The relevant departments of the Ministry of Health and the entire medical community of Cyprus have been placed on alert regarding the operation of alternative therapy centers on the island, following the tragic death of the well-known singer Giorgos Mazonakis during a bloodletting procedure at an unlicensed facility in Kolonaki. Speaking on the “Alpha News” program, Nikolas Dietis, Assistant Professor of Pharmacology at the University of Cyprus, pointed out that the public confuses the terms “natural remedy” and “chemical drug,” leading them to believe that anything labeled as “natural” is harmless.
“There are natural products that are highly toxic and drugs that are very safe, and vice versa. So we must distinguish between the two.”
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Dr. Dietis noted that it makes sense for a patient to seek other options if they are dissatisfied or do not find the medications and treatments prescribed by a doctor to be effective. However, he pointed out that it is important to seek guidance from a healthcare professional to ensure they receive the proper help.
“From a scientific standpoint, we cannot say that anything natural has not undergone study or certification. What we can say is that the standards for medications are very strict. For natural products, the standards are low, and this leads to exploitation. Someone might claim to have a treatment when it’s actually nothing.”
The Professor of Pharmacology noted that if a treatment is ineffective, then the patient does not receive the appropriate care, which poses serious risks. At the same time, if a product is found to be toxic, then regulatory issues arise.
“The market freely sells a vitamin without a prescription. When you buy it, is the pharmacist a scientist? Can they explain exactly how it will help you and whether it will help you at all?”
Dr. Dietis specifically referred to peptides, which are administered as “protein building blocks” that already exist in the human body.
“But this level of reasoning is very shallow; there are peptides in animal venoms that cause poisoning. Just because it’s a peptide doesn’t mean it’s safe. It doesn’t necessarily mean that just because it isn’t patented or doesn’t have a formula, it’s automatically harmful.”
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