Alternatives to standard medical treatments are becoming increasingly popular. The obvious question is - "WHY?" The answers to this question are more complex. Simplistically stated, there are three main reasons:
- there is growing concern over the reliance and safety of drugs and surgery.
- modern medicine is failing to effectively treat many of the most common health conditions.
- many natural measures are being shown to produce better results than drugs or surgery without the side effects.
Getting at the Cause VS. Suppressing the Symptoms
There is increasing evidence that many current drug therapies simply suppress symptoms and ignore the underlying disease process. In contrast, many natural products, including nutritonal supplements, glandular products, and herbal medicines, appear to address the cause of many diseases and yield superior clinical results. Unfortunately, most physicians and patients are not aware that these natural alternatives exist.
Because many natural products cannot be patented, there is no financial incentive for drug companies to market them or do research on them. A drug company could spend hundreds of million dollars to get a natural substance approved as a drug. But once approved, because there is no patent on the natural product, another company could market the identical product without having to spend a dime on getting the drug approved. Obviously, this situation must be remedied like so many of our health care problems need to be remedied.
Natural Products vs. Drugs: An Overview
As a general rule, vitamins, minerals, glandular products and herbs are
less toxic than their synthetic counterparts and offer less risk of side
effects. Obviously, there are exceptions to this rule. In addition, the
mechanism of action of a natural medicine is often to correct the
underlying cause. In contrast, a synthetic drug is often designed to
alleviate the symptom or effect without addressing the underlying cause.
To illustrate the effectiveness of natural medicines over their synthetic
counterparts, let's examine the treatments of arthritis, peptic ulcers,
prostate enlargement and depression.
Osteoarthritis: NSAIDs vs. Glucosamine
Research is indicating that current drug therapy of osteoarthritis, the
most common form of arthritis, may be producing short-term benefit, but
actually accelerating the progression of joint destruction. Aspirin and
other nonsteroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) including ibuprofen,
indomethacin and naproxen are also associated with significant side
effects.
Osteoarthritis has been linked to inability to repair damaged cartilage
and other joint structures. It appears that, as we age, there is an
inability to manufacture glucosamine, a critical component in healthy
joints. The main action of glucosamine on joints is to stimulate the
manufacture of cartilage components. In other words, glucosamine is
responsible for stimulating the manufacture of substances necessary for
joint repair. This action alone suggests a therapeutic role in
osteoarthritis.
But, there is much more.
Glucosamine has also been shown to exert a protective effect against joint
destruction and, when given orally as Glucosamine Sulfate, it is
selectively taken up by joint tissues to exert a powerful therapeutic
effect in cases of osteoarthritis.
Numerous double-blind studies have shown Glucosamine Sulfate (500 mg three
times daily) to yield as good or even better results compared to NSAIDs in
relieving the pain and inflammation of osteoarthritis. While NSAIDs offer
purely symptomatic relief and may actually promote the disease process,
Glucosamine Sulfate addresses the cause of osteoarthritis. By getting at
the root of the problem, Glucosamine Sulfate not only improves the
symptoms including pain, it also helps the body repair damaged joints.
This is outstanding, but what is even more outstanding is the safety and
the lack of side effects associated with oral Glucosamine Sulfate. In
contrast, the side effects and risks associated with NSAIDs currently used
in the treatment of osteoarthritis are significant. The therapeutic
margin, a measure of safety, is 10 to 30 times more favorable for
Glucosamine Sulfate than for commonly used NSAIDs and no adverse side
effects have been reported.
The beneficial results with glucosamine are more obvious the longer it is
used. Because Glucosamine Sulfate is not a pain relieving substance per
se, it takes a while longer to produce results. But, once it starts
working, it will produce much better results compared to NSAIDs. For
example, in one study that compared glucosamine sulfate to ibuprofen
(Motrin), pain scores decreased faster in the first two weeks in the
ibuprofen group. By week 4, however, the group receiving the Glucosamine
Sulfate was doing significantly better than the ibuprofen group.
St. John's Wort vs. Prozac
The fastest rising star in herbal medicine in Germany, and now the United
States and Canada, is the St. John's Wort extract standardized to contain
0.3% of hypericin. German doctors now prescribe St. John's Wort extract
eight times more often than Prozac.
These doctors are knowledgeable about both medicines, but clearly favor
St. John's Wort extract. Why? The simple answer is that St. John's Wort
produces equal or better results in relieving depression, but has far
fewer side effects.
A total of 1,592 patients have been studied in 25 double-blind controlled
studies (15 compared to a placebo, 10 compared to an antidepressant). In
these studies, St. John's Wort extract was shown to produce improvements
in many psychological symptoms, including depression, anxiety, apathy,
sleep disturbances, insomnia, anorexia and feelings of worthlessness. The
main advantage of using St. John's Wort extract as opposed to
antidepressant drugs was found to be not so much a difference in
therapeutic outcome, but rather a significant advantage in terms of side
effects, cost and patient satisfaction.
Benign Prostatic Enlargement:
Proscar vs. Saw Palmetto Extract
Benign enlargement of the prostate affects nearly 50 per cent of men over
the age of 40. Currently, the only approved drug for treatment of BPH is
marketed under the name Proscar (finasteride), however, an extract from
the berries of the saw palmetto palm has actually yielded better results.
Numerous studies on Saw Palmetto extract (standardized to contain 85 to 95
per cent fatty acids and sterols) at a dosage of 160 mg twice daily have
shown it to be effective in nearly 90 per cent of patients within four to
six weeks. In contrast, Proscar is effective in reducing the symptoms in
only 37 per cent after one year of use.
Summary
Three examples were given where the natural product clearly produces
superior results to conventional drug treatment. Numerous other examples
also exist. The human body has considerable power to heal itself. There is
increasing evidence to support the contention that the healing process is
best enhanced with the aid of substances natural to the body rather than
synthetic drugs.
By Dr. Michael T. Murray, ND
Natural Products vs. Drugs
