The doctor I work with and I were recently looking at real pricing of pharmaceuticals vs. natural remedies. We did this because I myself needed treatment for a gastrointestinal problem resulting from a trip overseas. Having no pharmaceutical coverage on health insurance, I inquired about the cost of my prescription before putting in the order. How much do you think my prescription was going to cost me? $100? $200? $300? The answer: $780 at the local pharmacy, $680 at Walmart.
Yes $680! We quickly changed plans and chose some herbal remedies off the shelf and muscle tested them. 4 of them helped the weak/affected organ. Some scientific research on the herbs in these products revealed that in fact they have been proven to treat the disease responsible for my symptoms. Total retail price for the remedies: $100.
While dropping $100 at the naturopathic doctor's office for natural remedies sounds expensive, remember that the reason it sounds expensive is that we have become accustomed to having our healthcare needs paid for by insurance. We no longer realise the cost of healthcare (aside from our monthly pay-out to have insurance coverage, of course).
Another reason why natural remedies are preferable to pharmaceutical: side effects. A recent news article covered the effects of over the counter antibiotic ointment
http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2011/09/14/mrsa-in-u-s-becoming-resistant-to-over-the-counter-ointment/
It seems that due to the ubiquitous use of neomycin antibiotic ointment, MRSA (an antibiotic resistant strain of Staph bacteria) is on the rise. If you look on the internet, you can find multiple ways of treating MRSA infections and non-MRSA skin infections. Many essential oils and herbs can be used to kill harmful bacteria and heal skin wounds. If we used several types of these remedies throughout our life instead of relying on one single antibiotic, antibiotic resistance would likely not occur. Sometimes, it's not even a medication that is needed. Changing the pH of the skin (even treating MRSA infections with extreme pH changes) can yield total resolution of infection.
On that note, I'll give you a freebie. Your skin should be slightly acidic. Acidity of the skin fights bacteria. Although your skin cells have a pH of 7 which is neutral, the sweat and other secretions bring the pH down to about a 5-6. When you use soap, your skin becomes more alkaline. High alkalinity (pH 11) such as that found in chlorinated pools can kill bacteria as well. Bleach water is often suggested for MRSA infections. However when your skin's pH is slightly changed by soap or chlorine and you walk away with a pH of 7, 8, or 9, your skin is left without much defense against bacteria. Decreasing your use of soaps or even rinsing with a slightly acidic spray (diluted vinegar or acidified water) can help keep your skin remain slightly acidic.
In addition, diet can play a role in decreasing the need for pharmaceuticals. Did yo know that when you ingest refined sugar, the bacteria fighting ability of your white blood cells decrease? This is true for simple sugars like fructose, honey, and sucrose, but not carbohydrates. Learning to eat properly can help your body not only fight off various chronic diseases, but actually help fight bacteria on a daily basis.
Simple remedies and lifestyle practices should be all you need to fight of the bacteria we come in contact with on a daily basis. Decreasing our dependance on pharmaceuticals not only saves money in the long run, but can help our society avoid the pitfalls of medication resistant diseases in the future.
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