OTC-NATURAL HERB
THE TRUTH ABOUT “NATURAL” REMEDIES
What is a "natural" medicine and how does it differ from prescription and over-the counter (OTC) medications? Medicines are chemicals that alter body functions, such as lowering blood pressure or blood sugar. These chemicals may produce beneficial or harmful effects. Prescription and OTC drugs are purified chemicals whose ingredients, benefits and potential side effects have been studied extensively.
Herbal medicines are plant extracts that contain dozens of chemicals whose actions are unknown. It is no more "natural" to swallow a mixture of plant chemicals than to swallow a single chemical: a drug is a drug. In fact, there is no scientific basis for advertising claims that natural remedies are gentler and safer than conventional medications.
