The greatest misconception about the use of “natural” supplements in the treatment of a particular malady is that they are safe to use in any manner you choose.  This caviler attitude towards natural remedies has created the greatest barrier to their acceptance in mainstream society.  Consumers of natural supplements must be made aware of the personal responsibility that comes with their choice to utilize them.  It is both a blessing and a curse that the restraints on natural supplements are not as restrictive as those placed on pharmaceuticals (for the time being anyway).  Pharmaceutical prescriptions lay down the guidelines, in terms of dosage and dispensation, for the use of those products and the prescribing physician as well as the pharmacologist  basically bear the responsibility of doing so.  Natural supplementation, on the other hand, have no real restrictions in terms of frequency of use and has the potential to cause harm due to improper application.  The consumer bears the responsibility here.

As far back as 1785, the use of Digitalis (from the common Foxglove -  Digitalis purpurea) was used for the treatment of heart conditions, especially arterial fibrillation, and is considered by many as the beginning of modern therapeutics.  A group of phenomenologically active compounds are extracted mostly from the leaves of the second year’s growth, and in pure form are referred to by common chemical names such as digitoxin or digoxin, or by brand names such as Crystodigin and Lanoxin, respectively.   Many people don’t realize that approximately 10% of the drugs on the market today are still made from actual plant materials.  This shows us that plant material, in practical terms, are drugs.   It must be understood that natural remedies, although usually free of side effects, can be just as dangerous as pharmaceuticals.  More is not better just because it is natural!  Every time a consumer misuses a natural supplement and causes harm to themselves it feeds the fire of those opposed to these therapies.

The main problems with conventional medicine’s involvement in natural supplementation can be seen in two specific areas.  The first is the arrogance of man.  Some chemists believe that they can improve on nature.  Subsequently they attempt to isolate  particular constituent’s of a plant that they believe to be therapeutic and package it as a standardized remedy.  What they fail to take into consideration is that a plant may contain tens if not hundreds of constituents that work together toward a therapeutic result.  Therefore selecting a natural remedy that uses whole plant material often offers more therapeutic value than it’s standardized counterpart.

The second problem is greed.  Organizations such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), for example, are often disingenuous at best in terms of the way they treat natural supplements in the marketplace.  They often site biased and or tainted clinical studies to support their position against particular natural supplements.  The truth is that the FDA is in bed with the pharmaceutical industry and has a vested interest in discrediting natural supplementation (in the name of public safety).   The FDA claims that many natural remedies may be harmful or have no therapeutic value based on the lack of supporting evidence in the form of clinical studies.  Thousands of products are prohibited from being sold in the US due to FDA regulations yet they are highly praised in other countries for their proven therapeutic value.  Why is this so?  Because the pharmaceutical companies can’t patent a plant or herb or other natural whole food or mineral and subsequently can not make any money on that product.  It’s really that simple!

What does all of this add up to?  Consumers of natural supplements and remedies must act in a responsible manner.  They must treat and use these products just as they would a pharmaceutical in terms of dosage.  Always use products made from whole organic plant materials and processed by natural methods.   Only use supplements that are made from the highest quality materials.  Check to see that the manufacturing standards are also of the highest quality and that the final product is pharmaceutical grade.   Doing these things will insure that you receive the highest therapeutic benefit from natural supplementation.

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