Herbs for Common Ailments
Recently I have read several articles about herbs and drugs and so I am sharing some of the infor with all of you Read and enjoy. Yes it will make you think, do some research and than decide for yourself.
I have been into holistic living for over 30 years in some way, shape, or form. During this time I have taken a few baby steps backward which I am not happy about but I seem to always come back to what I know works. In my medicine cabinet I try to stock herbs that can be used for more than one thing and yes we do use a few drugs if necessary. When we catch colds, I give echinacea and andrographis (immune-boosting herbs proven to speed recovery) ginseng, licorice root ( sore throats), tea or coffee (caffeine helps relieve stuffed noses and chest congestion), and eucalyptus lozenges (cough).
When I began my adventure many moons ago with experimenting with herbs doctors did not agree but today there are some doctors that are open to non drug alternatives if we show them reasonable evidence of safety and effectiveness.
It is unfortunate that many medical authorities still disparage medicinal herbs. Critics make 4 accusation: herbs are ineffective, unsafe, unregulated, and when they work, they are not strong enough like drugs.
Are they ineffective, hardly. There are thousands of studies confirming the effectiveness of medicinal herbs for hundreds of conditions.
Are they unsafe? Like drugs, medicinal herbs can cause harm. Remember anything that is pharmacologically active can. To ensure safety, consult your physician, find an holistic heal practitioner, naturopath and purchase a guide that emphasizes safety.
Anyone who calls herbs hazardous is totally misinformed. The American Assoc of Poison Control compiles statistics on accidental deaths from drugs, herbs, vitamins, and other supplements almost every year . Can you guess how many have been attributed to herbs???? ZERO imagine that and this is as of 2008. In every accidental death caused by a pharmacological agent, the culprit was pharmaceutical and yes it has been that way for many years. It show me that herbs are safer than drugs.
The university of Toronto researches combed 30 yrs of medical literature (1966 to 1996) for reports of drug side effects in hospital patients. Extrapolating from 39 most rigorous studies, they estimated that drug side effects kill 106,000 U.S. hospital patients per year and cause 2.2 million serious non-fatal problems. This makes drug side effects our nation's 4th leading cause of death. This study focused solely on hospital patients, not the pub. Please note; These deaths did not result from medical errors; they occurred when drugs were administered as approved by the FDA.
Unregulated what's that. The FDA requires drug makers to prove them safe and effective before approving new drugs. These tests are not required of herbs, which leads to claims that herbs are unregulated and implying unsafe. Buy as you and I have seen, the regulations of drugs has not kept them from causing a lot of harm.
Preapproved studies typically involve only a few 1000 people. Many side, some serious only turn up in 1 user in 10,000 to 50,000, or even more. These problems do not emerge until the drug is widely used by we the people (welcome to the world of guinea pigs). Since so many side effects turn up during the 5 years after approval, the FDA requires dressmakers to rewrite the warning labels of 1/2 of the new drugs. I will agree that drugs are more regulated than herbs, but it seems that regulation does not guarantee safety. Numerous studies show that, compared apple to apple with herbs, drugs almost always cause more side effects. The vast majority of medicinal herbs have been used for centuries, standing the test of time.
No herbs are not as strong dose for dose. Willow Bark contains a natural form of aspirin, but the standard dose does not relieve pain as well as a standard does of over the counter aspirin or something else like it. As a result, critics say herbs are medicinal wimps.
Herbs are not weak, may drugs are to strong, causing side effects ranging from annoying to insufferable. Do no harm is the 1st axiom of medicine. What this means is that treatment should begin at the lowest possible effective dose. Why use a tractor trailer when a little VW will do. Herbs should be described 1st. The people who need stronger medicine should use drugs, which costs more and has a greater risk of side effects. Unfortunately, here in American we do the opposite. Drugs are being prescribed first, and only when someone cannot handle the drugs do some physicians suggest herbs. For many common illnesses we can use herbs.
Here are a few herbs to try instead of drugs. I included these herbs because of the strong clinical evidence of the efficacy.
Again remember to ensure safety, consult your physician, find an holistic heal practitioner, naturopath and purchase a guide that emphasizes safety.
Acne - Aloe, calendula, tea tree
Allergy - Chamomile
Angina - Garlic, green tea, hawthorn, willow
Anxiety and stress - Chamomile, hops, kava, lavender, passionflower, Valerian
Arthritis - Capsicum, cat's claw, devil's claw,ginger, turmeric
Athlete's foot - Topical tea tree oil
Bab breath - parsley
Burns - Aloe
Constipation - Apples, psyllium husk, senna
Cough - Eucalyptus
Diarrhea -bilberry, raspberry
Gas - Dill, fennel
Hay Fever - Butter bur, stinging nettle
Indigestion - Chamomile, ginger, pwppermint
There are so many more I wanted to just name a few. If you would like yo reach me please do and I will help in anyway I can
Love to all
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