Discover our interview with Valentine Cabanel, Doctor of Pharmacy and Naturopath. A career that allows her to best support her patients, with solutions other than medication, with full knowledge of the facts.
Valentine Cabanel is a Doctor of Pharmacy and Naturopath. A career that allows her to best support her patients, with solutions other than medication, with full knowledge of the facts. We consult Valentine for her expertise, her kindness and her passion to allow everyone to access their well-being through nature. We asked her a few questions about her career and asked her about her opinion on the link between health and cider vinegar.
Marina: When I think of the pharmacy I see shelves of medicines, medical prescriptions of chemical formulas. We are far from taking care of ourselves through nutrition and in a natural way. Yet you have this double hat! How did you arrive at this path towards naturopathy?
Valentine: When I was little, my health problems were treated with homeopathy, my parents were quite focused on alternative medicines. I took antibiotics too of course but the family approach was more focused on understanding the body.
I started studying pharmacy because I was interested in learning how medicines worked, how they acted. These studies also combined medicine and the commercial dimension, which I found interesting. And then there is not only allopathic medicine in pharmacy, you also cover micro nutrition, aromatherapy... My attraction to natural medicines, dietetics and nutrition was consolidated during these 6 years. I then completed my studies with a DU in Homeopathy.
And then I found myself working in a big pharmacy, a bit like a factory, far from what I wanted to do. My clients often said to me "You have a naturopath's speech!" I didn't really know what it was. I found out more and then I followed an intensive and certified training in naturopathy. There I discovered another universe. At first for a scientist it's quite difficult, it's a completely different speech, but the more I advanced, the more I discovered a different and really exciting way of thinking.
M: & it’s not contradictory then?
V: No, exactly! Today I combine scientific rigor with the knowledge of naturopathy! You have to know how to use the right medicine at the right time. At first glance, they may seem opposed, of course, but you have to see a real complementarity.
I always recommend natural solutions and looking at nutrition. For emergency medicine, where the use of medication is sometimes necessary, such as for chemotherapy for example, naturopathy is, again, valuable. It helps reduce the impact of adverse effects in particular.
M: Today we hear a lot about the influence of the microbiota on taking care of ourselves, but what does that mean in concrete terms?
V: It's not just the microbiota that is important, it's the entire integrity of the digestive mucosa that must be taken into account to maintain good health. If we have an alteration at the digestive level, we assimilate micronutrients poorly, which is essential. And then if we have digestive inflammation, we will inevitably have cerebral inflammation because the digestive system is connected to the brain. In short, the digestive system, it is absolutely essential to take care of it! I insist a lot with my patients on the importance of eliminating toxic waste, which accumulates in our digestive system, coming from our diet and our environment.
The digestive system when we talk about health, we can't not talk about it! We have to take care of it, vinegar helps!
M: How did you discover cider vinegar?
V: At the end of my studies. I improved my knowledge in micro nutrition and I read a lot of books and a lot of scientific journals. I went really far in my research and I came across the interest of cider vinegar to disinfect the digestive system and take care of its health. I am very curious by nature so I continued to find out more on the internet. I tested it, I loved it. So I replaced all my vinegars with cider vinegar and I had my family do the same!
With the use of cider vinegar, we quickly see the benefits on the digestive system and health. As soon as I digest badly, 2 teaspoons diluted in water before each meal. It is not acidifying for the body, and it is full of micro-nutrients! I have not used it externally but I know that it is great for the skin too! In internal and external use, a small combo of the 2, it can be very good for acne as it also allows to redo the skin's PH….
M: Do you also recommend it to your patients?
A: Yes, systematically, among the first steps I tell all my patients with health problems to replace their balsamic vinegar with cider vinegar. There is a great return for those who suffer from digestive problems.
M: The fact that it is unpasteurized, does that matter to you?
V: Absolutely! I recommend choosing unpasteurized and organic! Apple cider vinegar is a probiotic and really acts as such when it is not pasteurized. In this sense, it really helps maintain our microbiota. And it is important to choose organic because apples are the most processed fruits!
M: For your patients who suffer from acidity problems, there is no problem?
V: There are a lot of misconceptions about this. People who have an acidic environment are a little reluctant to use cider vinegar. So I explain that vinegar is actually ultra-alkalizing. In case of heartburn it is particularly interesting. And there is no contraindication in my opinion, it is better to take cider vinegar than lemon for example, because it is more interesting due to the presence of probiotics. On the other hand, in case of gastritis, a fragile environment, ulcers I recommend first resolving these problems before using it!
To benefit from Valentine's valuable advice, you can make an appointment for a consultation by clicking here .
To order a good organic, unpasteurized cider vinegar validated by Valentine, it's here 🙂
