The first time I spotted a not so good natural substance in the ingredients of a natural medicine for a patient who needed to avoid that substance, I was shocked. He had been taking that medicine for a long time and no wonder his condition was not getting better and allopathic drugs were not working on him either.
I did not think any other stream of medicne was any good, while i finished my medical school. One trip to US changed all that. Ayurveda and acupuncture and other streams were being practiced and the concept of wellness bloom within me. The next few years that I trained in various other streams of medicine brought me closer to what alopathy lacks. There were a number of 'realization' moments in those days. But those days also taught me role of these natural medicines.
And then, I started meeting patients who used to ask me about some medicine and tell me that it was 'natural' and that they have been taking it for a few years. Medicine is medicine, weather it is natural or artificial. Medicines have a role to play and that is a role that must be played to perfection. Or as close to perfection as possible.
The take home fact is, natural medicines are also medicines. Not every one of them can be taken by everyone and some should not be consumed. Do not buy natural medicines off the shelf and take them without the advice of a qualified practitioner. And by that I mean, do not ask your family doctor about some Ayurvedic medicine. My medical school did not teach me anything about Ayurvedic drugs and I am pretty sure his medical school did not teach him either. So he will not know, he might not tell you that he does not know, or he might have read about it some where, but he is not qualified to tell you about Ayurvedic medicines. In the same way, don't ask your Ayurvedic doctor about alopathy medicines. They will not know the details.
And just because something is natural, it does mean that it is safe. Any medicine should be prescribed by someone who is trained in that particular field only. When your ayurvedic doctor tells you to avoid potatoes or carrots, while undergoing Ayurvedic treatments, there is a reason. Just because it is natural, do not assume that are harmless. They can affect the outcome of the treatment too.
So there is a science behind some of the medical streams, some of them are known, some unknown. So do not take any medicines without reading the ingredients and without knowing what they do. You might regret later. I am not implying that natural medicines are not safe, but strongly implying that any medicine should be taken after due consultation with a qualified person.
Photo courtesy: freeimages.com
Photo courtesy: freeimages.com
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