Alternative medicine is becoming more mainstream.

A confluence of factors is making it so -- the downtrodden economy, a growing lack of faith in western medicine, and even celebrity endorsements.

The bottom line is that many people are being driven to seek alternative sources of healing and local stores that specialize in health foods, vitamins, herbs and other natural ingredients are reaping the benefits.

Paul Piscitelli has owned The Olive Branch, at 306 Ellicott St. in Batavia, for 19 years. He said it all boils down to the fact people can be better off taking care of themselves naturally.

"I honestly believe teaching and educating people are the most important things I do here," he said.

He said while some of his customers are looking for ways to save money, many others are merely frustrated with western medicine's precepts.

"For some it is not so much the money savings as it is a loss of faith in doctors," he said. "They are fed up with the medical profession and are looking for answers.

"I am not against doctors and drug companies, but doctors treat the symptoms, not the problems," Piscitelli said. "People are getting fed up with the western reliance to just treat the symptoms."

Examples of this are when a gallbladder or other organ acts up and the physician's response is to remove the organ in question. Or instead of making a heart healthier, replacing it with a pacemaker or performing bypass surgery, he said.

Piscitelli said he has a loyal customer base, in large part he believes, because he takes the time to talk to them when they come into his store.

"My customers rely on the fact I will take the time to listen to them."

A Medina businesswoman also feels the counseling she provides to customers is one of the most important aspects of her success.

Taalibah has owned Wildflower Natural Foods at the corner of Routes 63 and 31A for 25 years.

"You have to listen to the customer's issues. You have to hear what ails them and sometimes what they think is the problem is not and you have to just listen to it all and figure it out."

She also sees herself as an advocate for the consumer in what she calls a "vibrant industry."

"I feel that I have to be the buffer between the customer and all the disinformation out there," she said. "I need to help them separate the hype from the truth."

Taalibah says one of her main concerns is the charlatans that can be found in any industry that put their own personal interests above that of the consumer.

"For example, I see all these infomercials on late-night TV, making all kinds of claims. I wonder how they can sleep at night."

Taalibah, who said she has a background in biology and chemistry, tries to stay well-informed by reading books, the latest trade industry magazines and articles by biochemists conducting cutting-edge research in the field.

"I won't have the products on my shelves unless they do what they say they will do," she said. "I have to believe in them. This (her business) doesn't work unless you are helping people."

Taalibah said examples of some of her most popular products are the Acai berry, a South American palm fruit from the Amazon Rainforest that is rich in powerful antioxidents; and Black Cherry Concentrate, which can be used to treat arthritis pain or different forms of inflammation.

Empowering people to make their own decisions is what Janice Meier is all about. She has owned The Health Junction, Ltd., at 35 Main St. in Akron, for 14 years.

"I do something called TBA -- total body analysis," she said. "I help people figure out what their body needs to stay healthy. I do what I can to help people, whether it be through natural foods, spices, herbs or homeopathic remedies."

Meier said a lot of her customers are struggling in the sagging economic climate.

"A lot of people who do not have health insurance come to me and I try and help them find ways to strengthen their immune system.

"They do not have any health insurance because they do not have a lot of money and cannot afford it, but they also can't afford to get sick either," she said.

Piscitelli, at The Olive Branch, said his customers are often very skeptical of pharmaceuticals and are looking for alternatives without a lot of serious side effects.

He said there are a vast number of natural supplements that can have a dramatic effect on one's health.

"If you do not digest things properly, that is what throws your numbers off," he said. "If the levels go up, the doctors look at the numbers and treat the symptoms. If your sugar goes up, the doctor says you are a diabetic. Now there are other factors, to be sure, but proper digestion is essential."

Piscitelli said that is why probiotics and enzymes are so important. Probiotics are the "good" bacteria that help improve digestion and can bolster the body's immune system.

"A lot of diseases of old age could be avoided with the proper use of probiotics and enzymes," he said. "They are without a doubt the most important items I sell."

Piscitelli said probiotics and enzymes detoxify the body thoroughly whether it be through parasite cleansing, liver cleansing or colon cleansing.

He said natural healing is much more readily-accepted nowadays, but he still gets the occasional question such as "Do you practice voodoo in there?"

Piscitelli said he actually works with doctors, which is unusual for someone in his line of work.

"I have four or five regular customers who are doctors. A doctor from Roswell Park Cancer Institute calls me from time to time for recommendations," he said.

Still, Piscitelli said some doctors are not so open-minded.

"There are oncologists who will tell their patients 'don't take anything else or you will disrupt the chemotherapy'

"Believe me, chemo is so toxic, there is nothing that I am going to give you in this entire store that could mess with chemo."

Piscitelli stressed however that he realizes many people need to have a physician they can rely on.

"I am not anti-pharamceuticals. We need doctors and drug companies, but we need to work together and become more proactive," he said. "Insurance companies need to open their eyes."

Meier said she tries to keep a low profile so as not to "step on any doctor's toes."

She actually teaches the art of dowsing to customers in order for them to make their own decisions about what their bodies need.

"I teach them different ways to test themselves," Meier said "If they grab something off the shelves, I can show them how to see if it is going to be beneficial to them."

Taalibah says doctors do refer customers to her occasionally, "something that never happened 25 years ago."

Another growing trend is celebrity endorsements, she said.

"When you see people like Dr. Mehmet Oz, Oprah Winfrey and Larry King giving nutritional supplements national exposure, it does help to create a lot more awareness," Taalibah said.

But ultimately the proof is in the results, Piscitelli said.

"I don't get sick," he said. "If I wake up in the morning and feel a sniffle coming on, I might take some olive leaf, oregano oil and elderberry and it will be gone by noon."

This coming from a man who said that other than for some surgical procedures, he has not been to a doctor in 28 years.

"I had a chainsaw accident once and I needed to get 66 stitches in my leg," he said. "I did not take any antibiotics. I used colloidal silver.

"That's the stuff they used back in the Civil War before antibiotics. I dripped it onto my wound and it never got infected, it healed up fine."

Buyer beware: Tips on use of herbal supplements

With rising herbal medicine sales paralleling a faltering economy, here are some tips on these dietary supplements:

— Know that herbal medicines aren't as strictly regulated as conventional medicines and that evidence on their safety and effectiveness is often lacking.

— Do your homework. Find out what scientific evidence exists about the product you're considering. A good resource is http://www.pubmed. gov, an online service from the National Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health that contains summaries from published research.

— Tell your doctor or other health care provider any time you plan to use an alternative treatment; recognize that these products can sometimes interfere with other drugs and may even cause dangerous side effects.

— Find out if your insurance health plan covers alternative medicines; many don't.

— Check out the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine's Web site, http://www. nccam.nih.gov, which contains helpful information for evaluating these products.

Associated Press. SOURCES: National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.