Nutrition and Health

This week, the media flooded the news with studies claiming that echinacea was not effective against the cold. Once again, they skewed the studies by not acknowledging that echinacea (along with other complimentary herbs -- which the studies did not include) is primarily effective in keeping colds from developing -- not stopping them once full blown. In addition, none of the subjects was put on a low quantity, natural foods diet in conjunction with the study, a factor that is essential in permitting 'weak' natural remedies to do their work. Fortunately, millions know these products -- and many others -- do work, and they understand how to regulate their diet and other factors to support the actions of these remedies. For these, the media campaign will be ineffective. However, most ignorant people will continue to turn to store-bought 'cold remedies' which only mask the symptoms of the illness.

Herbs and other natural remedies are effective and useful, given the proper immune-boosting environment in the body, precisely because they are 'weak'. In their natural state, with the buffers and other substances with which they are naturally found in their proper concentrations, herbs and other remedies demonstrate remarkable healing qualities with very few side effects. Drugs, on the other hand, are much more concentrated, and are nearly always composed of isolated chemical compounds that bear little resemblance to the complex substances from which they were derived. They work their 'magic' and/or damage regardless of your diet, which is why there are so many cautions and warnings. If a natural supplement were to have the kinds of damaging side effects most drugs have, they would be prohibited from the market. In contrast, only in the worst cases are drugs recalled. "