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The Power of Natural Alternative Medicine Part 2
By 1a2b | June 30, 2010
Allopathic physicians and pharmaceutical drugs are, and always
will be, necessary for acute, emergency medical care and trauma,
as well as for conditions that cannot be controlled with
lifestyle changes, good nutrition and supplements. But many
conditions can be prevented and controlled with lifestyle changes
and biologically based medicine. Just as many pharmaceutical
drugs can interact with other drugs, some biologically based
supplements may interact with drugs and cause side effects, so a
healthcare provider should always be consulted before adding
supplements to the diet. In some cases, alternative therapy may
actually have beneficial synergistic effects in conjunction with
existing medical therapy, even when not feasible as a replacement.
Biologically based medicine is not new. It was practiced for
thousands of years before pharmaceutical companies began
manufacturing the first synthetic drugs. In addition, many of the
pharmaceutical preparations used around the world are based on
plants. As late as the 1930’s, the formulation of about 80% of
synthetic pharmaceutical drugs began with a natural compound.
Today, about 25% of prescription drugs contain active ingredients
derived from plants.
The United States has the most advanced medical system in the
world, yet the population is increasingly turning to natural
healing methods. However, the U.S. still lags behind world stats.
A survey of 31,000 U.S. adults conducted by the National Center
for Health Statistics in 2004 showed that 35 percent use some
form of complementary and alternative medicine. Today, the World
Health Organization estimates that herbal medicine is still the
primary source of health care for approximately 80 percent of the
world’s population.
Chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes are
the leading causes of death and disability in the United States.
These diseases and other chronic diseases such as obesity,
depression, metabolic and digestive disorders, rheumatoid
arthritis, osteoporosis, and fibroids, account for 7 of every 10
deaths and affect the quality of life of 90 million Americans.
Chronic diseases are among the most prevalent and most costly,
yet they are the most preventable.
Conventional physicians treat chronic diseases with expensive
pharmaceuticals that may temporarily relieve the painful or
uncomfortable symptoms, but the drugs do nothing to resolve the
underlying cause, and may actually cause other side effects and
serious problems. Because nutrition affects our immune system,
organ function, hormonal balance and cellular metabolism, many of
these chronic conditions and diseases can be traced to a
nutrition deficiency. When the deficiency is not corrected,
symptoms begin to appear and eventually lead to disease and
premature aging.
Many pharmaceuticals can effectively be replaced with multi
vitamin supplements, botanicals, amino acids, prebiotics and
probiotics, fresh foods and functional foods for both prevention
and treatment. Because herbs work synergistically, combinations
of herbs with similar properties enhance the properties of each.
This is why choosing a product containing a combination of
different herbs is usually more effective than choosing
individual selections. An example of this is the combination of
valerian, passion flower and hops to promote relaxation and
restful sleep. All three have a relaxing effect on the body.
Valerian relaxes muscle tension, while hops relaxes the nervous
system, and passiflora acts as a sedative. Popular alternative
medicine company Melaleuca even offers a product called RestEZ
that offers a supplement that contains all three natural sleep
enhancers: valerian, passion flower and hops.
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