Medicine - Getting healthy any which way? ( Archived) (146)

Alright. I think there is a lot of confusion about natural remedies, herbs, synthetic drugs, plant elixirs, clinical studies, folklore and so on. Overall, all these things can be grouped into two major categories: Medicine and everything else (usually called "alternative" medicine). The problem is that mainstream media and general public usually do not have the background to define a clear border between the two. This is not surprising since even so-called "experts" often have different opinions on the subject. Moreover, the actual border is blurry and there are overlaps.

Why are people fascinated with natural cures? For one, it sounds healthier than "drugs". The word "nature" is right on the label. How can nature be bad? Well, it can be but more about that later. Herb and plant extracts haved been used for thousands of years. Some of them are myths, some work but not to the degree people believe and some can be quite helpful for minor health problems. Additionally, there is often a fairly large placebo effect connected with the application of alternative medicines. People who try this route usually already believe in its efficacy or use it as a "last straw" attempt when "normal" medicine failed them.

What are the potential problems of alternative medicine? Well, natural does not necessarily mean healthy. Have you ever tried to eat poison ivy? It's quite "natural" but I suggest nobody ever try to ingest it. There are many other examples like that. The real issue, however, is that a medicine is declared "alternative" because there is no clear scientific evidence for its effectiveness or information on possible side-effects and interactions. A certain "remedy" may not harm you, but you do not know for sure. Additionally, it may not be as effective as you think and make you even sicker, if you forgo real medical treatment.

The fact is, many drugs produced by pharmaceutical companies originated from "nature" (plants, animals, bacteria, etc.). The difference is that through scientific research active ingredients have been identified and tested. A famous example is the discovery of penicillin (usually attributed to Alexander Fleming, although there were others) when mold grew on a petri dish and killed bacteria in it. The actual antibacterial agent was subsequently determined and isolated.

In real medicine clinical studies are performed to determine dosage, actual efficacy vs a placebo and to look for side-effects and interactions with other drugs in different populations (people with different conditions, medications, pregnancy, children, age groups, race, etc.). These studies are aimed to prevent health issues or even death when drugs are administered to a much larger group of patients.

Obviously, neither the studies nor the results are ever going to be perfect. There are statistical distributions and risk factors. There is usually at least a small group of people who will show adverse effects to any particular drug. In the majory the benefit will always outweigh any potential side-effects, but it's not a gurantee for the individual. Additionally, the more severe the disease (e.g., cancer, AIDS) the more severe side-effects are usually acceptable because the only alternative is most likely death. These special cases are often cherry picked and pointed out by proponents of alternative medicine. What they fail to see is the incredibly large number of people who gain benefit vs a small group who exhibits problems (relative to the severity of the illness). At the same time, they also fail to see that the distribution of real benefit vs. no benefit vs. side-effects of natural remedies is often much worse. Yet, what makes them really dangerous is the unknown factor.

To be continued...

... continued from previous post.

Pharmaceutical companies are sometimes decried as money hungry, heartless entities. I won't denied that there are certain people in the industry, usually at the very top of the corporate food chain and rarely with scientific background, who try to bend the rules and maybe laws to make the most money out of their product. This is unfortunate but not less true for the many herbal remedy hoaxes that are being promoted in infomercials at 3 a.m. in the morning. The vast majority of people in this industry, particularly in the medical, chemical, biological and pharmacological sciences are honest and hard working people who do their work for love of science and to help other people.

If you want to try certain herbs and teas, inform yourself, consult your doctor and use them as directed. Be suspicious of anything with extraordinary claims such as "cure for cancer" because they are with almost 100 % certainty a hoax. If they were true, word of mouth would have spread faster than a wildfire and nobody would get sick anymore.

Feel free to add your own views.

So true...miracle cures do not exist...but we can certainly help ourselves by a little researching what has been suggested as helpful by repuatable sources.

Herbal remedies have much to offer, but caution must be exercised at all times.

Well said.

VERY well said.

I have tried every know "natural" alternative for migraines and found little to no relief. And really, anything that you have to take for two months BEFORE seeing any benefit, sure is a deterrent.

Finally went to the doctor and got Zomig. It is the WONDER DRUG OF THE WORLD!!!!!

I have my life back!

I am not saying that one choice is better than another. I am just saying that each and every option has it's pro's and con's. You have to find what works best for you!

There is nothing wrong with what some people consider a "quick fix".

Sprain your ankle? or God's sake, take an aspirin and be done with it!

THANK YOU

Sad to me is so much effort put into the cure and little to the cause of disease.

Miracle cures do infact exist, but you are correct caution must be used with anything you ingest. You can't just can't the words of someone and run with it. It's up to each person to learn and decide for themselves.

THAT IS A GOOD POINT

very well said funguy!