Why Choose Natural vs Prescription Medications

There is a huge divide in the world of health: natural vs prescription medications. People on each side are very passionate about their stance and very few fall along the middle.

When this conversation comes up if you say anything opposing one side, you are thrown into one of two categories: tree-hugging hippie or you are a part of the big pharma agenda.

We are here to set the record straight.

Generally speaking, there is a place and time for both. There are pros and cons to both. And each person will have a different reaction with them both.

However, even people in the middle tend to fall more to one side. We at Atrantil prefer natural remedies. Which is why we created Atrantil with all-natural products.

You should know that not just any natural remedy will do. You have to be picky about what you are putting into your body. This article illustrates what to look for in your decision on going for natural healing versus taking prescription medications.

Success Rate

Your biggest concern when choosing what medication will best suit your needs is going to be the success rate. Whatever problem you are experiencing, there is a reason you want it to go away.

So, your first question is going to be what are the chances this is going to help me?

You should also ask yourself if it gets to the root of your problem, or if it is just a band-aid that masks your symptoms. Typically, this is where a major difference comes into play in the natural vs prescription argument.

Natural products are looked at to help your body heal itself as a whole. Oftentimes, prescription medications are more of band-aids.

Take pain medication for example.

Pain medications dull your nervous system responses, so they no longer tell your brain that there is pain. While some of them reduce inflammation, generally they just numb the pain until a later time — not actually fixing the reason there was pain in the first place.

Success rates with medications can be proved on a more consistent basis because the medication always has the same source. This is where it becomes difficult for natural supplements to go head to head in this department.

One study on St. John’s Wort and nutmeg proved to be unsuccessful in treating neuropathic pain. Both of these have been long proclaimed to be helpful in this area because they have helped in other cases.

Natural medications will vary based on the:

• Cultivation of the plant
• Part of the plant used (oil, leaf, root, etc.)
  • Extraction method (especially with oils)
  • The way that part of the plant is used
• Pesticide usage
• Time of harvest (too early, ripe, over-ripe)

Since all of these factors differ, results will differ in studies.

This is where regulation comes into play. If natural-based medications ever want to become more widely accepted as successful, tighter regulations will need to be instilled. Certifications like NSF can help you to determine the safety and quality of the natural supplements you’d like to take. Checking studies on particular products you’ll be using will also be helpful in determining if a natural product will be superior to synthetic medication.

There have been several studies where natural products have been more successful than typical prescription medications.

• Natural surfactant and synthetic surfactants were used in a study with premature babies suffering from respiratory distress syndrome. Those taking the synthetic surfactant experienced longer hospitalization, more time on the ventilator, and higher death rates than those on the natural surfactant.
• Atrantil has had two studies completed on the success rate in the most difficult cases of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). One study resulted in an 80% success rate while the other resulted in an 88% success rate. These studies were performed on patients who failed with other typical treatments for IBS like rifaximin.
• Atrantil wasn’t the only herbal success story over rifaximin. Another herbal supplement was successful for SIBO patients who didn’t respond to rifaximin and had significantly less negative side effects. Only one negative side effect came of the herbal supplement while 6 negative side effects were reported from rifaximin.

On that note, let’s talk about side effects.

Side Effects

Have you ever been watching tv and a commercial comes on and you’re only partially paying attention? Then you hear what seems to be a never-ending list of bad problems, only to look up and see they’re advertising a medication. Then you learn that the dreadful-sounding list is a compilation of potential side effects and precautions?

A lot of times the side effects sound worse than the problem the medication is trying to fix. Raising the question, “is it even worth it to run that risk?”

First, let’s clear up some confusion. A study showed that most people confuse side effects and precautions —  which is extremely dangerous when it comes to taking medications.

Precautions mean you are either taking medication or have a condition that this particular medication may interact negatively with or exacerbate which would mean you shouldn’t take this medication, to begin with.

Side effects are negative things that can happen as a result of the medication itself.

Generally, synthetic medications have a higher rate of side effects. However, it can be dangerous when people think that natural means no side effects.

Plants can also have negative reactions with or induce certain conditions like nephrotoxicity and liver complications.

Harmful to the Environment

If you have been watching Zac Efron’s new Netflix series Down to Earth you may be a little more conscious about the environment and the negative impact, we can have on it.

Synthetic medications are generally not biodegradable, meaning they don’t naturally degrade as fruits and vegetables would. Instead, they are like plastic and stick around for a long time after disposal. Scientists are trying to make them more biodegradable, but that does not mean our battle is over.

Antibiotics are one of the most commonly studied medication that’s been affecting the environment. Antibiotics are used on animals (especially in the Western world) for fighting infections and preventing the spread of infections from one animal to another. These antibiotics not only affect us when we eat them, but they are passed from the animal in urine and feces affecting the ground.

Runoff from rain then carries the antibiotics to other areas spreading the antibiotic and creating antibiotic resistance in plants/soil, animals, and water sources all affecting humans.

But if the cost of the environment does not quite speak to you, the physical cost of the products might.

Cost

There is a reason when you go pick up your medication from the pharmacy, they need your insurance information because the price is absurdly high.

Diabetes is one of the most common conditions in North America. In Canada alone, diabetes costs are around $15 billion per year. That is for a condition that about 2.3 million people in Canada are suffering from. Conditions that are less common often cost even more because there is less of a need.

Because they don’t need a prescription and aren’t controlled by big pharma, natural solutions are often much more ideal for your wallet. Leading you to less money stress and a little bit of a more relaxed lifestyle.

Again, you should only go for a natural solution if it is effective. Insulin is necessary, but drastic diet and lifestyle changes can often change the necessity of insulin and potentially reverse diabetes. This method should only be taken into consideration under close observation by a medical professional.

When it comes to healthcare, it is often hard to choose what is safest and best for you. Our recommendation is to do your own research. Check out what options are available to you, do what feels right, but use your brain. Be wary of what gurus online tell you, medications and medical procedures are necessary for some treatments and you could be putting yourself at risk by not using them.

Making sure you find a doctor who aligns with your beliefs and needs is an essential part of figuring out the best procedures for you.

If there is a successful natural solution that is backed by science try it, but if you need medical attention don’t turn your nose up to it.

Let us know what kind of struggles you have had with this debate in your life in the comments below. We may be able to provide you with solutions!