Herbal Remedies, Naturally Occurring Substances, Safety, and Quality of Life Issues

 Herbal Remedies, Naturally Occurring Substances, Safety, and Quality of Life Issues

By Robert D Hawkins

As I do every month I anticipated the arrival of my monthly senior magazine only to find in big headlines something about natural being dangerous. So I immediately turned to page 11 to find out what all this was about.
But first I should point out that after three pages of bashing herbal remedies, natural supplements, and naturally occurring substances this one-sided article ended with the quote "Most dietary supplements are generally safe for most people at recommended levels," says Paul Coates, director of NIH's Office of Dietary Supplements.".
So which is it?
This same article found it disturbing that 60 percent of those 50 and older regularly use supplements. One expert quoted thought it was a major problem that cancer patients were using supplements to ease pain or simply out of desperation.
Has he seen what cancer does to people and how difficult the treatment process can be emotionally, physically, and financially? Furthermore, if you are terminal and there is nothing more medical science can do for you what is there to lose?
Another part of the article went on to bash garlic because it acts as a blood thinner and in high doses can cause problems.
Do you know anybody that sits down with a plate of garlic as a delicious appetizer to wake up their taste buds before their main course? I didn't think so!
Being 55 myself what I can tell you from personal experience is that most of us over 50 take supplements to try to improve our quality of life both now and later in life. Many of those over 50 have seen firsthand their parents or grandparents deal with serious quality of life issues despite following the advice of their doctors.
The reality is medical science has yet to come up with a formula for immortality and are doing a poor job when it comes to developing drugs that don't cause more problems than they solve.
For example most seniors I know struggle with arthritis or other bone and joint concerns. Most drugs used to treat these types of conditions have long list of serious side effects.
Most of us simply want to slow the aging process a bit so we can enjoy our remaining years without pain and astronomic medical expenses which can wipe out what we have worked a lifetime to accumulate in a matter of weeks, months, or years.
Supplements and natural occurring substances such as fish oil, glucosamine (arthritis), chondroitin (arthritis), Vitamin B12, bilberry (eye site), black elderberry (touted by Hippocrates as his personal medicine chest), ginkgo biloba, ginseng, psyllium (for regularity) and aspirin (heart health) are simply tools to help us do this.
The truth is if medical science had all the answers we wouldn't need to take supplements and natural occurring substances. But with full-time care costing about $10,000 dollars a month and a week or two in intensive care running ten times that much we as seniors must do whatever we can to prevent illness and maintain, or improve, our quality of life with herbal remedies and natural occurring substances being only two of a number of wellness alternatives at our disposal.