5 Herbal Alternatives for Prescription Medications
September 18, 2008
Today people all over the world are looking for natural alternatives to the more conventional prescription drugs that many of them are forced to take. Today the biggest selling pharmaceutical drugs are medications used to treat high cholesterol, depression, sexual dysfunction, high blood pressure and pain. And not coincidentally, many of the biggest selling alternative herbal remedies are the herbs used to treat these same health problems.
What follows is a list of the most common and effective herbal remedies that can be used in the treatment of these conditions. If you are already taking a prescription consult with your doctor before trying any new program.
1) Garlic (Allium Sativum) Garlic’s reputation as an effective herbal remedy that can be used in the treatment of many conditions has been known for centuries.
In the treatment of high cholesterol, garlic is particularly effective due to its high sulphur content. Sulphur has the affect of decreasing “bad” cholesterol (LDL) while increasing “good” cholesterol (HDL).
The specific action that causes this is the decreased formation of plaque in our arteries and blood vessels due to decreased clotting factors.
In this way garlic is not only an excellent herbal remedy for high cholesterol, it is also an excellent general circulatory system herb as well.
2) Maca (Lepidium Meyenii) sexual dysfunction and loss of libido is becoming more and more common. One of the most powerful herbs (with scientific research to support it’s claims) to help restore normal sexual function in both men and women is Maca.
Maca’s reputation is such that it is known as “Peruvian Viagra“. Unfortunately this leads many people to assume that Maca is for men only, which is not the case at all as Maca is very effective in the treatment of loss of libido and frigidity in women.
For men, as the “Peruvian Viagra” label would indicate, Maca is very effective in the treatment of erectile dysfunction and has been shown to increase levels of testosterone leading to increased levels of energy and vigour in men of all ages.
3) St John’s Wort (Hypericum Perforatum) The herbal remedy most people think of when it comes to treating depression is St John’s Wort. Recent scientific research has shown that St John’s Wort can help to reduce dramatically the signs and symptoms of depression and anxiety.
Additionally, it can be used in the treatment of generalized stress, sleeping difficulties, lack of energy and premenstrual stress disorders.
The active ingredient, Hypericin, has been shown to be an effective natural alternative for more conventional ant-depressants such as Prozac and Zoloft.
4) White Willow Bark (Salix Alba) For the treatment of pain there are a number of effective herbal remedies than can be used as substitutes for medications such as aspirin and anti-inflammatory drugs.
White Willow Bark is often referred to as “herbal aspirin” due to the fact that its active ingredient, salacin, is the main chemical component of aspirin.
The salicylic acid in White Willow Bark decreases the levels of prostaglandins in the body that can be the cause of inflammation and pain.
Wherever you would take an aspirin, White Willow Bark can be used as a natural alternative.
5) Hawthorn Berries (Crataegus Oxyacanthoides) are one of the most powerful herbal remedies in the treatment of any blood and circulatory disorder. The remedy has a strong, yet gentle, normalizing affect on the heart tonifying and strengthening it when needed and sedating when appropriate.
As a circulatory tonic, Hawthorn Berries are most often used in the treatment of high blood pressure, arteriosclerosis and angina.
If you are looking to incorporate herbal medicine in the treatment of any disease or dysfunction, the easiest and safest way to do so is to look for a health care professional trained in not only the use of natural alternative medicine, but also someone with training and understanding in conventional pharmaceutical medications.
While there is almost always a safe and natural herbal alternative to most drugs, if you are presently taking pharmaceutical medication of any kind, before you make any changes or modifications to your treatment program you will need to consult with your health care professional.
Disclaimer: This information is not meant to replace any medical treatment. It is offered here as a service only. Use this information at your own risk and only with qualified supervision. No guarantee is made towards the validity of the information presented here.
Tags: garlic, Hawthorn, herbal remedies, maca lepidium, maca maca, St John's Wort, Viagra, White Willow Bark
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Posted in The Herbs, Post by: g4f
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September 19th, 2008 at 5:32 am
Thank you friend for giving us such a valuable information. I was in search of natural remedies information which I got from u. Thanks once again.
May 19th, 2009 at 3:02 am
I have alot of experience with St John’s Wort, i think it really helps by a small margin. But there are a few side-effects that can happen like dry mouth, dizziness, gut symptoms, increased sensitivity to sunlight, and tiredness. Nice article
November 10th, 2009 at 7:12 am
Excellent list there of alternative remedies, i have used and recommend all of these. And here is a few more – onions, ginkgo, ginseng, tongkat ali.
I am glad to see someone recommending safer natural remedies as opposed to prescription medication. Great post.
February 8th, 2010 at 6:30 am
February 17th, 2010 at 8:23 pm
Thankyou for such a detailed description of the different herbal remedies. We should educate ourselves more on the use of these natural remedies to be abe to replace prescription medecine.
May 4th, 2010 at 7:04 am
Very good habit to use home natural herbs instead of a Allopathic medicine . It takes time but no side effects. I ‘m personally in choice of natural or homeopathy medicines
June 23rd, 2010 at 8:04 pm
I love hemeopathic medecine, thanks for sharing.
June 26th, 2010 at 2:56 am
This is very helpful information. I prefer herbal remedies too. There are also some hemorrhoid herbs which are very good.
lucy herbs´s last blog ..Hemorroid and hemorroids
July 8th, 2010 at 4:04 am
Natural remedies dont get enough credit, some of them are very powerful, and besides what do the medical companies do? they just copy what they have seen in the natural world.
August 28th, 2010 at 9:54 am
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