Herbal Remedies Vs Prescription Medication

Ian C. Langtree - Writer/Editor for Disabled World (DW)
Published: 2009/06/01 - Updated: 2023/06/01
Category Topic: Herbalism and Herbs - Academic Publications

Page Content: Synopsis - Introduction - Main

Synopsis: Herbal remedies are an increasingly popular choice today as people often make self-medication based on catalogs, internet sites and visits to health food stores. Scientific tests have shown there is evidence that some herbal medicines could have a beneficial effect.

Introduction

Sales of herbal remedies in chemists, health stores and supermarkets have doubled in a decade. But using herbal home remedies can be a gamble and even a risk. People taking prescription medications should talk to their doctors before taking herbs or even certain vitamins but even those who rarely take a pill should seek advice before turning to herbs. It is always best to get a consultation before consuming any herbal remedies.

Main Content

Herbal medicines, which contain extracts from plants and minerals, account for the fastest growth.

Scientific tests have shown there is evidence that some could have a beneficial effect. Herbs are used to stimulate the body's self-healing powers and remove the underlying cause of illness. Then the herbs are used to nourish and tone all the organs and systems of the body from the inside out.

As it is, no herb or natural treatment or remedy can be labeled or even advertised legally as a cure or treatment.

Think in Terms of Cancer

If someone had an herbal supplement where 90% of the patients who took it became disease free, it still cannot be labeled or advertised as a cure or even as a treatment, while a synthetic lab-created chemical that kills more people than it cures can take out full page advertisements in national magazines. And that is how the public interest is protected from all of those dangerous herbs, which result in maybe 50 deaths a year compared to 106,000 deaths per year for properly prescribed medications that can be advertised as cures and treatments. Not to mention the 2,000,000 serious drug reactions from properly prescribed medications.

Death from prescription drug side effects is now the fourth leading cause of death in the United States according to the medical industry itself (AMA Journal) and that doesn't include deaths that are reported to be caused by the original disease that really were the result of drug side-effects, or of miss-prescribed medications that are not reported by doctors leery of malpractice suits and malpractice insurance premium increases (one survey found that only 1 in 24 doctors would voluntarily report themselves in the event of a patient dying of miss-prescribed medications).

When all factors are taken into consideration, improper medical treatment and prescription drugs are considered by some authorities as actually being the second leading cause of death in our country.

Herbal remedies can help you with your condition and can actually cure or even prevent it. Herbal remedies are generally safe, effective and with no side effects. But of course, you have to make sure that you are using the right herbal remedy for your condition, in order to make sure that you will be curing your condition properly.

In buying herbal remedies, you have to make sure you are buying the right herbs, and not just throwing your money with the wrong ones, so you have to make sure that you are having the right information. It can help to seek the advice of a professional herbalist.

Author Credentials: Ian is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Disabled World, a leading resource for news and information on disability issues. With a global perspective shaped by years of travel and lived experience, Ian is a committed proponent of the Social Model of Disability-a transformative framework developed by disabled activists in the 1970s that emphasizes dismantling societal barriers rather than focusing solely on individual impairments. His work reflects a deep commitment to disability rights, accessibility, and social inclusion. To learn more about Ian's background, expertise, and accomplishments, visit his full biography.