Do you beleive in herbal medicines or the traditional kind ? why ?

Question

just curious.

Answer 1

Herbal medicines have been used for thousands of years. Doctors in India, China, Persia, Greece and other early civilizations closely observed their uses and side effects. The most effective ones have come down to us; others have largely been discarded.

James is correct that most herbs have a number of active ingredients. Some of these work in conjunction with each other, potentiating effects. Some work to modulate effects. Most herbal medicines now in use are effective in long term use, without side effects or long term harms. But some are very dangerous and should never be used for self-medication!

Most but not all conventional medicines were derived from herbal sources and chemically modified. The plus is that the molecules selected and modified are very powerful and have more rapid effects. The minus is that most have powerful side effects.

In all medicine the first principle is: first do no harm. This means, always start with the less potent treatment with the fewest harmful side effects. Only switch to more powerful chemical drugs when herbals have proven ineffective in your case.

Answer 2

What do you mean by 'believe in', no faith is needed when taking a pill from conventional/traditional/allopathic medicine, as is when taking a herbal pill.

Herbs and Allopathic Drugs work in different ways, let me elaborate on this by comparing the two:

Herbs work in a synergistic way. Which means that a variety of chemicals naturally found in the herb work together to produce the desired effect, an analogy of this would be an orchestra playing together in a synergistic manor, which sounds beautiful, but if one musician was isolated and was made to continue playing, it would not produce the same effect.

Similarly, Allopathic drugs usually have one active synthetic chemical ingredient, which produces the desired effect, and therefore is not nearly as advanced as nature, Herbs.

One problem with Scientists testing whether herbs work or not, is that they extract one chemical ingredient from the herb, assuming it to be the active chemical ingredient with the beneficial physiological effect on health*, the isolated chemical fails to produce the desired health effect, and so the herbal remedy is justified as working only by a mere 'placebo effect', which is not the case.

{*This was the case with White Willow Bark, it was Salicyclic Acid which produced the pain relieving/NSAID effect, and not the other chemicals in the bark, this is how Aspirin was discovered and later made synthetically}. Although, Whit Willow Bark/Aspirin is the exception, most herbs have numerous chemicals working in synergy, this is difficult to test using the scientific method, as there are so many variables to consider, the experimental method would not be invalid and unscientific, unless the whole herb is examined in its entirety, alongside a placebo. Which scientists in Germany have now done, as i discuss later on. Another point to make is that clinical trials cost millions, a minimum of £100Million and many many years to conduct. Herbalist and neutraceutical companies {produce herbal remedies/pills} do not have this kind of money, their profit margins are not as large as pharmaceutical companies, since herbs cannot be patented, and pharmaceutical drugs can, and can be sold at any price the company wishes. From the profit made by drug companies, clinical trials can easily be funded for drugs, and this is the gold standard of scientific evidence in modern healthcare {Randomised Controlled Clinical Trials that is}

Secondly, Allopathic drugs usually work rapidly, the desired effect is noticed very quicky, within minutes. Herbs take longer to work, maybe hours, a few days to week(s), although some do work faster.

Thirdly, Allopathic drugs are based on the Allopathic philosophy that when it comes to treating disease the symptoms should be alleviated or suppressed, regardless of what the cause may be. Allopathic medicine is not really interested in the 'cause' of disease, but rather the treatment or suppression of the symptoms. This really is no conspiracy, open a Anatomy & Physiology book and you will find that most diseases under the 'Cause' section will state either genetic {odd, seeing that we don't know what all the genes do yet} or idiopathic {more honest, this basically means that we don't know the cause. 'Disease just happens'}

Herbalists and Alternative Medicine Practioners alike address the cause of disease, as do the herbs, vitamins, minerals and therapies used in treatment. Although it takes longer than the instant allopathic fix or cover-up. Having said that, some herbs do just address the symptoms and do not treat the cause, for instance Hawthorn Berry to treat Angina Pectoris, this dilates the blood vessels, allowing more blood flow to pass, this prevents angina attacks, but it does not fix the underlying cause of the narrowed coronary arteries, which is due to an acute Vitamin C dificency, causing the cells lining the artereis to produce less Coenzyme Q10 and Nitric Oxide to dilate the vessels.

Herbs have been proven scientifically to work, more than a dozen herbs have passed clinical trials, and verified.

Source: BBC Alternative Medicine - Herbs Documentery, Professor. Ernst UK's First Complementery Medicine Professor at the University of Exeter.

Another Argument used by some {emphasis on 'some'}Alternative Medicine Practioners/Herbalists, is that synthetically made chemcials/vitamins are not as good for our health, when compared to the same chemicals made by nature. This has to do with the energy/vibrations/frequency related to the chemical found in nature/herbs, which is void in synthetic {made in a lab} chemicals. For instance Ascorbic Acid {synthetically made} would be considered inferior to natural vitamin C derived/extracted from say Camu Camu or Organic Oranges. Personally, what do i make of this argument?, well it could be true, but no scientific evidence is in support for this claim, and even if it were true it is not viable for pharmaceutical companies to go harvest their active chemical {lke salicyclic acid {aspirin}, or ascorbic acid}  from nature, since it will not meet the demand, and environmentalists will go nuts, as so many tree's, herbs, and wildlife would be cut down, or disturbed in the process.

Another important issue is Side-Effects, many people dislike the side-effects of pharmaceutical drugs and turn to Herbal Remedies, due to the unpleasant and dangerous side effects of Allopathic/Traditional drugs, for instance Drugs for arthitis can cause heart problems, Drugs for acne can cause liver failure {Roaccutane, hence the regular Liver Function blood tests such patients must have whilst on the drug, usually every week, then every month}, Drugs for Cholesterol can cause heart failure, drugs for insomnia can be addictive, Drugs for depression can cause suicide, the list goes on.

On the contorary, Herbs do have no/little side effects if any. And if an unpleasant side effect from a herb were to occur {rare}, it would be mild {like a dry mouth, noticed by some patients on St. John' Wort for clinical depression}, and would not be nearly as serious as those listed for traditional/allopathic pharmaceutical drugs {Such as suicidal thoughts caused by pharmaceutical antidepressants Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft, Welbutin, which has now been admitted by the drug companies{Due to legal action by the Family members of victims of such drugs causing suicide to a loved one} and listed on the side-effects list, and Psychiatrists/Doctors inform the patient of this now.} Source: BBC Secret of The Drug Trials, documentery. available on p2p networks.

Personally, i use both methods for treating poor health, for example if i have a pounding headache i will take an aspirin {allopathic drug}, but if i had Angina Pectoris i would take Hawthorn Berry, Coenzyme Q10 200mg, and 1000mg of Vitamin C per day, as well as incorporating Gerson Therapy, and Rife Technology into my treatment plan. But i would see my traditional or allopathic Doctor to get an accurate diagnosis from scientific tests, like a blood test, ECG, ect.

My verdict: BOTH allopathic medicine and naturopathic medicine have their place in healing, it depends on the circumstances and the disease itself/situation.

For instance if you had a nasty car accident and you are in a critical condition, allopathic medicine is perfect when it comes to A&E Emergency room treatment, here you want the instant working action of morphine to remove the pain, regardless of treating the cause, as that will take longer {like broken bones/tendons/muscles}. So in this situation you would see an allopathic doctor in A&E and take pharmaceutical/allopathic drug treatment, and not herbs, prescribed by a Herbalist.

Hope this helps.

Answer 3

both because some work in some cases each way

Answer 4

Herbal all the way.

Answer 5

Herbal medicine is grown differently and comes from God which is better for u than traditional which is man made and probably one day kill u with all the chemicals they put in them ,but then again that put chemicals in our food so...

Answer 6

i believe in herbal medicines. I do because they are pure, and from our earth. the other stuff is altered with, and you do not know with what. So, i just prefer herbal stuff because i know what is in it.

Answer 7

Yes but Homeopathic medicines are safer

Answer 8

I do not like traditional western medacines, they have side effects and don't fix the problem you have, only try to cover up the symptoms, then give you other problems for taking the meds. I have had so many things healed quickly with no side effects from herbal medicines, even things the medical world says you can't heal or you have to have surgery for.