At one time, these were located only in drugstores that commonly sold health aids and little else. Now, drugstores are frequently huge emporiums selling everything from shampoo to beach chairs. These are remedies largely derived from botanicals such as herbs or roots. While many of them may be beneficial, they have not undergone the intense scrutiny and government testing required of standard medications. These products are generally found in health food stores, whose staff can be helpful in providing information about them.
Many traditional physicians regard natural remedies with suspicion for two reasons.
One, because a patient might disregard the standard therapy for a condition in favor of an untested or unmonitored one. And, two, simply because there is no regulation or standard place on these products by the government. For patients interested in pursuing a natural approach to health care there is the field of homeopathic medicine, whose practitioners may be MD's, but usually are not. Inc. All rights reserved.