reveals that seeing through deception is your only protection." Alternative Medicine. Nov
2001: 68-74.
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| Jennifer Rackley | ||||||||||||||||||||
| To Table Of Contents | ||||||||||||||||||||
| English 111-09 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| October 29, 2001 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Comparative Paper | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Good and Bad Medicine | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Have you ever had a charlie horse, the sniffles or a headache that just wouldn't go away? Then you, like millions of people, have probably looked through a medicinal advice magazine. People turn to these publications for comfort and home remedies, when they're just not suffering badly enough to go to the doctor. But how do you know that the advice you are receiving is sound? | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Two magazines, Life Extension and Alternative Medicine,are publications that are readily available at any local newsstand. Both magazines have thousands of subscribers who rely on their information and insight. As a nurse, I will have to answer questions about health. I chose to do a comparison of academic journals because they are the kind of publications that my future patients will read. However, all medicinal advice magazines are not created equal. Shortly, it will become obvious what distinguishes a trustworthy magazine from one that is only interested in propaganda. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| First, what is Life Extension magazine about? It is published by the Life Extension Foundation, and discusses ways to improve your health through the use of herbs, vitamins and minerals. Every article in Life Extension is directly followed by an advertisement for one of their herbal remedies or vitamin complexes. The impression of the magazine is that it exists solely to promote its own products. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| An article in Life Extension entitled "A New Natural Relaxant," is about a drug found in most teas, but especially green tea, called theanine. Supposedly, theanine is a natural relaxant. It can calm the body, focus the mind for clearer thinking, lower blood pressure, counteract the symptoms of PMS, and aid in longevity. Also, the caffeine in the tea is supposedly offset by the theanine. The article states that people who drink tea are calmed, and had none of the usual symptoms of caffeine consumption. The article bases its information on scattered reports that imply theanine is capable of all these different health benefits, and that all of this has been scientifically proven. Immediately following the article, is yet another advertisement, this one for L-Theanine. This magazine is an example of shameless self-promotion, at the expense of honest, well-published research. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| The second magazine, Alternative Medicine, does a far better job of reaching its audience in a scientific way. This magazine also focuses on ways to improve your health through home remedies and preventative medicine. The articles are well written, thorough and easy to understand. In the event that it gets technical, full explanations are offered. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| In the article "Breast Cancer Awareness," an expose is done on the sole funder of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM). Apparently, the company that funds NABCAM is one of the world leaders in the production of carcinogenics. According to the article, the company espouses sympathy for those affected with breast cancer, when, in reality, they continue to manufacture many of the causes. The article also discusses the effectiveness of mammograms and alternate forms of early cancer detection. It is well presented and, furthermore, well documented. Should anyone want to continue research on this topic, at his or her leisure, it will be very easy to do so. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| In conclusion, both of these magazines offer medicinal advice, but only one is reliable. Documentation and scientific background make for a trustworthy publication. Also, an easy to read approach helps the audience to understand without slighting their intelligence. So, hopefully, the next time you browse home remedy magazines, you will be able to distinguish between good and bad medicine. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Works Cited | ||||||||||||||||||||
| "A new natural relaxant." Life Extension. Oct 2001: 23-26. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Sellman, Sherrill. "Breast cancer awareness: looking behind the smokescreen of 'early detection' reveals that seeing through deception is your only protection." Alternative Medicine. Nov 2001: 68-74. |
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