Despite the fact that modern medicine is dominant in developed countries, its high cost combined with its side effects has led many to adopt herbal medicine as an alternative. A number of statistics have showed that more Westerners are taking interest in herbs today than ever before, and a billion dollar industry has grown around alternative health.
The modern medical establishment has been historically reluctant to look at herbal medicines, preferring to prescribe medications which must be manufactured. This article takes a closer look at these two sides of disease treatment, to find out which one is ultimately the most beneficial.
Modern Medicine
There is no doubt that modern medicine has been highly effective in the prevention and treatment of many illnesses. Thousands of ailments which would have been fatal as little as 150 years ago can now be treated with modern medicine, and this has dramatically increased the life span of the individual.
Not only has modern medicine been successful in prolonging the life of the individual, but it has also been useful in allowing more people to live a healthy and more fulfilling life.
However, there is also a dark side to modern medicine. This dark side comes from a variety of different factors, but one of the most prominent is the side effects which are found among modern medicines. Because most modern medicine is manufactured in a lab, it is synthetic, and putting it in the body will often have negative side effects.
In some cases, the side effects which result from taking certain medications practically supersedes the advantages that one gains from using them. In other situations, the side effects which result from modern medicines may even be dangerous.
Statistics show that each year in the United States, a large number of people die as a result of complications which result from them taking various medications. Much of the medications which these individuals consumed were synthetic.
The second dark side that comes with modern medicine is its price tag. Most synthetic medicines today are so expensive that millions of people living in countries such as the United States cannot afford it, let alone the billions of people living in developing nations.
When you consider the fact that roughly half the world’s population lives on less than $2 per day, it becomes easy to see why modern medicine is outside the reach of all of them, which means that only the rich can afford it.
This is particularly true when it comes to surgery. Even minor operations cost thousands of dollars, and serious operations cost tens of thousands. This means that most people, even those living in developed nations, would need to go in debt just to pay for the cost of such a procedure.
In contrast, people living in developing countries would be helpless, and would in all likelihood die as a result of their inability to afford the operation.
Another problem with modern medicine is that it emphasizes the cure rather than prevention, and has become a multi-billion dollar market where profits are more important than results. Health insurance has become so expensive that even millions of Americans can no longer afford it.
Herbal Medications
Herbal medications are a natural alternative that has been used for thousands of years. Over the ages, different cultures and herbalists have greatly contributed to the medical knowledge of this field, and this has produced a very impressive body of literature.
From the Chinese to the Indians and Arabs, a catalogue of herbs has been produced which can be used to treat hundreds of ailments, both common and more serious.
While some may question the effectiveness of herbs given the many people who have died as a result of common diseases prior to the introduction of modern medicine, one thing that you have to remember is that herbal knowledge was often kept secret from the masses throughout history, and such knowledge was usually reserved for a “priest” class who would reserve such knowledge for the nobility.
Additionally, when you consider the fact that the mass population of many regions was illiterate prior to the Enlightenment, and even after it, it is easy to see why even if they had such herbal manuscripts available, they would not have been able to read and use it.
Therefore, citing the large number of people who died as a result of common illnesses prior to the introduction of modern medicine is not useful in an argument against the usage of medical herbs.
Research has proven the effectiveness of many herbs, and when you consider the fact that they have been used for thousands of years in some cultures, it is easy to see why they must be effective.
Another factor that most people find impressive in regards to herbs is their lack of side effects. The only side effects that one may experience through herb usage is the combination of one herb with another. But these are natural side effects as opposed to the side effects which result from synthetic medications.
Source: http://www.herbtreatment.com
CAHAYA WAHYU 