Health Supreme Update: Herbs Safer Than Pharmaceutical Medicines

[Guest guest]

26 Mar 2005 15:48:30 -0000

 

Health Supreme Update: Herbs Safer Than Pharmaceutical Medicines

 

sepp Add to Address BookAdd to Address Book

 

 

 

Health Supreme Update: Herbs Safer Than Pharmaceutical Medicines

 

 

 

http://www.newmediaexplorer.org/sepp/2005/03/25/herbs_safer_than_pharmaceutical_\

medicines.htm

 

 

 

March 26, 2005

 

 

------

 

Seven questions about herbal medicines from Hana, a student,

who asked me whether I might consent to an interview. I did,

and here are the questions and my answers. Hello Sepp, Here are

my questions: 1. What advantages do you think herbal medicines

have over traditional pharmaceutical medicines? 2. If herbs are

natural, are they safe? 3. Many people say that herbal

medicines are not safe because the FDA does not regulate them.

How do you feel about that? 4. Would you advise someone to

pursue a career in herbal medicine? Why or why not? 5. Do you

know of a bad experience with herbal medicines? What happened?

6. Since sometimes herbs can be dangerous to a people, why are they

not fully aware (by the government, doctor, etc)?

7. If both allopathic medicine and herbal remedies have side affects,

which one do you think is better and safer?

 

- - -

 

Here is my view on these questions, as given to Hana this morning:

 

1. Herbal medicines have several advantages (from the viewpoint of

patients and doctors, not necessarily from that of pharmaceutical

producers): One advantage is wide availability and simple preparation.

Most herbs can be prepared with means we all have access to, such as

making teas, extracting with alcohol, or similar. This is a large

factor in cost of treatment. Herbs are also very well researched. If

we pool the knowledge from diverse traditions, we have a cure for just

about every illness known to man. Last factor: Herbs have been around

in nature for millennia and our bodies are - one way or another -

accustomed to their presence. Pharmaceutical medicines on the other

hand often introduce a completely new molecule that has never before

been present, and it is difficult to predict (or find out without

widespread use) what the exact effects are. So widespread use of

pharmaceuticals has led to widespread death. See article: Death by

Medicine.

 

 

2. No, herbs are not completely safe in the sense that you could take

them without knowing and be all right. But in contrast to

pharmaceutical medicines, herbs are well researched and real adverse

effects are extremely rare. For comparative statistics on the safety

of herbs (and supplements) as distinct from other causes of death, see

the statistics prepared by Ron Law. The figures on supplements include

herbal products as sold for instance in health stores.

 

 

3. The FDA regulates medicines, which are one of the most UNSAFE

product categories in existence, to where they have become a major

cause of concern. Herbs, on the other hand, are ultra-safe by

comparison. So to say that herbs are not safe because they are not

regulated by the FDA is really pure and simple propaganda. No truth in

it whatsoever. There are bad problems with the FDA watching over drug

saftey, see this article:

 

 

4. I would advise someone to pursue a carreer in herbal medicine in

preference to a carreer in pharmaceutically based medicine because I

believe that herbal medicine has a better future. First, according to

the World Health Organisation, herbal (traditional) medicine is used

by some 80 % of Africans and large sections of the world population as

their primary form of health care. Second, pharmaceutical medicine is

either going to be deeply reformed or it will die. Once awareness

spreads of the amount of damage being done in the name of

pharmaceutical medicine, there will be a widespread move away from it,

towards more gentle and more safe forms of medical care. WHO has a

strategy on Traditional Medicine, which you can find here (click on

language to download)...

 

 

5. Bad experiences with herbal medicine seem to be extremely rare by

comparison. I have no personal knowledge of one.

 

 

6. Sometimes herbs can be dangerous, just like cars can be dangerous,

travelling in an airplane, horses, water, and all kinds of things we

normally find in the environment. If I look at the real figures of

statistics compiled by Ron Law referenced in number 2 above, I have to

say that even though herbs can be dangerous, they are below what we

consider a danger that something must be done about it. Let's start

with more important dangers, such as food (more people die from eating

peanuts or bad meat than from herbs) or let's look into pharmaceuticals.

 

 

7. I have no doubt that herbal remedies are infinitely safer than

allopathic medicines. There is really no comparison in seriousness and

number of cases of side effects.

 

 

 

 

Happy Easter to you all

 

Kind regards

Sepp