Why do people always follow the dangerous fallacy that a medicine is safe just because its "natural"?

Question

For example natural morphine and synthetic morphine is still the same chemical morphine. The reason why most plants produce those chemicals is to protect itself from preditors. However those chemicals on the body can be medically beneficial during certain ilnesses because their toxic properties become beneficial to the body when the ailment does the exact opposite of the chemical. (The same applies with synthetic pharmaceuticals). For example there is a naturally occuring plant toxin called digoxin that causes the heart to slow down and stop in a plant called foxglove. However when used in the proper dosage of someone with high blood pressure its heart slowing it will slow the heart down to a normal level. The reason why you never see digoxin admistered in the form of its plant is because the plant never creates it at consistant dosages and also creates many impurites as it biologically makes it. Therefore eating the plant you will either overdose or not have enough or be....

...by its other impurities. Herbal medicens in fact present the same or even greater danger then that of mainstreamed pharmacuticals. Therefore the reguler medicines are actually a healthier choice to use for ailments. In fact most of the chemicals made by pharmaceuticals are made from natural sorces while you dont even know it. They just usually give them their chemical name. If I labled a bottle of water dihydrogen monoxide, would you still drink it?

Answer 1

not all people are like that, but you're absolutely correct- some people refuse to take a single aspirin because it's "medicine" but think nothing of guzzling mass quantities of supposedly natural supplements that could have serious side effects. it doesn't make any rational sense.

Answer 2

You are correct. Herbal products are just as dangerous as prescription, and not regulated by the FDA or anyone else.

Whenever someone asks about a natural cure because they don't want to do what their doctor recommended I point out that hemlock is natural and after taking it they won't have to worry about their cholesterol/blood pressure/diabetes/etc.

Answer 3

You are absolutely correct and this causes me many headaches when I write prescriptions or try & treat patients. I often tell then foxglove is REALLY natural and so is deadly nightshade etc...sigh. I think the internet (as well as some herbalists and naturpaths etc) have really made this a problem.

Answer 4

because Nature is "good" and anything man made is evil?

it's a marketing tactic...and unfortunately a lot of people are suckered into "all natural, pure, organic..." products =X

Answer 5

It's because people are, for the most part, just pathetically, hopelessly stupid ☺

Doug

Answer 6

Because people are often stupid.