Thursday, March 06, 2008

The Pros and Cons of Herbal Remedies

Herbal remedies are getting a lot of attention, especially nowadays that our prescribed pharmaceutical medicines carry along with them potential side effects and problems. A lot of “herbal” and “natural” health supplements and medicines are becoming more and more popular because of their known effects and advantages.

One of the advantage of using herbal remedies as supposed to your prescribed medicines is that they cost a whole less than pharmaceutical remedies. Since the herbs do not need to be manufactured or developed, they cost a lot cheaper, and are more convenient as well. You no longer need to get prescriptions from doctors in order to be able to use a particular drug or remedy, unlike the different herbal remedies which you can just purchase without any needed consultation from your doctors.

Another advantage of using herbal remedies is that the herbal medicines may sometimes prove to be more effective as compared to our traditional prescribed medicines. Our dissatisfaction for our current healthcare may be the reason as to why we seek some other alternative. One possible cause for the effectiveness of herbal remedies is its potency. Some herbal remedies may prove to be more potent than others, depending on a few varying factors that may affect the herbal remedy’s effectiveness, such as the growing conditions of the herbs like exposure to air, light and moisture, or even the way that it was harvested. The manner of preservation can also play a factor on the herbs’ potency.

Although using “natural” and “herbal” remedies may sound appealing to a lot of people, it is important to remember that not all “natural” and “herbal” remedies are safe. A lot of these “natural” herbal medicines are composed of elements that can cause potentially harmful side effects to people, especially those that suffer from very serious conditions.

Herbal remedies may have been used for centuries already, but it does not mean that they are safe, especially not if you just take them without consulting with your doctors or herbalists about it.

One disadvantage for using herbal remedies over prescription medicines are the side effects that they may cause on your body when you take them, especially if you use them for a long period of time. Some herbal remedies are known to cause high blood pressure in the vessels of the lungs, while others may even cause your immune system to weaken, making you more prone to sickness and diseases.

Another disadvantage for taking herbal remedies is that you are not entirely sure if you are only getting the ingredients that you want in every pack of herbal medicine that you buy. Although you get the ingredient that you need, there will be some other such as twigs, bark, and other plant materials that may find their way in there along with your herbal medicine. Sometimes, you don’t get the ingredients that you really need since the amount of the ingredient can influence its effectiveness on a person. Add the fact that sometimes your herbal medicine may contain some other ingredient at one point, and contain another ingredient at another.

Whatever your stand on herbal medicine may be, it is always important to consult with your doctor or herbalist before you decide to take anything. Also, make sure that the herbal remedy that you chose to use will not interact with your current prescribed pharmaceutical medicines that you are taking in order to avoid any complications.

Vanessa Arellano Doctor

PrimeHerbal - Herbal Remedy

Vanessa Arellano Doctor from http://www.Jump2top.com a SEO Company

3 comments:

Unknown said...

A number of standardized herbal supplement products nowadays actually go through a manufacturing process that is quite similar with pharmaceutical methods while dosages have been standardized to ensure the efficient integration of potent extracts in an herbal formula. What we need to understand though is that herbals don't work the same way with prescription meds and though they are regarded as "natural" their concurrent administration with meds can induce drug-herb interaction. Right, the best way to prevent this is to consult a physician or herbalist prior to intake--and not self-medicate. Below is a related reading: http://www.herbalsupplementshealth.com/2008/02/herbal-remedies.html

Katherine Huether said...

Thanks for the comment! Self medicating completely defeats the purpose of using herbs for medicine and health. It is supposed to enhance your health not go against it.

Anonymous said...

Hello

I really Enjoyed reading your Blog. I have always been kind of a health freak myself, so I always search health Blogs and health related websites. Recently my grandmother has talked to me about herbal products they used when they were kids for many health issues. I searched online and found http://www.youherbal.com , I have been using many of their herbal products in combination with medicine and a lot of my health concerns have been resolved. Anyways, I look forward to all the updates. Thank again.

Jessica