4 Myths About Naturopathic Medicine, Debunked

Regardless of where you are at in your health journey, you are either being asked questions about naturopathic medicine or may have some of these thoughts yourself.

As a naturopathic doctor and throughout the years as a student, I have come across many questions and comments about my profession. Here are what I would consider the four most common misconceptions about naturopathic medicine that come up in conversation when describing what I do:

Anybody can call themselves a naturopath if they complete some form of nutrition or holistic training.

In Ontario, the title Naturopath or Naturopathic Doctor (ND) is protected. This means you cannot legally call yourself a naturopath without going through an accredited program and board exam registration process. I had to complete an undergraduate degree with science prerequisites, a 4-year accredited Doctor of Naturopathy program, plus a series of written and practical board licensing exams. This is about 8 years of schooling and about 6 months of formal entry-to-practice exams- it took us a while to get here! I am registered with the College of Naturopaths of Ontario, and have to keep up with continuing education, audits, and regulatory guidelines the same way any other professional College (physicians, nurses, dentists, etc) would.

Naturopaths can help me with nutrition only.

While nutrition is one of the most important parts of your treatment plan, it is only one component of treatment I discuss with patients. I am still reviewing supplements, lab tests, and lifestyle changes at every visit if need be. NDs in Ontario can a lot of the same Lifelabs testing as your GP, as well as several other more enhanced tests. I also routinely provide acupuncture for patients depending on the nature of their concern. We do more than just diet!

Naturopathic Doctors are anti-drug and only want you to do natural treatments.

There will always be a time and place for pharmaceuticals, and situations where naturopathic medicine is not the best option. There are also situations where supplements and natural treatments can really excel in improving your quality of life in ways that pharmaceuticals may not be able to. In majority of scenarios, my patients are coming in taking some form of pharmaceutical and we are figuring out natural solutions (nutrition, lifestyle, supplements) that can be pursued in combination with what has already been set out by their GP or specialist. There is space for both natural and drug options, and I am ALWAYS going to take your existing medications into consideration when recommending a naturopathic plan.

Naturopaths are going to recommend restrictive diets that are hard to commit to.

So often after I tell people what I do- they are nervous or embarrassed to tell me their own nutrition habits out of fear of judgement. They are also assuming that I will push a restrictive, 100% plant based, organic, gluten-free diet on everyone I see. I am only recommending dietary changes if I think they are valuable for your own personal circumstances- we are working together to find realistic solutions for you! It has to be relevant to your own health goals in order for me to recommend it.

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