Are Herbal Remedies Safe? Interesting Truths and Facts About Herbal Remedies

Are Herbal Remedies Safe? Interesting Truths and Facts About Herbal Remedies

For those of us who are tired of the high price s of some mainstream medicines, herbal remedies are good alternatives to medicate from minor illness such as cold, basic pains, arthritis or muscle cramps to more serious illnesses like leukemia or degenerative diseases. It has been a phenomenon in the recent years that people are into traditional or herbal remedies. The next question in the mind of ordinary people is that it is even safe to take this medicine? Are the people well informed whether it is safe or not to take herbal remedies? Are herbal remedies safe?

I grew up in a community where people treat themselves with herbal remedies from simple colds to diarrhea, slimming pills, concoction to treat pregnant women, and even major sickness like leukemia and some forms of cancers. When scientific treatment is scarce, people will resort to herbal remedies because it is readily available and cheaper as well. In several countries herbal remedies are usually not regulated.

The objective of this article is to show some interesting facts and truth about Herbal remedies and to elaborate if herbal remedies are safe. First we will define what herbal remedies are.

What are herbal remedies?

Herbal remedies is the use of plants or plant extracts to medicate certain illnesses. minor or serious illnesses even cancer treatment. It has been used by our ancestors historically -- the Chinese, Arabs, Africans for centuries. According to the World Health Organization, “traditional medicine is the sum total of knowledge, skills and practices based on the theories, beliefs and experiences indigenous to different cultures that are used to maintain health, as well as to prevent, diagnose, improve or treat physical and mental illnesses.”

Interesting Truths and Facts About Herbal Remedies

Fact Number 1

• The effectiveness of herbal medicine is not corroborated by scientific evidences but it is continually used by almost 80 percent of people in other parts of the world like Asia and Africa and Arab nations.

Fact Number 2

• In some parts of the world specifically the United States herbal remedies are classified as dietary supplement because it cant either be classified as food or drugs. Laws pertaining to dietary supplements are relatively lax comparing to drugs or foods.

Fact number 3

• The World Health Organizations stated that “Not many countries have national policies for traditional medicine. Regulating traditional medicine products, practices and practitioners is difficult due to variations in definitions and categorizations of traditional medicine therapies. A single herbal product could be defined as either a food, a dietary supplement or an herbal medicine, depending on the country. This disparity in regulations at the national level has implications for international access and distribution of products.”

Fact Number 5

• The availability of herbs and herbal products in some countries is a problem that is why it is difficult to standardized it.

Fact Number 6

• Culture plays a important part whether to use herbal remedies or not. Availability of immediate herbal remedies is also a factor in using them

Fact Number 7

• In some countries, there are well defined rules and laws pertaining to herbal medicines as well as professionals who are certified to practice "the scientific study of herbals" , case in point is China where there are medical doctor who are giving prescriptions pertaining to herbals

Fact Number 8

• The people in the oldest civilization used herbal remedies to treat diseases specially the Chinese, Arabs and Africans as evidence into eh different writings. It has been fact that herbal medicine is prevent o be effective even in history

Fact Number 9

• About the safety and effectiveness plus quality: The World health Organization also stated that: the “Scientific evidence from tests done to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of traditional medicine products and practices is limited. For example, it can be difficult to assess the quality of finished herbal products. The safety, effectiveness and quality of finished herbal medicine products depend on the quality of their source materials (which can include hundreds of natural constituents), and how elements are handled through production processes.”

Summary : Putting all these information’s together it is up to the individual whether to medicate with herbal remedies or not. As they say health is wealth and since herbal remedies have been proven historically not scientifically, I for one say it is a nice alternative as herbal is natural and it comes from nature as well. In the same manner as there should always be precaution, we should talk to a physician first if we have doubts about herbal remedies specially if we are taking medicines for other sickness. Like in scientific medicine, there is always risk in taking medicines whether it is herbal or scientific medicines which are artificial. Scientific medicines are artificial and taken in by our body in the same manner as herbal remedies are provided by nature.

Sources:

American Holistic Health Association