A surprising number of so-called alternative therapies actually have their roots in very conservative conventional medicine. While reflexology (once called Zone Therapy) is arguably thousands of years old, its modern use was made popular by an ear-nose-throat specialist who used the pressure from rubber bands applied to the fingers and toes for surgical anesthesia.
The “Bach” of Bach Flower Therapy is prominent British physician Edward Bach, who discovered the remedies in the 1920s and 1930s. Also during that time, equipment for colon irrigation and cleansing therapy was sold to general practitioners to enhance their income and the intestinal health of their patients. Glandular therapy–using dried endocrine glands for various medical conditions–was first taken seriously by physicians in the 19th century, and anyone today who takes a deep whiff of Armour Thyroid or NPThyroid will appreciate how they’re being used now in the 21st.
A Little History
Doctors discovered that dried thyroid gland could cure underactive thyroid and that dried adrenal gland, likewise, could cure the adrenal collapse of Addison’s disease. Before discoveries like these, both conditions were fatal.
As the years passed, doctors experimented with other organs: dried ovary for menopause, testicle for failing male libido, thymus for the immune system, pancreas for digesting foods, spleen and liver for anemia, and even brain for Alzheimer’s disease. The animal source has variously been cow, pig, or sheep, most glandular treatments are now sourced from pigs or a special breed of sheep from New Zealand.
Fractionations of glands could be chemically extracted and became lifesavers as well. One hundred years ago Drs. Banting and Best linked amino acids together into a chain called a ‘peptide’ which tens of millions inject daily as ‘insulin’. As you know, glands produce hormones, and one specific peptide hormone produced by glands lining the small intestine is now synthesized as semaglutide and prescribed worldwide for both Type 2 diabetes and obesity, sold as Ozempic, Trulicity and Mounjaro.
There’s a real logic to glandular therapy. The gland of a mammal reasonably close genetically to human beings would contain all the micronutrients needed for proper function. The hormone that an animal’s gland produced would function similarly to that produced by a person.
The death knell of using tablets of dried glands was, not surprisingly, the pharmaceutical industry. Beginning in the 1940s, chemists synthesized hormone molecules that were effective, but then falsely claimed they were superior to those harvested from animals. Conventional physicians were easily sold on this, believing that to use Synthroid instead of Armour Thyroid showed their patients that they were more progressive and up-to-date. Prednisone replaced adrenal cortex extracts and Premarin (a pharmaceutical derived from pregnant mare urine) replaced extracts from the ovary. On a side note, 30 years after Synthroid was introduced, the FDA fined its manufacturer for spreading false information about Armour Thyroid. But it was too late. Most doctors think Synthroid, period.
OTC Glandular Therapies
It’s somewhat surprising that the FDA has allowed virtually all glandular therapies except for thyroid to be sold over the counter in pharmacies and online health food stores. Most of the practitioners in the US recommending them are nutritionally oriented physicians, chiropractors, and naturopaths. All our practitioners at WholeHealth Chicago are familiar with glandulars, the most popular being thyroid and adrenal.
I’ve been told that consumers themselves rarely purchase glandulars, simply because they don’t know exactly what they’re for or how to use them. In my own practice, I prefer NP Thyroid to Synthroid and use thymus as an immune booster, pancreas for digestion, and adrenal for energy and to help cope with stress. An injectable peptide extracted from thymus called Thymosin Alpha 1 is available only from compounding pharmacies. It’s been very useful for Chronic Fatigue and Long Covid but the FDA keeps changing its availability.
On a final note, the textbook Medical Glandular Therapy from 1925 was published as a joint project between the AMA and the University of Chicago. It was edited by Frank Billings, MD, for whom a University of Chicago hospital was later named. If any form of alternative medicine boasts a pedigree with excellent medical credentials, it certainly is glandular therapy.
Here’s a copy on ebay if any of your kids are budding glandular therapists. Don’t get it for me. I have one already.
Be well,
David Edelberg, MD
Do you have any thoughts on NP Thyroid vs Armour Thyroid?
Is one better than another for Hypothyroidism?
Thank you for all you do for your patients.
Paddy
Fascinating read, Dr. Edelberg! The history and evolution of glandular therapy as a legitimate medical treatment, especially its ties to traditional practices and their modern adaptations, is quite intriguing. It’s interesting to see how the pharmaceutical industry has shaped the use and perception of these therapies over the decades. It also seems like a valuable reminder that many ‘alternative’ treatments have roots in well-established science. Thanks for sharing such insightful information and shedding light on a topic that often seems surrounded by misconceptions. https://www.instagram.com/vbet_turkiye/
vbet
Fascinating read, Dr. Edelberg! The history and evolution of glandular therapy as a legitimate medical treatment, especially its ties to traditional practices and their modern adaptations, is quite intriguing. It’s interesting to see how the pharmaceutical industry has shaped the use and perception of these therapies over the decades. It also seems like a valuable reminder that many ‘alternative’ treatments have roots in well-established science. Thanks for sharing such insightful information and shedding light on a topic that often seems surrounded by misconceptions.
vbet