Over millions of people take medicine on a daily bases to cover up or suppress the symptoms of their illnesses. By doing this they end up further damaging their bodies without addressing the main issue. Is there no other way of dealing with illnesses? Well there is! Herbal medicines are natural remedies made for illnesses of many types. They are safe and contain organic-chemicals, healing our bodies in a natural and healthy manner. Many people have been healing themselves effectively for centuries using herbs. Though pharmaceutical drugs have been useful in covering up or disguising symptoms of illnesses fast they result in putting harsh chemicals in our bodies. The fact that many people decide to use harmful medicine rather than herbs is because of the speed and strength they work at. Many pharmaceutical drugs are unhealthy and harmful to the body; the integration of herbal and natural remedies would make us healthier as humans.
Since ancient times the use of healing with plants has been around in order to maintain good health, people always discovered ways in nature to make medicine. Plants have been used for medicinal purposes long before recorded history. “Ancient Chinese and Egyptian papyrus writings show medicinal uses of plants from as early as 3,000 BC. Africans and Native Americans used herbs in their healing rituals, others developed traditional medical systems, such as Ayurveda and traditional Chinese medicine where herbal therapies were used” (University of Maryland Medical Center). Researchers from University of Maryland Medical Center found that people in different parts of the world used similar plants for the same purposes. Medicine use all changed when science advanced “In the early 19th century when chemical analysis first became available, scientists began to extract and modify the active ingredients from plants. Chemists later began making their own version of plant compounds, and over time the use of herbal medicines were not favored as highly as drugs” (Herbal medicine). When they started to modify the plants problems in drug use started to arise.The misuse of prescription drugs has risen in the 21st century. “Misuse of these medications can rapidly escalate into abuse or dependence and require costly rehabilitative treatment it is the nation's fastest-growing drug problem. In 2010, about one in four illicit-drug users reported that their initiation into illegal drug use began with prescription drugs” (Adams) Prescription drug abuse has become a major issue in the world today.
Pharmaceutical medicine may treat sudden/serious illnesses and accidents more effectively than herbal treatments. “An herbalist would not be able to treat serious trauma, such as a broken leg, nor would he be able to heal an appendicitis or a heart attack as effectively as a conventional doctor using modern diagnostic tests, surgery, and drugs” (Grunert). A disadvantage of herbal medicine is that many herbs do not come with instructions. You have the risk of poisoning yourself if you do not correctly identify the herb, or if you use the wrong part of the plant in the wild. “Generally safety of prescription medications is high, as long as they are used as directed. However, herbal and prescription medications can result in problems. What makes prescriptions safe is that they are standardized and contain no random ingredients. Herbal medications can contain many impurities. From pesticides in the water to contamination in the soil, you never know just exactly what chemicals may be incorporated into the plant” (Pauli) Prescription medications tend to have better guidelines and warnings about potential problems than herbal medicines.
Compared with pharmaceutical drugs, herbs are safer if you use them correctly. Different herbs are prescribed at different dosages for different patients, even if the patients have the same disease. Because of that, herbs usually have fewer side effects than pharmaceutical drugs, and perform in a
