Does The Average Doctor Know About The Benefits of Vitamins and Supplements?

   I have a couple of doctors who are very much into holistic medical care. They know about supplements and which ones should work for corresponding illnesses. But I wonder if the average medical doctor actually knows the connection between what we eat and our health.

    I have a holistic, medical doctor who prescribes some medicine when needed, but relies on supplements and other means of natural cure. He put me on hormone therapy, but when I went to my gynecologist, he was not happy about that. Hmm. What was I to do now? The gynecologist wanted me off the hormones that my doctor had me on. Should I just go to one doctor instead of going to two different doctors who seem to conflict with each other?

   The concern I have is that the medical doctors I have gone to don't seem to understand about alternative medicine or even the benefits of other means of curing sickness or physical problems. For example, I have been taking melatonin in order to try to find a cure for my insomnia. I wrote down the supplements so my doctor could see whatever I was taking. Without wanting to sound like I am making fun of my doctor, she actually had no idea what melatonin was. She also advised that I don't take the supplements because she was concerned that they could be harming me.

   I am on a medicine to try to help me sleep at night, and I have a feeling, it is a natural medicine, for when I asked the neurologist about possible drug interactions with this particular medicine, he told me he hadn't heard of this medicine. He went on his I-phone and tried to look up the medicine I am on, but nothing came up.

   Here is the crux of the matter: Whenever I look for natural cures for ailments, there is always a disclaimer which says something like, "Do not take this vitamin/supplement/herb unless you have discussed this with your doctor." I feel like we are going around in circles. There could be a supplement that really works but if I ask my doctor about it, he or she will recommend that I don't take it. Why? Simply because they don't know enough about the supplement, and they want to be careful.

   I was looking at some supplements for urinary tract problems in cats and watched a video on one of them. Of course, there was the disclaimer which said that you need to talk with your vet before giving the supplement to your cat. If I talk to my vet, I have a feeling I know what he or she would say...