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Orthomolecular Medicine News Service, January 31, 2025

It’s Not About Politics, It’s About Reclaiming Health with Common Sense - How the 3 Core Views on Medicine Can Transform Our Approach to Health

Richard Z. Cheng, M.D., Ph.D.

I have been passionately writing and speaking about the MAHA (Make America Healthy Again) movement to both my Chinese and English readers. While I don’t hide my excitement, yet I often receive well-meaning concerns and suggestions to avoid mixing health advocacy with politics. But is this really about politics?

No, it’s not.

What I’m advocating is about common sense. It’s about logic. It’s about tradition. And it’s about human history. At its core, this is a call to realign our approach to health and medicine with foundational principles that have stood the test of time.

A Personal journey

Reflecting on my nearly 50-year career in medicine, I can see how the first three decades were dominated by mainstream Western medicine. The prevailing focus was always on discovering new drugs and advanced technologies as the ultimate solutions to health problems. During this time, my perspective was shaped by a system that, I now realize, often ignored the foundational principles of health and wellness.

Our body has an immense capacity for self-healing, a lesson I learned through my first personal health crisis on January 1, 1980. At the time, I was a sophomore at the Shanghai First Medical College. That morning, I woke up with a severe sore throat, fever, and dark, soy sauce-colored urine. From my recent studies in pathophysiology, I immediately recognized the diagnosis: acute post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis. The acute symptoms subsided, but proteinuria persisted for months, then years. According to Cecil’s Textbook of Internal Medicine, persistent proteinuria beyond one year indicated chronic glomerulonephritis, a condition that could lead to renal dialysis within a decade. Overwhelmed by this grim prognosis, I fell into deep despair.

I became consumed with testing my urine several times daily after exercise, meals, or any exertion. The more I tested, the more anxious I became as proteinuria worsened with even minor activity. Desperation set in as I questioned how such a prognosis could befall a young, ambitious medical student with a bright future.

After struggling mentally and physically, I decided to stop testing and focus instead on improving my lifestyle and mindset. I balanced my life, avoided late-night study sessions, and adopted healthier habits, including a nutritious diet, adequate rest, and moderate exercise. For many years, I avoided urine tests altogether, partly out of fear of confirming proteinuria.

Remarkably, about 12-13 years later, during my medical residency in the United States, I discovered that I no longer had proteinuria. Subsequent physical exams and urine tests confirmed perfect renal health. Decades later, I have never experienced any issues with my renal function and never had another positive proteinuria.

What happened to the ominous prognosis of renal dialysis described in the internal medicine bible? This experience reinforced my belief in the body’s remarkable capacity for self-healing when supported by a balanced lifestyle. It also deepened my curiosity about alternative approaches to health and healing.

Then, in 1992, during my medical residency training in the United States, I stumbled upon a small book that profoundly shifted my thinking. Its key message was simple yet revolutionary: there are hidden truths about health that mainstream institutions, like the FDA, are reluctant to promote.

Through this book, I discovered the groundbreaking work of Dr. Linus Pauling and the remarkable potential of vitamin C in health management. This revelation sparked my curiosity, leading me to experiment with taking vitamin C myself. What began as a personal trial soon grew into a deeper journey toward integrating traditional wisdom, orthomolecular principles, and a more comprehensive understanding of medicine into my practice.

Expanding Horizons

Nearly 30 years ago, I began exploring the impact of diet on health. While working as a medical staff fellow at the National Cancer Institute, NIH, I divided my time between cutting-edge molecular biology research on lymphoma and clinical patient care. Simultaneously, I worked part-time in weight management clinics. My focus gradually shifted from drug-based treatments to dietary interventions and holistic approaches that combined nutrition, lifestyle, and preventative care.

This journey was transformative, as I transitioned away from the Standard American Diet (SAD) to embrace a nutritional approach enhanced by high-dose orthomolecular supplements. I also incorporated regular physical activity into my lifestyle—developing a deep passion for badminton. Today, I play badminton 3-5 times a week for two hours per session, often competing against players 20-30 years younger than me. Despite being almost always the oldest person on the court, my endurance and reflexes are on par with younger players.

This commitment to health has also shaped how I live outside of sports. Years ago, while touring the Great Wall with my daughter and a group of young American tourists, I was among the few who could climb to the top with ease. This level of vitality is no accident—it’s the result of a lifetime dedicated to living a healthier, happier, and longer life.

A Healthier, Happier, and Longer Life

My passion for medical research and practice centers on discovering how to achieve a healthier, happier, and, hopefully, longer life—not just for myself, but for my loved ones and those around me. This philosophy drives my dedication to exploring innovative approaches to health that extend beyond conventional methods, emphasizing prevention, holistic care, and the transformative power of lifestyle choices.

By blending advancements in medical science with practical, everyday strategies, I aim to empower individuals to take control of their health, improve their quality of life, and unlock their full potential for longevity. This vision underscores the immense value of a patient-centered, integrative approach to medicine.

This isn’t about politics—it’s about reclaiming our health through common sense, logic, and the wisdom of human history.

Modern Medicine: Advances and Blind Spots

Modern medicine has undoubtedly achieved remarkable advancements in technology, pharmaceuticals, and acute care, saving countless lives. Yet, it often suffers from a narrow focus, treating symptoms and isolated diseases without addressing the broader, interconnected nature of human health. This reductionist approach, while useful in specific scenarios, neglects the systemic factors that influence well-being.

At its core, this problem is not just scientific but philosophical—a failure to align with the principles of natural, holistic, and balanced health.

Microscopic vs. Holistic View

The Microscopic vs. Holistic View

Medicine today faces a fundamental challenge: the tension between the Microscopic View and the Holistic View. These perspectives serve different purposes and are essential for different roles:

1. The Microscopic View
   A basic scientist uses the microscopic view to break down complex systems into smaller parts for detailed study. This approach is invaluable for understanding mechanisms, such as cellular pathways or molecular interactions, at a granular level.
2. The Holistic View
   A clinician, however, must take a broader view, integrating these details into a unified understanding to create a comprehensive treatment plan. The holistic perspective recognizes the interconnected nature of human health, including physical, mental, and environmental factors.

The Danger of Misapplication

When the microscopic view is misapplied to complex clinical diseases, the consequences can be disastrous. Chronic conditions like diabetes or heart disease are often managed with a narrow focus—targeting blood sugar or cholesterol levels—while ignoring root causes such as poor diet, stress, and environmental toxins. A holistic approach is essential to address the full spectrum of factors contributing to health and disease.

The 3 Core Views on Health/Medicine

1. Natural View: Aligning with Nature’s Principles

The natural view acknowledges that human health is deeply intertwined with the rhythms of the natural world. Our bodies were created and have evolved to thrive on nutrient-dense, animal-based foods, complemented by physical movement and exposure to natural environments. For most of human history, our ancestors predominantly relied on animal-based diets, making such nutrition inherently suited to human physiology.

However, modern medicine and nutrition often work against these natural principles, prioritizing synthetic solutions and quick fixes over nature’s wisdom. For example:

• Nutritional guidance emphasizes calorie counting, plant-based diets, and synthetic alternatives, neglecting whole, nutrient-dense, animal-sourced foods that align with our evolutionary needs.
• Essential dietary nutrients, such as omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), are not adequately emphasized, while public nutrition standards like the Recommended Daily Allowances (RDA) often underestimate the optimal levels of vitamins and minerals required for health.
• Environmental toxins, both natural (e.g., toxins in plant-based foods) and synthetic (from industrial processes), are underestimated despite their cumulative and disruptive effects on biological systems.

To restore health, we must return to basics: clean, animal-based nutrition; fresh air; natural movement; and minimizing exposure to toxins. This approach respects the body’s innate ability to heal and thrive. While it may seem like common sense, the natural view is often dismissed as “unscientific” in favor of artificial solutions and profit-driven interventions.

2. Holistic View: Seeing the Big Picture

The holistic view emphasizes that the body, mind, environment, and all parts of the body are not separate entities but interconnected dimensions of health. This perspective recognizes that:

• Physical symptoms often stem from emotional or environmental factors. Stress, trauma, or exposure to toxins can contribute significantly to chronic health issues.
• Chronic conditions cannot be effectively managed by addressing isolated markers. For example, focusing solely on blood sugar for diabetes or cholesterol for heart disease overlooks root causes such as lifestyle, diet, nutrition deficiency systemic inflammation, and stress.
• The body’s nutrient requirements increase during stress or illness. Systemic inflammation, infections, or mental health challenges elevate the need for essential nutrients. Ignoring these needs can lead to further health deterioration.

Modern medicine frequently overlooks these interconnections, fragmenting care into isolated specialties. A patient may consult a cardiologist for heart disease, an endocrinologist for diabetes, and a neurologist for related symptoms, yet none of these specialists may address the shared root causes or the broader context of the patient's health.

Holistic medicine challenges this siloed approach by advocating for integrative care that considers the entire person. It promotes a comprehensive understanding of how physical, mental, and environmental factors interact, enabling more effective and personalized treatment plans. By seeing the bigger picture, holistic medicine fosters a deeper understanding of health and empowers patients to take control of their well-being.

3. Balanced View: Striking the Right Equilibrium

The balanced view emphasizes the importance of navigating extremes and finding harmony in health decisions. Modern healthcare often becomes polarized, with two common pitfalls:

• Overreliance on pharmaceuticals neglects the critical role of preventive and lifestyle medicine in maintaining and restoring health.
• Strict adherence to rigid guidelines overlooks the individuality of patients and their unique health needs.

A clear example of this imbalance is the historical debate over dietary fats. For years, all fats were unfairly demonized, resulting in high-carb, low-fat dietary recommendations that played a significant role in fueling the obesity epidemic. A balanced view, however, recognizes the nuances—distinguishing between healthy animal fats, which humans have relied on for nearly all of human history, and harmful trans fats found in processed foods, as well as ultra-processed seed oils that are far removed from our natural dietary evolution.

This principle of balance goes far beyond diet. It applies equally to the use of medications, diagnostic tests, and even alternative therapies, such as vitamins and micronutrients. Achieving the right equilibrium requires embracing moderation, considering the context of each situation, and adopting a personalized approach to care that respects individual needs and circumstances.

At its core, the balanced view is guided by the timeless medical principle of primum non nocere—"first, do no harm." This foundational ethic ensures that health decisions prioritize patient well-being, avoid unnecessary interventions, and minimize potential risks, fostering more thoughtful and effective care.

The Missing Common Sense and Logic

In today's medical system, common sense and logic are often overshadowed by rigid protocols and economic incentives. Examples include:

• Chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes and heart disease are treated with lifelong medications instead of addressing reversible root causes such as poor diet, nutrition and lifestyle.
• Preventive measures like orthomolecular nutrition of vitamins C and D supplementation or low-carb dietary interventions are ignored, despite robust evidence supporting their effectiveness and cost efficiency.

This disconnect arises from an overemphasis on specialization and profit-driven priorities. Medicine has shifted away from healing and toward managing conditions. Restoring common sense requires a return to first principles:

1. Treat the patient, not just the disease.
2. Focus on prevention and root causes.
3. Respect the body’s natural capacity for self-healing.

A Philosophical Shift

Addressing health challenges demands more than knowledge—it requires wisdom, the courage to question assumptions, and a willingness to step back. By integrating natural, holistic, and balanced perspectives with the right methods for the right problems, we can challenge the reductionist thinking that dominates modern healthcare.

Let us aim for a healthcare system that embraces the complexity of human health, restores common sense, and empowers individuals to achieve genuine well-being.

Results-Driven Approach to Health

Orthomolecular medicine seeks to address the root causes of disease by restoring the body’s optimal biochemical balance through targeted nutrition and supplementation. Unlike conventional medicine, which often focuses on symptom management and prolonged treatment cycles, orthomolecular medicine aims to resolve underlying imbalances. This results-driven philosophy prioritizes patient well-being over economic incentives.

Individual differences in genetics and lifestyle often create nutrient insufficiencies that require a holistic focus on diet to prevent diet-related chronic conditions. Modern ultra-processed foods exacerbate these deficiencies, further contributing to poor health. By testing and tailoring lifestyle and dietary changes to an individual’s unique needs, orthomolecular medicine works to achieve and maintain optimal balance.

This approach underscores the urgent need for a healthcare model that aligns with the principles of healing, prevention, and individualized care.

Motivations Determine One's Approach: A Buyer’s Cautionary Tale

In today’s world of social media and marketing, consumers must critically evaluate the motivations behind the solutions being sold. From pharmaceuticals to supplements to online advice, many individuals and organizations are driven by profit rather than genuine care.

• Mainstream Western medicine and big pharma promote expensive drugs and procedures.
• Supplement companies market quick fixes.
• Online influencers generate revenue from oversimplified narratives.

While earning money is not inherently wrong, it’s essential to recognize the intentions behind these offerings. Achieving true, results-driven healthcare is far more complex. It requires an integrative approach that looks beyond isolated symptoms to address root causes.

This complexity is why integrative and holistic approaches remain underrepresented in popular discourse, despite delivering meaningful, long-term results.

The Path Forward

It’s time to shift the focus toward comprehensive, patient-centered care—healthcare that prioritizes outcomes over profits and common sense over rigid protocols. By embracing this shift, we can build a system that supports true healing and empowers individuals to take control of their health.

Orthomolecular Medicine

Orthomolecular medicine uses safe, effective nutritional therapy to fight illness. For more information: http://www.orthomolecular.org

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Albert G. B. Amoa, MB.Ch.B, Ph.D. (Ghana)
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