Health information is so confusing, isn’t it folks? It all gets so convoluted doesn’t it? How are we really to know? Natural? Prescription drugs? Herbs, supplements, spices…A new friend who happens to be an old pharmacist well, not so old, he’s actually young, so let me say an ex-pharmacist; brought up some really important points at a meeting a few days ago. He made me realize that I had not blogged about this to date.
We cannot assume that natural is always OK. For instance, you know that kava-kava, which for many years was used as an anti-anxiety supplement, has been determined to be perhaps toxic. Let me give you fine folks more information. Kava leaves are OK but the stems are not, yeah, you guessed it, supplement companies began using stems. Valerian, which is a natural supplement to replace valium can have some crazy side effects which are not often clear. It is quite frankly, normal for all of us to assume that natural supplements will not perpetuate nasty side effects.
Herbal remedies derived from plants have a long history of use. Today over 50% of prescription drugs come from chemicals that are made by plants.
- Currently there are over 120 compounds isolated from plants and used in medicine today. 80% of those compounds are utilized the same way today as they were when they were discovered.
- At least 35,000 plants in the world (two thirds) have medicinal value.
- About 7,000 compounds in the pharmaceutical industry come from plants.
So, I find myself often warning people to be extremely caustious about using prescription drugs. I often warn people that they can be quite dangerous to the body’s organs. Well, I do not want to be remiss, you must be cautious at all times; prescription or natural. In fact I would not be myself if I didn’t point out here what the real answer might be…micronutrients! In fact think about this, stop ingesting naked calories and start filling your day with more fruits and vegetables. Those anti-oxidants will fight your battles usually better than any drugs might.
