Are Homeopathic Remedies Paleo?

This was a question asked recently by blog reader based in Venezuela. Her doctor had also asked her to take coenzyme Q10, but all the capsules she could find had soy lecithin or rice flour; she wanted to know where she could find it from nature? Let’s address the CoQ10 first, as it’s a bit more straightforward.  Yes, it is found in food.  Good sources all happen to be Paleo, too! Proteins including grass fed beef, pastured chicken and wild fish are some of the best sources of CoQ10.

• A 3-ounce serving of beef has 2.6 milligrams, and the same serving size of chicken has 1.4 milligrams.
• Fish high in CoQ10 include herring, with 2.3 milligrams per 3-ounce serving, and rainbow trout, which contains 0.9 milligrams per serving.

Fruits and vegetables also rich in CoQ10.

• Sulfurous vegetables broccoli and cauliflower contain 0.4 to 0.5 milligrams of CoQ10 per half-cup serving.
• A medium orange has 0.3 milligrams CoQ10, and one-half cup of strawberries offers 0.1 milligrams.

Foods are always the best source of all vitamins, minerals and enzymes; following a well balanced Paleo approach should ensure you’re getting adequate amounts of everything a person in good health needs. As far as homeopathy, let’s begin with defining it. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine states that “Homeopathic remedies are derived from substances that come from plants, minerals, or animals, such as red onion, arnica (mountain herb), crushed whole bees, white arsenic, poison ivy, belladonna (deadly nightshade), and stinging nettle. Homeopathic remedies are often formulated as sugar pellets to be placed under the tongue; they may also be in other forms, such as ointments, gels, drops, creams, and tablets. Treatments are “individualized” or tailored to each person—it is not uncommon for different people with the same condition to receive different treatments.” Note the references to substances being made from plants, minerals or animals. Add to that the fact that the focus tends to be on a less is more approach, providing the support for the body to heal itself from the source of the problem versus a more Western approach focused on dealing with treating the symptom. My take, being a proponent of both a ‘Food Is Medicine’ / preventative approach is that homeopathic treatments would indeed be far more conducive of supporting a True Paleo regime compared to a Western Medicine Model. The fact that the FDA cites that many treatments have not been approved does not hold too much weight for me personally; after all, look at some of the things they have approved for comparison! Do, however, make sure you do your research and find a practitioner who can assess your individual situation and prescribe appropriately, rather than self-diagnosisng yourself with ‘homeopathic’ remedies you find in the bath & body section at Whole Foods. Natural doesn’t mean no risk!