Editing Naturopathy (section)

=== Traditional naturopaths ===
[[File:Hugh Mercer Apothecary 02.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Hugh Mercer Apothecary]] in [[Fredericksburg, Virginia]], a pharmacy founded by [[Hugh Mercer]], a Scottish physician, in the mid-18th century. It is now a museum demonstrating 18th Century medical treatments.]]

Traditional naturopaths are represented in the United States by the American Naturopathic Association (ANA), representing about 1,800 practitioners<ref name="Swartout(Firm)2006">{{cite book|veditors=Swartout KA|title=Encyclopedia of Associations|edition=44|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Wf6PPHSMD4IC|access-date=2013-09-04|year=2006|publisher=Thomson Gale|isbn=978-0-7876-8286-6|pages=1777–1778|archive-date=December 3, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161203184157/https://books.google.com/books?id=Wf6PPHSMD4IC|url-status=live}}</ref> and the American Naturopathic Medical Association (ANMA).<ref name="Baer2001" />

The level of naturopathic training varies among traditional naturopaths in the United States. Traditional naturopaths may complete non-degree certificate programs or undergraduate degree programs and generally refer to themselves as naturopathic consultants. These programs often offer online unaccredited degrees, but do not offer comprehensive biomedical education or clinical training.

Traditional naturopathic practitioners surveyed in Australia perceive evidence-based medicine to be an ideological assault on their beliefs in vitalistic and holistic principles.<ref name="Jagtenberg2006" /> They advocate for the integrity of natural medicine practice.<ref name="Jagtenberg2006" />

Naturopaths graduating from accredited programs argued in 2002 that their training used evidence-based scientific principles unlike traditional naturopathic programs,<ref name="Smith MJ, Logan AC 2002 173–84">{{cite journal | vauthors = Smith MJ, Logan AC | title = Naturopathy | journal = The Medical Clinics of North America | volume = 86 | issue = 1 | pages = 173–184 | date = January 2002 | pmid = 11795088 | doi = 10.1016/S0025-7125(03)00079-8 }}</ref> but this claim remains inaccurate.<ref name="atwood2003" /><ref name="Barrett-Naturopathy" />