Alex Pietrowski, Staff Writer
Waking Times

Our food supply is being compromised and bastardized by corporations who profit handsomely by feeding the American public ever-more processed, modified, and chemical-laden foods. As if this were some kind of revolving door conspiracy, when food makes us sick, we spend more money on healthcare, and a look at the most prescribed medications of 2016 make it clear there is a direct link between poor food and poor health in America.

The 2016 list of the 50 most prescribed medications in America, as reported by Lowest Med, includes among the top ten, nine medications used to address health problems that can be primarily associated with an unhealthy diet.

The list includes the following:

Medications for hypertension, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and heart problems:

• Atorvastatin Calcium
• Lisinopril
• Amlodipine
• Simvastatin
• Metoprolol ER
• Losartan

Medications for acid reflux and digestion issues:

• Omeprazole

Medications for diabetes:

• Metformin

Medications for hyper-thyroid/autoimmune disease:

• Levothyroxine

This is quite telling, as the health problems represented in this list are largely linked to diet and lifestyle issues. hypertension, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol are linked to diets which result in obesity due to the intake of fatty, salty foods along with poor exercise habits.

Acid reflux is preventable with a proper, non-acidic diet, however, the type of foods that contribute to reflux are quite common in the American diet.

Diabetes has quickly become a major national health issue, and while few institutions will venture to say that diet is the cause, it is widely suspected that diets high in sugar, processed sugar substitutes, and starchy foods will most certainly lead to diabetes, food is driving the rise in this health condition.

What may be considered remarkable in this list is that while one may suspect mental health medications and pain pills to be represented, the top 10 is all about general health issues caused by dietary issues.

There are natural alternatives to many of the leading pharmaceuticals, however, in order to see the benefits of using food and natural supplements as medicine total lifestyle changes, including major changes in how we view and think about overall health are necessary. Unfortunately, many doctors today recommend the pharmaceutical, palliative model of healthcare hoping to give patients instant results by managing symptoms, and too infrequently help people to change their habits and outlook in order to achieve optimal health.

Now that we are able to see a direct connection between food and pharmaceutical remedies, we have all the evidence we need to make the necessary lifestyle changes to experience true health and wellness without such expensive dependence on the pharmaceutical establishment.

About the Author

Alex Pietrowski is an artist and writer concerned with preserving good health and the basic freedom to enjoy a healthy lifestyle. He is a staff writer for WakingTimes.com and Offgrid Outpost, a provider ofstorable food and emergency kits. Alex is an avid student of Yoga and life.