WHAT IS HEALTH FREEDOM?

At the Traditional & Natural Health Alliance, we take pride in being health freedom advocates; however, not many people know the principles behind health freedom and what its advocates stand for.

Below is summary of what proponents of health freedom value and strive towards.

Health freedom refers to a social movement among natural health orientated organizations, consumers, activists, practitioners and manufacturers.  It’s main tenets include the following principles:

• Conventional medicine covers a very small subset of existing health techniques – the remainder of which fall into the category of natural health practices. Individuals have the right to choose their health treatments, even when these treatments fall into the latter category.
• Such natural health practices should not be regulated in the same manner as conventional medical practices.
• Natural health products such as vitamins, minerals, herbals, botanical isolates, amino acids and other health supplements should not be regulated as pharmaceutical drugs. They should have their own separate regulatory category apart from food and drugs which is uniquely catered to their needs according to their general safety.
• Health protection and wellness should be given a duly legislated place in our society.  By encouraging people to take care of themselves, costs to themselves and society are greatly reduced with prevention overriding the rising costs of public healthcare.
• Increased access of individuals to natural healthcare treatments.
• The promotion of access to all health care information, services, treatments, and products that the people deem beneficial for their own health and survival; to promote an understanding of the laws and factors impacting the right to access; and to promote the health of the people of this nation.
• Health freedom is a political and health philosophy based in the belief that governments and medical agencies need to be held accountable, might not have the individual’s best health interests in mind, and that access to alternative medicine practices and products is a basic necessity and right of all individuals.

What are Traditional & Natural Health Products?

Traditional and natural health products (TNHPs) are represented by a wide array of consumer goods that continue to grow in popularity each year. These products include natural and organic foods, dietary supplements, herbal remedies, pet foods, beauty products, “green” cleaning supplies and more. Generally, traditional and natural health products are considered those formulated without artificial ingredients and that are minimally processed.