The Third Leading Cause of Death—And Why You're Not Hearing About It

 

Editor's Note

As a wellness practitioner and firm believer in following the manual—the biblical principles that govern all things—I feel compelled to share this truth with you. What you’re about to read is not a conspiracy theory. It is a documented reality backed by data and history. It's time we rethink the systems we've blindly trusted for far too long.

By Dr. Dwight Prentice

When asked to name the leading causes of death in the United States, most people would quickly guess heart disease, cancer, or perhaps diabetes. And they would be right—almost. But there’s one that consistently flies under the radar, despite killing over 250,000 Americans every year: medical treatment itself. Yes, you read that right. According to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), MD-directed treatments rank as the third leading cause of death in the United States.

15,000 Medicare Patients Dead. Every Month.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services confirms that over 15,000 Medicare patients die each month due to medical treatment. That’s not from illness, not from lack of care—but from the very care they receive. It’s called “iatrogenic death”—death caused by medical intervention. And yet, society remains numb. No headlines. No trials. No public outrage.

Compare this to how the nation reacted to the 9/11 terrorist attacks where 3,000 lives were lost. The entire world stood still. We went to war. But 15,000 preventable deaths a month from medical treatment? Nothing. Crickets. We've normalized it.

How Did We Get Here?

The dominance of MDs and pharmaceutical-based treatments didn’t happen because they were proven to be the most effective. It was the result of an orchestrated campaign to sideline all other forms of healing. Let's go back in time.

The Flexner Report—Medicine’s Fork in the Road

In the early 1900s, American healthcare was a mosaic of practices. Homeopaths, naturopaths, osteopaths, herbalists, and MDs co-existed in a relatively balanced ecosystem. That changed with the arrival of the Flexner Report in 1910.

Funded by the Carnegie and Rockefeller foundations (who also had massive financial stakes in the pharmaceutical industry), the Flexner Report set out to “standardize” medical education. Abraham Flexner traveled the country and only endorsed schools that focused on allopathic, drug-based medicine. As a result:

• Over 50% of medical schools were shut down
• Herbal and natural medicine was labeled “quackery”
• MDs were promoted as the only legitimate form of healthcare

The public was led to believe that drug-based interventions were superior—when in truth, it was a corporate takeover of healthcare. The aftermath? A monopoly on medicine, where only pharmaceutical-based solutions were legitimized and funded.

Medicine or Monopoly? 

Most Americans believe MDs are healthcare’s gold standard. But this belief is more political than scientific. We've been groomed to place blind faith in white coats—despite the mounting evidence that their interventions can be harmful, even deadly.

Insurance only covers what fits into the pharmaceutical model. Nutritional therapy, chiropractic care, and herbal medicine—rarely reimbursed. That’s not science. That’s business.

Medical Insurance: A Bet Against Your Health

Let’s talk about health insurance. When you buy medical insurance, you're essentially betting that you'll get sick—so sick, you won’t be able to afford care without it. And what care are you buying into? A system that is statistically the third most likely to kill you.

We need to start asking the right questions. Who benefits from this system? Who is harmed? And why are alternative therapies—the ones that often restore life—being suppressed?

The Body Wants to Heal—If You Let It

The human body is not broken by design. It is divinely engineered to heal and self-regulate. But it needs two things:

1. The raw materials—vitamins, minerals, and enzymes
2. A clean environment—free from toxic foods, stress, and poisons

Imagine putting diesel fuel in a Ferrari. Even a perfect machine will break down with the wrong input. The same applies to our bodies. Most chronic illnesses are not genetic or irreversible. They are lifestyle-induced and preventable.

What Can You Do?

We must break free from blind allegiance to a broken system. Here’s where to start:

• Question treatments that come with more side effects than benefits
• Research the history of medical monopolies and the Flexner Report
• Incorporate natural, nutrient-dense foods into your life
• Consult holistic practitioners who respect the body’s innate intelligence
• Use supplements to fill nutritional gaps, not pharmaceuticals to mask symptoms

And above all—be informed. Don’t surrender your health decisions to anyone who doesn’t know your values, your history, or your goals.

Final Thoughts

This is more than medicine. It’s a movement. Like Galileo declaring the Earth isn’t the center of the universe, or the abolitionists standing against slavery—truth always starts with resistance. But it eventually sets people free.

We’re not here to attack doctors. Many are well-meaning. But they, too, are trapped in a system that rewards prescription, not prevention. The more we share this knowledge, the closer we move to reclaiming our health and our power.

Choose wisely. Live intentionally. Your life depends on it.

Life is simple there's no need to complicate it! SLMindset.

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