaders to exist. And he attempts to rationalize his paranoia by revealing that he spent time in prison with these sorts.

The book has stirred quite a national upheaval. Just do a Google search on the author's name and you will find blogs that either scorn or praise Trudeau. Those who take exception to his assertions do so on a very personal basis calling him a snake oil salesman and bring attention to his past. Salon Magazine ran one such article exposing his "two-year stint in federal prison in the early '90s after pleading guilty to credit card fraud ... (1)". Trudeau's background as one who rubbed elbows with wealthy white-collar criminals may have well given him an insight into the world of which he speaks: a world of corruption in which the almighty dollar prevails.

Regardless the messenger's background, I found the book to be a valuable source of health information. It has sparked my interest in learning more to either prove or disprove his assertions. And it has gotten me to think differently when I see television ads and read news stories. The tone of the book was sometimes preachy, but it was an easy and fast read in spite of its 572 pages (paperback version). It speaks to the heart of what nurses already know: that prevention prevails as a first line of defense against disease and ill health.

(1) http://dir.salon.com/story/books/feature/2005/07/29/ trudeau/index.html

Lillian Gonzalez is an agency nurse in several hospitals and clinics in the Las Vegas area. Her website is: www.AnAmericanRN.com.

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