A Case for Natural Remedies

Old-fashioned remedies have their (literal) roots in herbal and natural medicines. Plants are the original medicine where all our modern day pharmaceuticals come from! They are also free of all the synthetic and potentially harmful chemicals people have put into medicine today.

Hundreds of years ago, before there were huge corporate drug companies; there were apothecaries. These were essentially pharmacies full of natural medicine, run by experienced herbalists of the time. These people worked hard to figure out what plants to use to help the people that came to them. They worked on medical advice, medicinal trials, mixtures, and some even grew their own plants to be sure they could offer quality medicine to their “patients.” Another thing apothecary proprietors would do is sell their natural remedies to the practicing physicians at the time as well. Apothecary owners were very well-versed in the ways all different kinds of plants work, and often devoted their entire lives to these studies. You could definitely say they were early versions of the fancy scientists we have today!

Then, with modern civilization came GREAT breakthroughs in medicine. We found penicillin, developed chemotherapy, and even discovered ways to survive deadly diseases through vaccines! However, with these fantastic developments also came a huge dependency on pharmaceutical drugs… With this came all the issues we have today with price-gouging, severe side effects, and blind trust in whatever these drug companies say. This is why natural remedies are making such a huge comeback in the western world… People are starting to realize that herbal medicines and old-fashioned remedies actually still have a LOT of merit.

Most pharmaceuticals seem to work very well, but they actually function more like band-aids. They work fast, yet they effects are only temporary symptom control… Take cold medicine, for example. Your most common over-the-counter medicine simply masks the symptoms. To get real healing and relief, you need to get something with an expectorant. Those symptom hiders are STILL on the shelves, though; pulling in money into useless pockets every day.

Meanwhile, herbal remedies (when prepared properly) do what they say they will do. Natural medicine works more like a cast—restorative and healing over time. They also come in endless forms so you can find the best kind for your needs, no matter what. Essential oils, teas, pills, raw, gummies, dried, etc. are all examples of mediums that herbal medicines can be found in. Natural remedies are also much more affordable and accessible, with fewer side effects than prescription or over-the-counter drugs.

Here’s a quick and TRUE story from someone I know. This friend of mine was suffering from chronic urinary tract infections. By the fourth round of meds, she had begun to develop yeast infections on top of the UTIs. This was brought on by the UTI meds—a fact her doctor failed to tell her until it was too late. This was very frustrating since she had worked hard to do everything right as far as her health in that area. So she decided to do her own research and see if there was a better way. She discovered that cranberries were FABULOUS at taking care of this issue. She got organic, sugar-free cranberry juice; cranberry gummies; and cranberry pills. She also used organic honey to sweeten the juice and take advantage of the antibacterial properties. In a week, she was able to throw away her prescription, and has NEVER had another urinary tract infection since. It has been about five years, and she only takes one supplement a week as she remembers—nothing super regimented or extreme!

More things that can be healed through natural remedies include:

• Anxiety
• Arthritis
• Depression
• Digestive Issues
• Heart/Circulation Problems
• Hormone Levels
• Inflammation
• Insomnia
• Oral Care
• Pain
• Skin Conditions
• …and so much more!

Get in touch with a licensed naturopathic or functional medicine doctor today, and find out how you can take advantage of the amazing benefits from old-fashioned, natural remedies!

And stay tuned as in the weeks ahead we will be going over some of the natural remedies that you can explore for yourself, as you take more responsibility for your own health and health care.