Spring Break
Natural Medicine Is No Substitute For Science
Alex Sanders
Issue date: 3/26/08 Section: Commentary
Pharmacies seem to be stocked with as much neural and physical stimulating vitamins as legitimate medicine. Although many vitamins are FDA approved, such as Ginkgo Biloba or Echinacea, it doesn't mean that they work well.
Consumers can buy anything from vitamin infused lip gloss to colloidal mineral smoothies. This new trend of natural medication may or may not be beneficial to the body, but it can be dangerous if relied on as the only form of medication.
There are people who don't take Advil for a headache but they will risk taking pills with names they can't pronounce because they are supposedly all natural. There is understandable motivation in not wanting to overload one's body with artificial chemicals, but some people have gone too far. Because there is not much empirical evidence about what obscure vitamins really do for the body, taking them can be risky. But some people are putting more trust in vitamins than medication proven to actually improve health.
According to The New York Times, there is a new trend of parents turning down vaccinations for their kids. This has been caused by the fear of neurological disorders being connected to vaccinations. This is ridiculous. These trusted forms of medications have been used to prevent against disease for years. Because we have vaccinations and antibiotics, life spans are longer and people are significantly healthier. Years ago, people died at the age of 50 because health care was not as commonplace and advanced as it is today. Why not take advantage of the rapidly improving medical field? Companies put millions of dollars into developing new vaccinations and cures for diseases - all of it will be pointless if people stop providing necessary vaccinations for their children.
People are paranoid for the wrong reasons. They should be more worried about drugs that are barely FDA approved and not proven effective than medicine that has significantly more benefits than risks. This new trend is becoming dangerous. There are cases of measles spreading through elementary schools because of a lack of vaccinations. Diseases that were once fatal can become so once again without proper healthcare. The New York Times reported that, "worldwide, 242,000 children a year die from measles, but it used to be near one million. The deaths have dropped because of vaccination, a 68 percent decrease from 2000 to 2006." Now with fewer vaccinations, the death toll of children will unnecessarily rise.
Consumers can buy anything from vitamin infused lip gloss to colloidal mineral smoothies. This new trend of natural medication may or may not be beneficial to the body, but it can be dangerous if relied on as the only form of medication.
There are people who don't take Advil for a headache but they will risk taking pills with names they can't pronounce because they are supposedly all natural. There is understandable motivation in not wanting to overload one's body with artificial chemicals, but some people have gone too far. Because there is not much empirical evidence about what obscure vitamins really do for the body, taking them can be risky. But some people are putting more trust in vitamins than medication proven to actually improve health.
According to The New York Times, there is a new trend of parents turning down vaccinations for their kids. This has been caused by the fear of neurological disorders being connected to vaccinations. This is ridiculous. These trusted forms of medications have been used to prevent against disease for years. Because we have vaccinations and antibiotics, life spans are longer and people are significantly healthier. Years ago, people died at the age of 50 because health care was not as commonplace and advanced as it is today. Why not take advantage of the rapidly improving medical field? Companies put millions of dollars into developing new vaccinations and cures for diseases - all of it will be pointless if people stop providing necessary vaccinations for their children.
People are paranoid for the wrong reasons. They should be more worried about drugs that are barely FDA approved and not proven effective than medicine that has significantly more benefits than risks. This new trend is becoming dangerous. There are cases of measles spreading through elementary schools because of a lack of vaccinations. Diseases that were once fatal can become so once again without proper healthcare. The New York Times reported that, "worldwide, 242,000 children a year die from measles, but it used to be near one million. The deaths have dropped because of vaccination, a 68 percent decrease from 2000 to 2006." Now with fewer vaccinations, the death toll of children will unnecessarily rise.
Viewing Comments 1 - 3 of 4
Joshua Robinson
posted 3/26/08 @ 1:10 PM EST
medicines, vaccinations, hospitals, etc. . . .
Do you know what the number one cause of death is in the United States?
It's not lung cancer --
It's PREVENTABLE infections pick up from hospital surgeries and other operations!!!
joshua881
Josh Robinson
posted 3/26/08 @ 9:33 PM EST
http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/01/08/6251/
The first one is not directly on point, but the second is more on point. It's comprehensive, but you'll have to check the footnotes yourself. (Continued…)
Pat
posted 3/28/08 @ 6:02 PM EST
As I read your article, I got the distinct impression that you were probably a Pharmacy major. You sound just like someone who has been brainwashed by the pharmaceutical companies. (Continued…)
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