Natural Healing Remedies

Poll

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Author:
Jon Davis

It seems that almost every day we come across a story in a newspaper or magazine which raises concerns about the use, misuse, or overuse of a particular pharmaceutical remedy in the treatment of minor ailments, or serious medical conditions. Often these stories are quickly discredited as being ill-informed or based on insufficient evidence, perhaps medical opinion is divided, or particular experts in the field prefer to wait for an extended period of time, maybe years, in order to ascertain the safety, or otherwise of these commonly used remedies. This is not to criticise medical science, or its practitioners, who must rely on objective and statistically valid evidence before giving an expert opinion. However, it is little wonder that many of us turn to herbal remedies, either as a supplement, or as an alternative to manufactured pharmaceutical products. There is a reassurance in that simple word “herbal”, taking us back to simpler times, when there was little choice in how to treat our day to day bodily malfunctions, aches and pains and we made use of what was available to us, perhaps in our own back gardens!

Are herbal remedies the answer? Surely if they have been in use since men and women first walked on the Earth they must be both effective and safe? The answer to this, as to many questions, is “Yes” and “No”, or even “Well it’s not as simple as that.” In the past, herbal remedies were often administered or recommended by one particular person in the neighbourhood, frequently a woman, (probably regarded as a witch), who was an expert in her field. This person would have studied and learned, by trial and error, about the efficacy and safety (or otherwise) of the product she was supplying. Herbal remedies may be natural, but that does not make them safe and we need to be well informed about the optimum dosage as well as about possible side effects and what are called “contra-indications” in the medical profession. After all, before a doctor prescribes a drug to you, s/he will refer to your medical history and question you about your lifestyle. We need to be equally cautious in self-prescribing, and take advantage of information and advice that is available to us from reliable sources.

Should herbal remedies be regarded as an alternative, or a complementary supplement to conventional medicine? We need to use our common sense in this matter. If a herbal product appears to be effective in treating a minor condition, then by all means use it instead of resorting to a manufactured product, with possibly dubious side effects. As regards more serious and even life threatening conditions, it seems unwise to reject the offerings of modern science, which for the most part have a proven record in alleviating suffering and prolonging life, whether or not they also cause undesirable side-effects. Herbal remedies may in these cases be used in a complementary way, if this is appropriate. Let us also not forget that many widely used conventional medications are based on a herbal product, (aspirin and digitalis to name just two), so we may be using a herbal based product without being aware of it. Herbal and conventional pharmaceutical remedies are not always mutually exclusive.

About the Author
As in most areas of our daily lives, we need to obtain as much reliable information on this subject as we can, in order to make informed and intelligent choices, should the need arise. Jon Davis provides free advice & information on herbal remedies can be found at http://www.HealthyHerbalRemedy.com

A Quick Note From The Publisher... If you like the article above, you may be interested in the following article which is also related to Herbal Remedies... End Herbal Remedies Confusion Now At the turn of the twenty first century, an estimated forty two percent of Americans used herbal remedies, raw herbs or other types of nutritional supplements as a part of their self-care routine. There are many thousands of people who have found that the herbal remedies and supplements of yesterday are still working for them today. On the other hand, there are many people who still doubt the virtues of herbal remedies and alternative medicine. The skepticism of herbal remedies is understandable because of the many companies today that use outdated, low quality, ineffective herbs. One has to search out reliable companies that operate under strict FDA guidelines to find herbs, and high quality herbal remedies that actually work. Did you know that most prescription drugs and medications were at some point derived from a natural substance? As a matter of fact, one fourth of the prescription drugs sold in the U.S. contain at least one active ingredient which was derived from a plant. Before purchasing an herbal product, ask yourself the following 5 questions. 1. Do they provide standardization information? 2. Do they have an approval seal for the ingredients purity standard? 3. Have they been in business for a long time? 4. Does the company offer testimonials? 5. Do they offer a guarantee on their products? These are the types of things you will want to research before purchasing an herbal supplement or alternative health product. The seemingly endless list of herbal remedies and alternative solutions go on and on. It seems you can either cure or greatly improve a wide variety of symptoms with some sort of alternative health solution. Sometimes disease is unavoidable, but many illnesses can be prevented by following a healthy diet, exercise,...