The Underlying Causes of Disease

Naturopathic and Ayurvedic doctors, consider these four primary underlying causes of illness:

1.     Deficiency

2.     Toxicity

3.     Pathogens

4.     Stressors

In the most basic and essential sense, health results from proper nourishment of body, mind and spirit, elimination of harmful toxins, a strong immune system, a healthy adaptation to stress, and a strong vital force.  While these ideas are simple, it is often difficult in today’s day and age to accomplish all of these health goals.  Naturopathic Physicians, believe in the body’s ability to heal itself. Yet, if any one or a combination of the aforementioned causes of illness occur, our ability to self-heal is compromised.

Let’s break down these 4 causes in more detail:

Deficiency

Our bodies need health promoting nutrients.  We like to quantify this as more than just vitamins and minerals.  Proper nutrition is absolutely essential, but often hard to attain given how devitalized our food and water supply has become in the last hundred years.  Nutrient deficiency is common, in our opinion.  Beyond diet, however, we also categorize critical elements such as sleep and purpose in the category of deficiency.  It goes without saying how our health suffers if we aren’t sleeping well, but we propose that the same can be said for a life without purpose and direction.  Frustration and apathy may serve as examples of deficiency.

Toxicity

Toxicity receives a lot of attention in the media today, and deservedly so, The argument can be made that over time, we accumulate toxins and toxic stressors that lead to a total body burden upon our health.  Observations such as these are why detoxification and allergy elimination are often suggested by Naturopathic doctors in helping to eliminate toxins from the body in the quest to address underlying causes of illness.

Pathogens

Pathogens may cause a chronic infections .Essentially, pathogenic microorganisms like viruses or bacteria may secretly persist in our bodies causing chronic illness.  While we are always exposed to trillions upon trillions of microbes, long term health is dependent upon our immune system strength to fight off pathogens and their toxic effects.

Stressors

Stressors may come in many shapes and sizes.  Health, relationships, money, our jobs, our families, responsibilities, these are a few of the examples people cite when listing the things that stress them out.  A physical, mental, or emotional trauma may strike (or worse, persist).  All of these by themselves or in combination stress us and demand that we draw upon our reserves.  If we are not able to adapt to the stress, our health likely suffers for it.