Treatment of illnesses revolves around two main philosophies. These two approaches are called the conventional and the holistic approach. The conventional approach involves the use of prescription drugs whereas the holistic approach makes use of herbal remedies. Most of our lives, we’ve been using pharmaceutical drugs but lately, we have been hearing terms such as natural and organic, which have us completely drooling over them.
Like they say, every coin has two sides; both conventional and holistic approaches have both pros and cons. In this blog, we’ll discuss and differentiate the conventional approach from the holistic approach in detail, thereby helping you hush all the opinions that you may have about the prescribed medicine and the alternative medicine.
We differentiate herbs and drugs on the basis of the following –
1. Regulation
The Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) is the national regulatory body that takes care of the regulation of Indian pharmaceuticals and medical devices.
Generally, the Department of AYUSH acts as the regulatory authority and governs the manufacture and marketing of herbal drugs after obtaining their manufacturing license.
2. Effectiveness
Prescription drugs undergo a series of thorough trials before they are let out into the market. During the trial, their quality, safety and effectiveness is evaluated. If the disease is rightly detected and an appropriate prescription is prescribed, effectiveness can be ensured.
Though there do not exist reports, the word of mouth evidently credits natural supplements to effectively cure/treat diseases. This result owes to the fact that natural/herbal products are made using products from nature and do not contain any harmful chemicals or toxins in them.
3. Negative effects
The drugs are evaluated on the basis of how they react with other drugs and how effective they are on different age groups, races and genders. In order to avoid any adverse reactions, several strict laws have to be complied with before the drug finally hits the market.
The known negative side effects of natural supplements are comparatively lesser than compared to those of pharmaceutical drugs.
4. Cost
Prescription drugs are costly. With the average audience now popping a pill on a daily basis for problems such as blood pressure, diabetes and such; the monthly budget of a house tends to shoot up.
On the other hand, natural supplements, generally cost less, thereby saving quite a lot of money.
So, really, which is better for us to take?
We understand that you, as users want nothing but the safest, the most effective, and the most economical one. The route that you wish to proceed is dependent on your choice. You yourself have to make the necessary research and evaluate all the pros and cons.