While researching an article for my site, I visited several popular forums featuring home health cures. I was surprised at the level of distrust and skepticism directed toward our health care system in general and pharmaceutical companies in particular. Although not a strong supporter of either, what struck me the most was the lack of thoughtful consistency when it came to natural health cures and remedies.
It was almost as if the assumption was that if it was natural, homeopathic or an old world type of remedy, it was somehow better, safer and more effective than anything a medical doctor could offer.
While many of these could people have a healthy skepticism when considering pharmaceutical company intentions and ability to help control and illness, they blindly follow the natural health cure mantra.
Home remedies are also preferred by many because of a belief that the pharmaceutical companies are not interested in your health. While there are many examples of big drug companies greed and avarice, their products are very widely used and are considered both safe and effective. Make no mistake, this does not mean that they can be used without risk or should be used by just anyone.
While many of our most effective medications used today originally came from plants, this should not be used as a basis to assume that any plant is safe. Buttercups, Oleander and even a common house plant known as creeping Charlie are all considered poisonous. Here's a link to the Cornell University http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/plants/comlist.html poisonous plant listing for more information.
The point is that as consumers, we should not assume that everything with a natural label should be considered safe or effective. We should have the same healthy skepticism when considering natural cures and remedies that we show toward big drug companies.
We also need to consider the usefulness of testimonials. While a testimonial may offer some validation or a product, it should not be a major consideration for your purchase or use. The difference between a testimonial and the research done by the drug companies is like night and day.
Research is done to demonstrate the usefulness of a compound in a variety of people and situations, measuring the effectiveness and appropriateness of the product. A testimonial is based on one persons experience with a product. No information is usually offered about how the product was used, dosage or side effects experienced. Further, a testimonial also is based on the perspective on the person offering their opinion.
While many natural remedies and cures do indeed work, don't allow your preference for these products to over ride your good common sense.
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