Debate The Alternatives, Naturally
© Robin Greenhalgh
Oct 30, 2001
The debate between the benefits of alternative medications vs. prescription medications is not something new. Nor will the world ever come to a complete agreement regarding the effectiveness of herbal medications. Perhaps if more people understood that most of our prescription medications were first found in natural form, they would be more open-minded. Basically if the truth be told, using gingko biloba for memory enhancement is equivalent to eating green veggies for iron. Although there are still too many people who don’t eat enough vegetables, so they may never get turned around to alternatives.
Millions worldwide eat fruit and vegetables not only because of their good taste, but because they’re good for your health. Now really, if you think about it, if spinach came in a pill form, would that mean people get their daily iron? What makes this confusing is that technically, the equivalent to spinach does come in a pill, but because it is called another name, people automatically scoff at it’s effectiveness or beneficial attributes. I somehow think that if we went around promoting carrots and peas in capsule form, that it would lose it’s marketing appeal.
Obviously there are benefits to prescription treatment and I am not disputing this fact. The iron clad fact though, is that for a very long time and even now, men have lived and thrived off the land. Multiple roots, leaves, and nectar all carry different medicinal components, and have been used for eons to alleviate whatever ailed their hosts.
It is not really that difficult to accept if you just consider Asprin. It just so happens that one of our most commonly used medications is actually derived from the willow tree. Now, just because you’ve found out that it comes from the willow tree, does it make you doubt it’s effectiveness? Used as a fever reliever, pain reliever, and blood thinner, there can be no argument to it’s effectiveness.
Who would have ever believed that once bit by a venomous snake that the only treatment would be more of the same poison? Anti-venom is one of the most important medications ever to be introduced, especially to many places in the tropics. No man-made prescription as of yet, can mimic the properties of this vitally important medicine. So basically who is to say that there are not other naturally occurring medicines, that are not easily reproduced or simulated?
Coral reefs which are known for their recreational value are also extremely important to the pharmaceutical field. Many medicines have become available from these type of ecological niches such as antihistamines, hormones and antibiotics. Antibiotics alone, are a great example of a life-saving medicine that without nature may not have been introduced. Just think what a dire situation it would be in our world today without antibiotics; imagine dying from the flu, measles, infections and so on. Nature has helped the medical field come so far, so it would be unconscionable to be closed-minded to the benefits which are not yet known about.
Varying research is underway to test natural substances against disease such as cancer and aids. If you were dying of Leukaemia, would you refuse treatment just because it may have come from the Pacific Yew Tree? Not likely. So then why do people still believe that herbal alternatives are not worth the bother? For obvious economic reasons the pharmaceutical industry would like to diminish the use of herbals, since it loses them profit. Although think about how recently they have incorporated herbs into cough medicines and preventatives for colds. I guess, they want to get in on the upcoming shift in attitude towards alternatives.
As with other types of extractions from nature, this needs to be done with care. One argument against this type of research is that the biodiversity of many species could be put at risk. Definitely if done in a sustainable way, it is important to our future health to discover what else nature has to offer. There is still much to learn, and it is up to ourselves to not close the door in the face of future science. Mother nature has been perfecting her science since the dawn of time, we certainly can not learn all she has to offer in seven easy steps! The benefits of nature will be coming forth long into the future, and we only need to be receptive to what she will provide.
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