This page was first published on the 10th of March, 2014 and last updated on the 7th of May, 2016 by Patrick Carpen.
I’m sure you’ve heard the term “natural remedies” before. You may have also heard “natural cures”, “herbal remedies” and “alternative medicine” and wondered what’s the difference between them all. Well, I’ll try to explain it here.
The term alternative medicine may refer to any method, whether from plants or other invention that does not comply with the FDA. For example, the Chinese acupuncture may be considered a form of alternative medicine. Using a herbal concoction to treat diabetes is also considered “alternative medicine”, even though it could also be called a natural remedy, but most accurately, a “herbal remedy”.
Natural remedies includes plants that are herbs as well as plants that are not herbs, as well as substances derived from plants that are nothing close to herbs, such as coconut oil. Natural remedies then, is anything used to treat or cure any condition, disease, imperfection, infirmity etc that comes from some aspect of nature and does not rely on approval of the Food and Drug Administration.
Many people turn up their noses at the idea of natural remedies. They prefer drugs and treatment that went through extensive scientific testing and approval. However, like the cow that instinctively turns away from the poisonous plant, and the cat that instinctively chews grass for healing, humans were born with an instinct to attract, find, seek out and discover remedies in nature, almost instantaneously, for problems that they face in the course of their lives.
One example is when I felt something that may be considered a “headache”. I immediately “knew” what natural substance to put on my head to make it stop, without having read or been taught about it before. And I use the expression “may be considered” because I do not know what really a headache is, since I always apply this substance the moment I feel any slight discomfort in the head, and it cures it in a matter of seconds.
The same thing happened when I did a filling in my tooth and it would shock, pain and otherwise cause discomfort. I “instinctively” put my hands on a substance that both cured it almost instantly as well as strengthened my teeth for life.
I believe that all people were born with the instinct of “knowing” about nature’s cures, but some are more gifted in this area. On the other hand, some people suppress this ability because of a variety of reasons, most often however, it is because they choose the embrace the “scientific way” of doing things. As Einstein put it “it is a wonder that curiosity survives formal education“.
I choose to study natural remedies for all the reasons outlined above with the hope of debunking myths and leaving room for further improvement. But is natural medicine a “substitute” for conventional FDA approved medicine? Of course not! They both need to go hand in hand. Where one fails, the other may work. It goes both ways. After all, we need to find it in nature FIRST before we can approve it by the FDA!
Disclaimer: The content on the “Natural Remedies” section of patrickcarpen.com is presented for informational purposes only: it is not advice. No warranty is given: expressed or implied as to the accuracy of the information presented herein. Natural Remedies, as wonderful as they may be, must at times be approached with caution, and should not be taken as a substitute for professional medical attention from a qualified medical practitioner. Neither the author nor publisher of any information on this site will be held liable for any use or misuse of the information presented on this site.
