Is Natural Medicine Safe for You?
There are several thoughts when it comes to natural medicine, how we use it and what is an individual’s perspective about safe. The amazing thing is though it’s been around for thousands of years, and is man’s first medicine, the question of safety still comes up. Granted over time people have done and used some unsafe things in their time but yet natural medicine has been consistently in use through it all with little adaption.
So why then do we continually find it necessary to ask if it is safe?
At one point I too have asked the question about natural medicine being safe. You hear so many things it’s hard not to wonder some times. I’ve had potential customers even tell me they won’t use a natural product because it’s not governed and protected under the FDA. This always seemed strange to me too so I actually looked it up one time.
Who Oversees Natural Medicine?
The FDA does actually monitor and in some cases approves natural medicine in addition to numerous other products, pharmaceuticals and items people consume. Since natural health products, including herbs, homeopathies, essential oils, and more are not pharmaceuticals but rather based from nature itself, they are considered food. The FDA actually stands for Food and Drug Administration. Natural products therefore fall into the food side of their operation and are listed as safe.
The exception is homeopathy. The FDA monitors homeopathy remedies but does not regulate them. There is a current push by big pharma and medical associations to remove homeopathy access. This appears to be mostly monetarily driven as most homeopathic remedies are inexpensive and rely on nature rather than expensive labs. The United States is one of the few nations that does not actively support homeopathy. It is practiced worldwide commonly. In fact, it is known that Britain’s Royal Family and Mother Theresa used homeopathy for their health needs.
Now, here’s the catch. There’s always one right?
Let’s consider for a moment the number of drugs on the pharmacy side of the FDA’s operations. There are over 100 approved medicines on their list that are considered unsafe and dangerous by other countries, including Great Britain. Yet we here in the United States have them on our list as safe and approved for human consumption. There are many more with side effects and potential dangers listed in very small print that you get when you pick up one of these medicines at your local pharmacy counter. We often don’t think twice of asking about the safety of these medicines because they were prescribed to us by a guy in a white lab coat who is seen as trustworthy.
On the other side of the aisle there are numerous food and natural products that also go through extensive scrutiny to be on this magical list. If you consider that some of the foods such as potato chips and Fruit Loops are considered edible and safe, next to ginseng and zinc supplements that are naturally derived from the Earth, therein lies the true question we should be asking about safety efficacy and the management by this organization.
If you are truly concerned with safety, the FDA is most likely not the best source of judgement for any form of natural or other product, in my humble opinion.
What I advise my clients on is to use common sense in all things. If it comes from nature and you would eat it in a forest, apply it to your body or use it in some way to help you, then the natural form is most likely safe in a natural health product. Quality and bioavailability greatly matters. This is why I also recommend they work with a professional practitioner like myself to help obtain the best available to ensure safety.
How to know if your natural product is safe
It really comes down to consumer awareness in finding and using natural products, or any product for that matter, safely. When it comes to natural products, there are easy ways to discern safety and use so you know if you’re getting value as well as quality.
Here’s some things to look for:
Product brand. Many manufacturers are jumping on the organic, simple, and natural bandwagon because of consumer demand. Unfortunately the brand label is not always going to be able to be a good source of determine quality or safety. Know the company you’re buying from and if it is owned by a major brand. That is often a tell-tale how natural the product may actually be or if it contains cheap synthetics to be able to be mass produced.
Ingredients. You need to be a label reader. Understand the difference between toxic and natural ingredients, synthetic fragrances and other key words on the label that tell you if it is a pure natural product or not.
Bioavailability. The ingredients will also tell you the quality of bioavailability. This is where specifically with vitamins and supplements, you know how well that product will absorb into your cells and deliver benefits or simple be a placebo or troublemaker in your body. Normally, getting products from a holistic and natural practitioner is your best source for vitamins and supplements because they have access to good quality natural products that you cannot otherwise get off the grocery shelf.
Source. Your place of purchase often tells you if the product is good natural based or not. Most natural products, including good organic foods, are not going to be found in your major big box grocery stores. When pursuing a more natural lifestyle you often find yourself in cool vitamin shops, natural health care clinics, farmer markets and where nature is grown.
Testing. Pure natural products go through extensive testing for purity and quality. This is often done by the company at their own expense to demonstrate the quality of the product and adhere to standards they have set for themselves that go above and beyond government guidelines. A web search will provide this information to you openly at trusted companies. (This is specifically why I use doTERRA essential oils by the way because their test data is readily available and traceable to the farm the product was derived from.)
Working with Professionals
When it comes to finding natural medicines you can trust, a little homework is required. Working with a professional naturopathic doctor or holistic health practitioner is also a great way to learn which products are best. The good news is most practitioners have online resources to help you as well.
I, for example, have an online dispensary where clients can get access to natural products of companies I am associated with that carry only top quality, high bio-available natural products. I can also pre-load recommendations from your consultation into your dispensary cart for ease in ordering. This is convenient to give you the right products from a variety of companies that carry good products while offering you direct access to special pricing.
Unfortunately, in most cases you will not find the quality in big box stores that you can by working with a natural health professional.
To work with me
To book a consultation to work with me, please visit dragonspitapothecary.com/book-online