In his article The Taxation of Supplements, Shawn Buckley makes several excellent points, including the following:

• “We don’t pay to see our medical doctors, but we pay to see natural practitioners.”
• “There is no GST [tax] on prescription drugs, but there is on natural supplements.”
• “Prescription drugs paid for by a medical plan are not taxable benefits; most supplements are.”

This reminds me of an eye-opening moment with a medical doctor I once shadowed. While consulting with a patient, the integrative medicine physician initially recommended red rice yeast to help manage her elevated cholesterol levels. However, since cost was a concern, he instead wrote her a prescription for statins because they were covered under her health plan.

In other words, the patient had to choose between paying out of pocket for a natural supplement or getting a man-made version of it for free. Some statin drugs are essentially red rice yeast with minor modifications—but it’s those modifications that can lead to undesirable side effects down the road.

It’s no different from the way food is processed and refined. You can choose naturally raised and chemical-free food, or you can opt for highly processed, chemical-laden products—often referred to as “non-foods.” Which do you think is better for your health?

The problem, of course, is cost. A loaf of bread or a box of macaroni and cheese is relatively inexpensive, whereas grass-fed beef and organic fruits and vegetables come with a much higher price tag. For families struggling financially, eating healthy and taking high-quality supplements may simply be out of reach. As a result, many are forced to rely on a diet that increases their risk of illness and disease, leading to reliance on prescription drugs.

There’s no doubt that staying healthy requires more time, effort, and money. It’s a lot easier—and cheaper—to be unhealthy. But as the alternative health community often says: “You can pay now, or you can pay later.”