Did you know that tomatoes were once thought to be deadly if eaten? It wasn´t until the end of the 19th century that us North Americans accepted them as an edible food source. However, this belief did and still does have an impact on society and has even found its way into how we diagnose and treat ailments. It’s known as the ¨tomato effect.”
“The term refers to a phenomenon in North America between the 17th and 19th centuries, when Europeans and South Americans were growing and consuming tomatoes, but those in North America held the myth that these were poisonous because they were associated with the deadly nightshade plant.” says Mulhall.
Environmental specialist Douglas Mulhall provides commentary on what is the tomato effect and how it can cause us to overlook environmental caused illnesses.
Mulhall goes on to say that, “The tomato effect in healthcare is denial that can sometimes get the best of those who we trust to treat us. Healthcare professionals sometimes oppose therapies proven to be effective, because the results contradict their own previous training. An infamous example was rejection of proof that bacteria cause stomach ulcers and can be cured with antibiotics instead of surgery. The discoverers were awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine, but not before they were ridiculed for a decade and thousands of patients suffered unnecessary surgery to cut out part of their stomachs.”
What made the "tomato effect" so persistent?
Our biggest enemy is us. When it comes to our health we tend to fall victim to the hostage syndrome. Every day, 49,000 people including about 20,000 women die from a disease whose effects are reversible. That’s a horrendous number, but the fact that it’s mostly unnecessary is mind boggling. Yet most think it’s just one of those things that comes with getting old. Passive acceptance is deadly. That’s the tomato effect - it’s us. For example, the common wisdom is that women develop heart disease later than men. What that often means is that healthcare providers notice heart disease in women later than men, because they’re not looking for the different symptoms that women exhibit. You don’t find what you’re not looking for. Well, women have to start looking for their own symptoms. Get activated.
Business-as-usual tends to exploit passivity. In healthcare, the status quo of diagnosing men’s heart symptoms more often than womens’, prolongs itself until patient activism changes it. Women have to demand that their symptoms get more attention. Then they have to act.
How does this effect cause us to overlook certain things, especially in regards to illnesses caused by our environment?
For example, one product that’s been available for 20 years, NanobacTX, has been shown effective for heart health in open label clinical studies, when other approaches didn’t work. One reason it’s effective is its anti-inflammatory properties. Chronic inflammation results from environmental damage. But this solution is being overlooked by most healthcare providers even though many cardiologists use it. There is an old idea that nutraceuticals haven’t been tried in clinical trials so aren’t medically effective pervades medical practice. But check www.clinicaltrials.gov for the keyword “nutraceuticals” to see all the trials using those.
How can people be sure they're staying current on health information, even if it contradicts previously held thoughts?
Check out the many longevity websites. One is www.foreverhealthy.org and they sponsor research into longevity. As well, many integrative medicine practitioners are up to date on these developments. Look for them near you.. That’s why I wrote my upcoming book and developed an educational website, The Nature of Longevity , to show where to look. The website aggregates information that links with sources.
Another easy way is to get keyword alerts from search engines to notify you of new developments in a particular field. For example “new heart disease therapy”.
Disclaimer. This information is not to be taken as medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare practitioner before trying any of the products or methods described here.
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