If Herbal Medicine is Medicine, Shouldn’t it be Treated as Such?

[Prot]

http://tinyurl.com/yzz9ztb

[Naominjw]

What is "medicine"? When a person is dehydrated, the antidote is water. That is the remedy. But must it be regulated? Tea is a food, but it can be used as "medicine". When I had infected tonsils, I was told to drink strong black tea because the tannins in it shrink the swollen membranes affering some relief. We add honey and lemon juice to it for additional benefits. And add some whiskey to that and now we have a hot toddy - old remedy to help soothe the accompanying cough, warm us and help us get to sleep.

Now we are told that grandma's chicken soup really is beneficial with healing effects.

Mankind has always had roots we'd eat for some seaons and purposes but not others. Foods to help with pregnancies, food to help with endurance, foods to help with frailties.

At what point does the food become medicine? Isn't it always? And if it is not, isn't that just as bad - what we call junk food? Perhaps that is what should really be regulated.

I'd rather do without government officials regulating more of my life.

But I would like medical doctors focused more on actual HEALTH and knowing something beyond surgeries and what pharmaceutical reps tell them. Like the use of foods, exercise and whatever else in the natural world to help us be healthier. Know the pharmaceuticals -- YES -- but that is only a part of it.

[tic chick]

hey everyone !

like the article says, this could be a very lively discussion in the places it might be implemented.

in my humble opinion, all foods and water shouldn't be regulated. the fact that scientists are discovering that these foodstuffs have added bonuses such as phytonutrients is a great discovery for people. now, hopefully we will be intelligent enough to use good food as good medicine.

herbs, roots, vitamins and plants not normally eaten as food are bit more difficult to classify. the main thing that concerns me about these substances is not knowing if the substance you are ingesting is pure. that means it is exactly as described, in the strength described with no added dangerous chemicals like pesticides, mercury or lead. when you buy these substances, you have to trust the source you are getting them from. some people will take something just because they read somewhere that it's good for this or that. i think all i would want from the regulation of these substances is that it have exactly what it says on the label inside of the bottle with no contaminants. then people who want to take these should really research them and perhaps work with a more knowledgeable person when taking them. it has been proven that people who take these kinds of medicines are also very likely to give them to their children. children's bodies do not react to these like adult bodies. that is a major sticky point with me.

complementary medicine is when you work with a doctor and use some prescribed medicines but also take herbal medicines or use other methods, such as acupuncture to help with your problem. alternative medicine is when you eschew doctors and treat yourself exclusively with herbals or methods like acupuncture.

i think a combination of both prescribed medicine and herbals and other methods of body manipulation make up the whole circle of treatment. i do all i can to feel the best i can. not just take meds.

in 400BC, the physician hippocrates discovered that the bark of a willow tree, when given to people, reduced fever and controlled pain. imagine this unregulated substance today. people might figure if a little gets rid of some of their pain, more will get rid of all of it. this substance could cause bleeding in the stomach and other problems if taken in great amounts. but what is too much? nobody knows. but, it is all natural!

today, we know it as aspirin.

jeannie

[Val/UK]

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Val (UK)

[Val/UK]

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