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Try to imagine the pubic outcry if two commercial airliners crashed in midair each day of the year. A chilling thought – but that’s how many people die each day from prescription drugs, according to Rimland, a San Diego nutrition and autism researcher. Drugs are a big business. Last year, aggressive marketing and sales rang up revenues of more than $100 billion for the top 12 pharmaceutical companies. Rimland, who has long questioned the benefits of heavily promoted pharmaceutical, refers to them as "sublethal does of toxin substances" that kill an estimated 150,000 Americans each year. Rimland also likes pointing out that the 3,000-page Physicians’ Desk Reference, a compendium of prescription drugs, would probably be only about 100 pages if all the drug side effects, warnings and contraindications were deleted. That’s an example, he says, of how dangerous prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) drugs are. In contrast, natural therapies, which include vitamin and mineral supplements and herbal remedies, can often do the job of drugs, but with greater safety and at a lower cost. Vitamins and minerals play roles in normal biochemistry, so they’re less likely to cause side effects. "You don’t get a headache because you have an aspirin deficiency, "Rimland quips. If you find yourself regularly reaching in the medicine cabinet to deal with ailments from headaches to hypertension, consider some of the natural alternatives to the top OTC and prescription drugs. Of course, if you’re taking medicine to treat a chronic condition, work with your physician to transition from one treatment to another.

Alternatives to the TOP 5 Over the Counter Drugs

Analgesics

If you use - TYLENOL or ADVIL – Instead, try MSM, BROMELAIN, OMEGA-3, FATTY ACIDS or FEVERFEW. Tylenol and Advil are the best-selling OTC drugs in the United States. Most analgesics, which also include aspirin, are used to relieve headaches, muscle soreness and inflammation and pain related to arthritis or injuries. Natural alternatives abound. Roy Altman,M.D., of the University of Miami School of Medicine, recommends a topical MSM cream, to ease joint or muscle pain. Taken orally, the OMEGA-3 fatty acids, known as fish oils, are powerful anti-inflammatory and ease pain rheumatoid arthritis and injuries. Long-term use of the herb FEVERFEW inhibits blood-vessel dilation and can reduce the frequency and severity of migraines. Others studies have found magnesium and taurine (an amino acid) supplements sometimes help. I recommends using MSM Topical in conjunction with MSM capsules plus Bromelain.


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Antacids & Anti-Gas

If you use PEPCID AC, TAGAMET, or ZANTAC – Instead try VITAMIN C, LICORICE ROOT or PROBIOTICS. Aggressive marketing has made Pepcid AC the third-most popular OTC drug for heartburn, and Tagamet and Zantac are big sellers as well. While heartburn is characterized by excess stomach acid backing up into the esophagus, its actual cause can be an undiagnosed food allergy or sensitivity. Eating fewer processed foods and taking time to eat slowly can often eliminate heartburn. Also, consider taking a small amount of buffered VITAMIN C (Ester C), which will temporarily lower your stomach acidity. In addition, several studies have reported that LICORICE ROOT, rich in antioxidants, can relieve heartburn. If flatulence is a problem, reevaluate what you’re eating. Some foods, such as beans, contain gas-producing compounds. By eating beans on a regular basis, though, people start producing enzymes needed to break down these compounds. Fermented foods, such as yogurt or kefir, or Probiotic capsules, contain beneficial bacteria that control the gas-producing bad ones.


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Cold Remedies & Lozenges

If you use ROBITUSSIN, NYQUIL or HALLS LOZENGES - Instead try ZINC LOZENGES, VITAMIN C, N-ACEYTL-CYSTEINE and/or WILLOW BARK. Robitussin, NyQuil, and Halls cough drops and lozenges are very popular OTC drugs. But all they all they do, at best, is relieve cold symptoms temporarily. You can do more than that with vitamins, minerals and herbs. If you feel a cold coming on, act fast: Pick up some ZINC LOZENGES at a health food store, and suck on one every two waking hours. According to research Cleveland Clinic, doing so greatly relieves cold symptoms and cuts the length of a cold by almost half, from about 7.6 to 4.4 days. The lozenges are much more effective when taken at the start of a cold rather than after you’re very sick. Stop taking them when you have recovered. High does of VITAMIN C –2 to 6 gm daily – can also ease cold symptoms. Divide the dose so you take the vitamin several times during the day and follow the "bowel tolerance" concept. If you start to develop diarrhea, reduce your dose slightly. According to Robert Carthcart, M.D., of Los Altos, Calif., the amounts just below what causes loose stools is your ideal does. High doses of N-ACETYLCYSTEINE, a form of the amino acid cysteine, also relieves cold and flu symptoms – and can even bolster the immune system against AIDS. Try 1,000 to 2,000 mg. daily. Some people use Willow Bark as an aspirin substitute. The bark contains the same active ingredient. For more information on colds click here


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Allergy Relief

If you use BENADRYL, CONTAC, or SUDAFED - Instead, try VITAMIN C, GRAPE SEED, FEVERFEW, BEE POLLEN or GOLDENSEAL. Benadryl, Contac, and Sudafed are commonly used to treat allergic rhinitis, the sneezing and thick-headed feeling you get when you’re hypersensitive to pollens and other allergens. There are a number of alternatives. VITAMIN C might be of benefit, along with such antioxidant flavonoids as Grape Seed and Quercetin. All are natural antihista- mines, and they won’t make you drowsy. Elliott Middleton, Jr., M.D., who recently retired from the State University of New York, Buffalo, reports in the International Archives of Allergy and Immunology that quercetin inhibits the activity of cells that release histamine, which causes allergic symptoms. The herb FEVERFEW, rich in flavonoids, might also relieve allergies. Originally from southeastern Europe, feverfew is now common throughout Europe, Australia and North America. BEE POLLEN has a devoted following as a remedy for allergies. Senator Tom Harkin, D-lowa, suffered from severe pollen allergies until, on the advice of a friend, he began taking bee pollen. Solid scientific evidence to support bee pollen is hard to find-some older studies show benefits, and others show people going into anaphylactic shock after taking pollen. Pollen advocates typically recommend consuming one granule of pollen daily, and slowly upping the dose to avoid a negative reaction. GOLDENSEAL, mainly used for its immunostimulatory effects, it is listed here because it soothes the mucus membranes. It is very useful to the respiratory, digestive, and genitourinary tracts when inflammatory conditions occur during infections or allergy attacks. For more information about Allergy click here


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Laxatives

If you use EX-LAX, METAMUCIL - Instead, try WATER, VEGETABLES HIGH IN FIBER, ALOE VERA, and CASCARA SAGRADA. Being constipated is a sign from nature that you’re not eating right. Ask yourself: Do you want to do something good for your body? EX-LAX and METAMUCIL might get you going, but simply adding a little fiber and water to your diet is a lot more natural. Drinking several glasses of WATER daily enlarges and softens stools, while fibers speeds the movement of food through the intestine. FRUITS AND VEGETABLES contain both fiber and water. Eating a bowl of whole-grain cereal in the morning and sprinkling bran on cereal, are other good ways to add fiber. There’s an added benefit-fiber moves cancer-causing substances out of your digestive tract and reduces the long-term risk of colorectal cancer. If you want something that’s more forceful, CASARA SAGRADA, and Aloe Vera are natural herbal laxatives that can help time to time.


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Alternatives to the TOP 5 Prescription Drugs

Estrogen Replacement

If you use PREMARIN or PROVERA - Instead, try BLACK COHOSH, SOY ISOFLAVONES or PROGESTERONE. Premarin, the best selling drug in the world, racked up more than $1 billion in sales last year for its maker, Wyeth-Averst. This estrogen-replacement drug, made from horse urine, is prescribed to relieve menopausal symptoms, including hot flashes. But most women suffer such severe gastrointestinal side effects from Premarin that they stop taking it after less than a year. Take back your body Naturally! Studies show that BLACK COHOSH can relieve hot flashes, depression, anxiety, and nigh sweats. Research shows that for more than 80 percent of the hundreds of women studied, two tables of black cohosh extract taken twice daily over 4-12 weeks has eliminated or improved menopausal symptoms with no side effects. ISOFLAVONES are type of antioxidant flavonoid that has mild estrogen-like effect in the body. For this reason, it is hypothesized that it help reduce menopausal symptoms by fooling the body into thinking it still has estrogen and thereby thwarting the usual estrogen withdrawal symptoms. This same masquerade helps defeat osteoporosis. The prevention of breast cancer and other hormone-related cancers. Over-the-counter progesterone has become extremely popular with women. Women use PROGESTERONE for PMS, perimenopausal, menopausal and osteoporosis, among other reasons. Progesterone can help take the edge off these changes women can and will go thought. Anxiety, irritability, headaches, mood swings, and memory lapses have proven with the used of Progesterone. For more information about Menopausal click here


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Antibiotics

If you use TRIMOX, ANOXICILLIN - Instead try PROBIOTICS, GARLIC, ECHINACEA, and GOLDENSEAL. Trimox, a form of amoxicillin, is the top selling antibiotic in the United States. Sure, it kills germs. But excessive use of antibiotics breeds antibiotic-resistant bacteria-germs that are immune to antibiotics! Amoxicillin also destroys large numbers of protective "good" bacteria that reside in your intestine, making you more vulnerable to other infections. PROBIOTIC capsules or tablets containing beneficial bacteria have long been used to restore intestinal bacteria destroyed by antibiotics. According to a recent article in the Journal of the American Medical Association, they might actually protect against many infections. Gary W. Elmer,pH.D., of the University of Washington, Seattle, reports that probiotics greatly reduce the risk of gastrointestinal and vaginal infections. GARLIC is well documented for its anti-bacterial properties and its ability to increase resistance to infection. Author Richard P. Huemer, M.D., recommends using garlic liberally in cooking or taking it in supplemental form. He also points out that there is considerable scientific support for the herbs ECHINACEA and GOLDENSEAL. Echinacea have significant effects against viruses, bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms. Goldenseal is often in combination with Echinacea. These two herbal have an broad-spectrum antimicrobial properties. For more information about Probioctic click here


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Anti-Depressants and Tranquilizers

If you use PROZAC, ZOLOFT, VALIUM, XANAX - Instead try ST. JOHN’S WORT, KAVA, SAMe. Books have been written extolling the benefits of Prozac, an anti-depressant that’s one of the best-selling drugs in the United States. Those who take anti-depressant drugs, often complain that they lose interest in sex, dry mouth, and constipation and suffer from light headedness or nausea. There is also some concern that long-term use of those drugs may cause other health problems. If you’re feeling down all the time and see no hope for getting better, you might consider a natural anti-depressant. ST. JOHN’S WORT is "perhaps the most effective natural antidepressant currently available. In Germany, Commission E (the equivalent of the FDA in the United States) long ago approved the use of St. John’s Wort as safe and effective for the treatment of mental disturbances including depression, anxiety, and nervous unrest. Excellent clinical results coupled with minimal side effects are making this herb one of the most widely prescribed antidepressant agents in Germany with upwards of three million prescriptions being written annually. In the United States St. John’s Wort is available without a prescription and can purchase over the counter. Every year Americans take more than 5 billion tranquilizers. Valium, Xanax, and others like them are highly addictive and can cause impairment of mental function, drowsiness, lethargy, and other side effects. KAVA is an herb that is well known to bring instant relaxation. European countries have approved Kava for the treatment of nervous anxiety, insomnia, and restlessness. Kava is also use for the relief of cramping (both muscle cramps and menstrual cramping). Ascanio Polimeni, M.D., who practices in Rome, says, "SAMe is a wonderful supplement. Some doctors prescribe it in Europe as therapy for depression, chronic fatigue synndrome and fibromyalgia. For more information about Anti-Depressants click here


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Blood Pressure Lowering Drugs

If you use VASOTEC - Instead try GARLIC, CALCIUM, MAGNESIUM, POTASSIUM. High blood pressure, known as hypertension, is a major contributor to coronary heart disease. Increase pressure on blood-vessel walls damages them, setting the stage for cholesterol deposits and vessel ruptures. Vasotec is the most prescribed medication for hypertension, but there are natural and easy ways to lower blood pressure. David McCarron, M.D., of Oregon Health Sciences University, has reported that CALCIUM, MAGNESIUM, and POTASSIUM lowers blood pressure. A recent article in the Journal of the American Medical Association confirmed the blood-pressure-lowering benefits of potassium. GARLIC supplements have also been reported to lower blood pressure. Manfred Steiner, M.D.,Ph.D., of East Carolina University, Greenville, N.C., gave male subjects nine capsules of aged garlic extract or placebos daily for six months. Men taking the garlic capsules had a modest drop in blood pressure and cholesterol. Click here for more information on High Blood Pressure.


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Anti-Ulcer Drugs

If you use ZANTAC - Instead try BILBERRY, LICORICE ROOT, ALOE VERA, GRAPE SEED. Zantac is the most popular prescription drug for treating peptic ulcers, but most makers of anti-ulcer drugs have had to scramble over the past couple of years. It turns out that most ulcers are actually caused by a bacterial infection, Hellicobacter pylori, not by excessive stomach acid. H. pylori infections are easily treated with a brief antibiotic regimen. But if you have an ulcer not caused by this germ, consider trying two herbs: LICORICE and BILBERRY. Numerous medical studies have found that a key component of licorice root, deglycyrrhizinated licorice, promotes the healing of ulcers. Eating more bilberries, the European version of common blueberries, may help to treat ulcers. GRAPE SEED and GREEN TEA also contain catechin. ALOE VERA Juice has been use for many ailments, including bronchitis, Ulcerations, to burns and cuts. For more information about Ulcers click here


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DOSAGE RECOMMENDATIONS

Use this as a quick guide to dosages. Please note that these recommendations should be considered general guidelines, and some experimentation may be required to determine the most effective dosage for an individual.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This web site is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

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