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Douglas “Duffy” MacKay, ND, is Vice President, Scientific & Regulatory Affairs for the Council for Responsible Nutrition (www.crnusa.org). Dr. MacKay is a licensed Naturopathic Doctor and was a co-owner and practitioner in a family-owned New Hampshire complementary and alternative medicine private practice for seven years. In addition to his hands-on experience as a practitioner in the field of integrative medicine, he spent eight years working as a medical consultant for two companies in the dietary supplement industry, including four years with Nordic Naturals, where he oversaw clinical research. Dr. MacKay is licensed in the state of New Hampshire. |
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What can I expect when I visit a naturopathic doctor? Naturopathic doctors function very similarly to general family practitioners in that they may be their patients’ primary care provider, and regularly see their patients for check-ups and health concerns. Naturopaths prefer to use integrative approaches that focus on the whole person, and concentrate on preventive care (as opposed to “sick care”). Some examples of naturopathic practices include: homeopathy, clinical nutrition, herbal supplements, hydrotherapy (hot and cold therapy), yoga and meditation, massage, intravenous nutrition, and a customized exercise plan. |
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Why might someone visit a naturopath? Naturopathy empowers individuals to focus on their total wellness picture, and consider how everyday behaviors can affect optimal wellness—positively or negatively. A naturopath will spend a great deal of time with patients to evaluate their current lifestyle habits, underlying risk factors, and other issues that impact personal wellness—and then work with patients to devise a regimen that supports the patient’s individual needs. This could involve a change in diet, the addition of a dietary supplement, massage or physical therapy to help manage stress, or any number of practices. NDs focus on ways in which patients can prevent illness before they actually get sick.
Naturopathic doctors are also trained to integrate treatment recommendations with conventional medical treatments and prescriptions. Naturopathic education includes pharmacology with an emphasis on drug-dietary supplement interactions and drug-induced nutrient depletions. |
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Can a licensed naturopath prescribe medicine? What naturopaths can do in their practices differs from state to state. In some states, naturopathic doctors have a formulary that includes many prescription medications. For more information on naturopathic medicine, check out www.naturopathic.org. |
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Where did you go to school and what degree(s) did you earn? I earned my BS in Marine Sciences from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and my ND from the National College of Naturopathic Medicine in Portland, Oregon. |
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Why did naturopathic medicine make sense for you? I have always considered health as a complex relationship between mental, physical, and emotional well-being. I started undergraduate school as pre-med student with hopes to gain a better understanding of the science underlying this relationship. For me, the conventional medical path was too focused on the pharmaceutical management of disease, and had little to offer on the science of prevention and wellness. By coincidence, an early career as an Emergency Medical Technician, which fostered my interest in medicine, and a trip to the Pacific Northwest, where I visited a Naturopathic Medical School, helped me learn about a career path that focuses on prevention and wellness as much as focusing on treating diseases. This is why it made sense to become an ND.
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Which supplements did your patients ask you about most often? Patients in my office often inquired about dietary supplements that can help them manage their cholesterol, blood sugar, and weight. Secondly, they asked about supplements for supporting mental health and for concerns such as anxiety, depression, and energy levels. And finally, not a day went by without a patient with questions about maintaining healthy sleep patterns using supplements rather than prescription medications. |
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What supplements do you personally take? I take a daily multivitamin, fish oil, and a fiber supplement. In addition, I do periodic cycles of probiotic supplementation. I consider these four supplements as a preventive health measure and I recommended them to most of my patients. For my active lifestyle, I often include a high quality antioxidant formula, and a formula to combat inflammation that can result from hard work-outs. I prefer to use botanicals that can act both as an antioxidant and to reduce excess inflammation such as green tea, quercetin, turmeric extract, or Boswellia serrata. Finally, as needed, I will use digestive enzymes and herbal immune formulas. Patients taking supplements should always consult with their doctor about what they are taking or considering taking. |
Be sure to talk to your healthcare practitioner about the botanicals you are taking or are thinking of taking.
For more information, contact Erin Hlasney at 202-204-7684 or ehlasney@crnusa.org.
Note to Editor: The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), founded in 1973, is a Washington, D.C.-based trade association representing dietary supplement manufacturers and ingredient suppliers. In addition to complying with a host of federal and state regulations governing dietary supplements in the areas of manufacturing, marketing, quality control and safety, our 70+ manufacturer and supplier members also agree to adhere to additional voluntary guidelines as well as CRN’s Code of Ethics. |
