How To Treat Common Ailments Naturally

Many medical  authorities disparage medicinal herbs. Critics say herbs are ineffective, unsafe, and  unregulated.  Like drugs, medicinal herbs can cause harm. So to ensure safety, always consult your doctor before taking or mixing herbs with prescription medicines. Or you can read the ABC Clinical Guide To Herbs. Since its $80, see if your local library has it.  Or check out the natural medicines database at http://www.naturaldatabase.com/ .

Now anyone who calls herbs dangerous may be misinformed. The University of Toronto did a 30 year study of drug side effects in hospital patients. They estimated that drug side effects kill over 100,000 US hospital patients a year and cause over 2 million serious non-fatal problems. This makes drug side effects the nation's fourth leading cause of death . The true number is actually higher since this study  focused on hospital patients and not the public. Also, these deaths occurred when drugs were administered as approved by the FDA.

Before approving new drugs, the FDA requires drug makers to prove them safe and effective. Such tests aren't required of herbs leading to claims that herbs are unregulated and are therefore unsafe. But FDA pre-approval studies usually involve only a few thousand people. Many side effects only turn up in one user in 10,000 to 50,000 people or more. So these problems don't emerge until the drug is widely used by people who are unaware that they are guinea pigs. Since so many side effects show up during the 5 years after approval, the FDA requires drug makers to rewrite warning labels on half of the new drugs that come out on the market.

Although drugs are heavily regulated, it doesn't guarantee their safety. In fact ,hundreds of studies show that when compared to herbs, drugs always cause more side effects. Some critics claim that herbs are not as strong as drugs. This is true. But rather than herbs being too weak, drugs are usually too strong causing sides effects. If you'd like to try herbs instead of drugs, do some research. A good place to start is the Physician's Desk Reference ( PDR) For Herbal Medicines.  You can buy it online at Amazon for $47, read it at your local library or check it out at a local health food store. 

When you've decided on what herb to take, then check out www.PennHerb.Com Philadelphia. They stock over 400 medicinal herbs and spices in capsule, bulk, powder and  extract form. Plus they stock  over 7,000 heath remedies. For a free hard copy catalog, or info on herbs,  call 215-632-6100 Mon-Fri 8:30am - 5pm EST. For orders only call 800-523-9971