Do you consider herbal medication just as effective as pharmaceutical pills?

[zed-789]

I’ve noticed a spike in taking herbal medications for a number of things, from detox, to cancer, to upping fertility. Do u think herbal medication is starting to be recognized as just as effective as pharmaceutical pills? Or is this just another trend? Do the people that claim benefits just experiencing the placebo effect or could we be looking at a future where doctors and herbalist work together? What are ur thoughts and experiences with medication in this day and age?

[AshViper]

Some are useful. I use a herbal concoction for morning coughing as I grew up with upper respiratory illnesses (e. g. pneumonia) for years that damaged my lungs. But the problem with supplements and herbs is it can be very very easy to do harm to yourself.

For example a lot of alternative "cancer" treatments say take a LOT of vitamin C. Taking too much vitamin C causes digestive issues, sleeping issues, and can apparently even screw up how blood-sugar tests (for diabetics) work. And should not be taken if you are on medications for heart disease as example.

Then there is the fact that these products do not go through anywhere near the rigorous checking for quality as actual medications. There have been cases of people consuming what they thought was a safe supplement only for it to be discovered that the dosage was entirely wrong (too high) due to manufacturing errors.

[hellionthesagereborn]

No, their is a reason why we switched to pharmaceuticals, its because they are far more effective.

Half of herbal medications are completely useless and operate only on placebo, the other half are effective but have so many other chemicals in them that they can be even more damaging to you then the pharmaceuticals. For example you can make a tea from willow bark to deal with pain and fever as it has the same chemical in it (Acetaminophen if I am not mistaken) as aspirin. The difference is it also has other compounds in it that can damage your kidneys (aspirin if you take to much can damage the liver but with the extra compounds in willow bark it actually takes a lot less to start damaging your body then if you where to take aspirin).

So I think this is a trend because people for some reason seem to think that "natural" equals better which is simply not the case (in most cases you need to refine the herbal compound to make it safe for use.).

[jmr2191]

That would depend on the herbal supplement. Does the research support its value and efficacy? Does the manufacturer have quality control measures and external reviews in place? Is it relevant for your use case? If the answer to all of the above is yes, I would consult your doctor and make an informed the decision in your best interest. If the answer to any of the above is no, I'd proceed with extreme caution and prioritize pharmaceutical (or if appropriate, surgical) options, as the supplements in question may pose additional unforeseen complications. Regardless of how you choose to proceed, I'd explore all options and consult your doctor prior to making a decision.

[kyleelyn199723]

I just learned about this in my nutrition class, they can be beneficial BUT there are so many dangers in taking herbal medication, especially if you take some prescription medication, it can trigger side effects. You really need to research the herb before taking it. Research websites with scientific facts behind them. Herbal medications may or may not be as effective.

[Levin]

I'm sure herbal treatments do have benefit. But you have to be remarkably knowledgeable to , well, actually be effective, I should imagine.

In a way, many of these treatments, think herbal, or say, acupuncture, are just utilising Western paradigm thinking. Namely, ignoring the root of something, and treating symptoms to problems. Disease should be looked at in the context of a person's life, mentality and lifestyle.

Rather, I'd say appropriate use of fasting, choosing a low fat whole foods plant based diet, the right kind of daily activity, sleep, stress management and meditation are extremely powerful and undervalued tools to keep you healthy. Especially to 'Western diseases of affluence'. Guess there's not much profit in them, eh?

[CaliDad]

There's room for both eastern and western medicine. Pharmaceuticals are important for specific needs - things that natural remedies are not very effective for. But they come with major side-effects which usually means adding more synthetic drugs. When I'm able, I reach for the natural remedy first... it uses the body's natural systems instead of replacing (and sometimes damaging) them. I also agree that the mind is powerful and a healthy mind is necessary for a healthy body.

[DJB72]

Some herbal remedies work - lavender for stress relief & sleep health for example - but most are just expensive leaves/seeds that might have a placebo effect in some people, but it's not a replacement for medication.

No amount of turmeric and cinnamon will work as well as your insulin injection.

[GoodGuyBreakingBad]

This is no lie I was found disabled due to my extreme Anxiety disorder that led to more severe mental health illnesses but one time I bought this supplement called
Saf for Anxiety and no lie I got these spasms in my back with a pounding feeling
it was like my heart was pounding through my back and to this day I don't know
if it was really my heart that was acting up so from now one I watch what I take

[haze380]

All I'm gonna say about this, is that back in time before modern medicine we had herbal remedies and all kinds of other alternative medicines and back then we didn't live as long as we do now. And yes thats partially because there's more food better access to basic necessities and stuff like that but modern medicine is the the big reason we live so much longer now. So yes I would say modern medicine is much more effective.

[PeacefulRainDrop]

Im taking more herbs seeing more positive effects in my life!

[Drumlin2001]

No. I'm sure there are some mild remedies that will help in some situations, but generally pharmaceuticals are the way to go.

[jamesgoldman]

They both have their places

valerian is like valium and lavender helps with sleep but you can't prevent smallpox with essential oils

[genericname85]

Depends on the case obviously. Cause some pills are litterally the same as the herbal active ingredient.

[bulletbob555]

No I don't. In united states you are not even guaranteed that the supplement even has the stated ingredients. From the testing done more supplements don't have them as do

[kyleelyn199723]

Oh also this ^^^

[Philyouup]

no. not at all. her me medicine my have effectiveness. , might, but you can't control the strength like true pharmaceutical items.

[deeks1121]

Yes some are better than traditional meds but this is not to be confused as a cure. Meds are required for some serious ailments

[najekim]

From what I have learned most herbal remedies can work on ailments but not as effectively or as strong as pharmaceuticals.

[lpoots]

a lot of medication are derived from plants
asprin comes from willow bark

[Agape93]

Not usually but they can still be effective.

[Amoebaaa]

I think herbal medication is dangerous.

[michael1469]

What herb ars we talking about here...