It is certainly true that modern medicine has done many wonderful things for our health. Advancements in surgeries, organ transplants, and more all have positive and even life-saving impacts. However, the overuse and misuse of pharmaceutical drugs is an underreported issue that can pose health ramifications on those who are unaware of their dangers. Even commonly used over-the-counter drugs, widely thought to be safe, have the potential to cause harm. Alternative treatments that are based on a holistic, natural approach to health can often offer the same or even greater benefits without the risks associated with modern medicine.

Importance of Natural Health

For several reasons, natural healing practices are often overlooked. According to many who have studied the influence of money on our medical infrastructure, financial incentives prevent the application of natural medicines even when they provide superior healing benefits. The World Health Organization estimates that 60% of factors that determine an individual’s quality of life and health are due to lifestyle. Eating a whole food diet and getting regular exercise and proper sleep have enormous healing powers. Anyone interested in improving their own quality of life or their family’s should first look to their lifestyle practices as a potential source of health problems, and make necessary adjustments before considering pharmaceutical supplementation. There is a role for drugs in many cases, but at the root of many problems are the factors mentioned above.

Surprisingly Toxic Medicine

Seemingly innocuous drugs have the capacity to devastate long term health. The negative side effects are listed on over-the-counter and prescription drugs, but many people do not ever read them and assume they're totally safe. Even ibuprofen has been linked to testicular cancer, so it isn't as safe as you might think. It can also damage the liver in large amounts and is a leading cause of emergency-room visits due to accidental overdose. In the US, 16,000 Americans die every year due to mostly unintentional ibuprofen overdose.

Pharmaceutical Drugs Causing Addiction

Many drugs, including ones commonly prescribed by physicians, carry substantial risk of dependence and addiction. Perhaps the best-known examples are benzodiazepines and opioid painkillers, which have devastated entire communities and burdened the public-health infrastructure unnecessarily. Natural methods for the treatment of depression and pain are often just as effective as pharmaceutical drugs and do not present the same health risks.

It might be time for you to take a hard look at your medicine cabinet, and consider the benefits of natural cures over pharmaceutical drugs.