Just Because its Natural Doesn’t Mean it Won’t Kill You!
My opinion of natural health supplements has always been that they might actually help and are natural so if they don’t they’re probably harmless. The most harm I could imagine them doing was for people to delay treatment taking useless stuff and having their condition get much worse. You know kind of like the nutters that have cancer, but instead of going to the doctor they try homeopathy, weird berries, and or praying. Then they die from something that probably could have been treated. You’re never going to get away from that kind of stupid even if they didn’t have health supplement stores people would just wonder into the woods to munch on mandrake root to cure their cancer or whatever.
Now you can’t just write it all off because there are chemicals in natural remedies that we use in real drugs. The only difference is that real drugs are concentrated and tested pretty well. I would rather take two aspirin than chew on the plants where salicylic acid comes from. But people just think natural is better somehow even though last time I checked “nature” is consistently trying to kill us. Strange that word natural you see that a lot on things now days. Even things that is not “natural”. Even natural chemicals in health supplements can be dangerous. “But how can that be?” you say “Don’t they test this stuff?” Nope all they have to do is list the ingredients but since health supplements are not real drugs the FDA doesn’t have to approve them or make sure they work. Nobody really checks or knows whats in plants so they’ll just list things like ginseng, or root extract, etc.
Consumer reports did a study to figure out what’s in these things and found some scary things in common health supplements. The list doesn’t include common bad chemicals like lead and mercury which are also present. This is Ironic as the antivaxxers don’t like vaccines because of mercury but it shows up a lot in plants and in huge amounts in fish.
“Common name: Androstenedione What it is used for: Ups blood levels of testosterone and is often used by athletes for bodybuilding. Possible danger: Increases cancer risks; decreases HDL, or “good” cholesterol
Common name: Aristolochic acid What it’s used for: Found in traditional Chinese medicines used in treating such ailments as eczema, endometriosis, and backache Possible danger: Linked to kidney failure and cancer
Common name: Bitter orange What it is used for: Works like ephedra, the stimulant used for weight loss, which was banned by the Food and Drug Administration in 2004. Possible danger: High blood pressure; increased risk of heart arrhythmias, heart attack, and strokes with its use
Common name: Chaparral What it is used for: Has been marketed as a “blood purifier,” cancer cure, and acne treatment Possible danger: Linked to abnormal liver function that is often irreversible
Common name: Comfrey What it is used for: Drunk as a tea or “green beverage” for stomach ulcers or as a “blood purifier” Possible danger: Contains toxins called pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs), which have been linked to abnormal liver function or damage, often irreversible, when taken internally. Deaths have been reported.
Common name: Germander What it is used for: Often used in weight-control formulations Possible danger: Linked to abnormal liver function that is often
Common name: Kava (or kava kava) What it is used for: Soothes stress and anxiety Possible danger: Linked to abnormal liver function
Common name: Lobelia What it is used for: An herbal treatment for asthma, bronchitis, and coughing Possible danger: Difficulty breathing and rapid heart rates may result from its use
Common name: Organ/glandular extracts What it is used for: Treating disorders such as chronic hepatitis C, rheumatoid arthritis, and lupus Possible danger: Theoretical risk of mad cow disease, particularly from brain extracts
Common name: Pennyroyal oil What it is used for: Used topically as an insect repellent and disinfectant and internally for digestive and liver disorders Possible danger: Associated with liver and kidney failure, nerve damage, convulsions, abdominal tenderness, and burning of the throat. Deaths have been reported even with ingestion of tiny amounts; even topical application can be dangerous.
Consumer Reports rating: Likely hazardous Common name: Skullcap What it is used for: Relieves anxiety and insomnia Possible danger: Abnormal liver damage
Common name: Yohimbe What it is used for: A men’s aphrodisiac sometimes referred to as “herbal Viagra” Possible danger: Blood pressure changes, heartbeat irregularities, and heart attacks have been reported with its use.”
So next time you wanna try some natural remedies its probably a good idea to do some research into what their made of and whether it will kill you slowly or not. J
Heart attack could be prevented with exercise, diet and some food supplements like CoQ10.`~:
Excellent post. Hopefully hypertension becomes a more popular focus point to people as they get older.
That was great information. You have done a good job communicating your message. Keep up the good work.
Hypertension is very common among old men and women these days.’.`
Heart attack is the number killer these days, this is probably due to the high cholesterol diets that we have:’;