V

vaginal pack, herbal A pad or tampon with aci-
dophilus powder, yogurt, or cottage cheese that
may be applied to or inserted into the vagina as a
home remedy for the treatment of yeast and other
infections and vaginitis.

vata One of the three body types designated in
Ayurvedic medicine.
See also DOSHA.

vegetarianism Generally the practice of eliminat-
ing animal flesh from the diet for nutritional
and/or philosophical or religious reasons. Vegetari-
ans may be vegans, who do not eat any animal or
animal-derived product; fruitarians, who eat only
fruit and nuts; living foodists, who eat only germi-
nated seeds, sprouts, vegetables, cereals, berries,
nuts, and fruits; lactovegetarians, who do not eat
eggs but do eat dairy products; or ovolactovegetar-
ians, who eat eggs and dairy foods exclusively.
Individuals in each subcategory have characteristic
problems in acquiring the proper balance of nutri-
ents to prevent deficiencies. Many proponents of
vegetarianism, including Dean Ornish, M.D.,
believe vegetarianism is beneficial in the preven-
tion, management, and treatment of cancer, car-
diovascular and cerebrovascular disorders, obesity,
rheumatoid arthritis, chronic renal failure, non-
insulin-dependent diabetes, and macular degener-
ation, among other diseases.
See also MACROBIOTICS; NUTRITION; ORNISH, DEAN.

veterinary alternative medicine See PET THERAPY.

vibrational medicine Any alternative treatment
modality that focuses on using, manipulating,
changing, or balancing electromagnetic frequencies

of the body, or the energy field, such as bioener-

getic therapies, homeopathy, and flower essence

remedies.

See also ACUPUNCTURE; BACH FLOWER REMEDIES;

BIOENERGETICS; CHAKRAS; COLOR THERAPY; HOMEOPA-

THY; LAYING ON OF HANDS; LIGHT THERAPY; MAGNETIC

THERAPY; MERIDIANS; RADIONICS; REIKI; SOUND THERAPY;

THERAPEUTIC TOUCH.

visualization See GUIDED IMAGERY.

vital force Life, or primal, energy.

See also ENERGY MEDICINE; QI; YIN-YANG.

vitalism Another term for the theory of “vital

energy.”

See also ENERGY MEDICINE; QI; YIN-YANG.

vitamin An organic compound that is required in

small amounts for normal health, growth, and well-

being of the body. Vitamins are not utilized primar-

ily as a source of energy or as a source of structural

tissue components, but rather as catalysts. Vitamins

are micronutrients that promote physiologic

processes necessary for continued life. There are 13

vitamins. Only three of these, vitamin D, biotin, and

pantothenic acid, are manufactured by the body,

and even these may not be present in sufficient

quantities for good health. Therefore vitamins must

be supplied by exogenous, or outside, sources. Vita-

min deficiency results in a well-defined disease that

is prevented or cured by replacement of that vita-

min. For example, vitamin A is anti-infective and

essential for the normal function of epithelial cells

and the formulation of visual purple. An antiberiberi

and antineuritic vitamin is thiamine, or vitamin B1.

Vitamin K significantly affects blood coagulation.

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