Bee Pollen is probably the best natural remedy.
I have been taking it for thirty years, for allergies. Side affect? No more flu.
If you need an immune system boost, and you are not allergic to bee pollen, take it. You won't regret it.

Or is the REAL conspiracy in the fact that these studies are carried out by the very same people that gain by selling what Big Pharma has to push?

Let's not forget that many of these remedies have been around for 1,000's of years and work together with out natural bodies as nature should and often does.

Why should we believe that a natural body is better off with unnatural chemicals pushed into it?

That is what really doesn't make any sense at all.

I will not say that 100% of the man made treatments and medicines are in this category as I will also not say that ALL natural approaches are effective. I will say that we should be able to have the option to at least weigh out both and decide for ourselves which suits us better.

To have Big Pharma and Govt. tell us what we can and cannot put into our own body is in itself the biggest conspiracy of all.

Peace

Originally posted by jude11
Or is the REAL conspiracy in the fact that these studies are carried out by the very same people that have a gain by selling what Big Pharma has to push?

Let's not forget that many of these remedies have been around for 1,000's of years and work together with out natural bodies as nature should and often does.

Why should we believe that a natural body is better off with unnatural chemicals pushed into it?

That is what really doesn't make any sense at all.

Peace

Right.. I was diagnosed with anxiety and a "serotonin deficiency" 3 years back and they put me on Paxil. 2 months after being on Paxil I slit my wrists and attempted to bleed out, happily. I wasn't suicidal before Paxil, and then 8 weeks later I slit my wrists. Two doctors at the hospital sat there while I was recovering debating about keeping me on Paxil or moving me to another antidepressant, and how I was gonna deal with the withdrawal. When I got out the hospital, I risked "death, stomach ulcer, and blood clot" by quitting the meds, and started taking Apple Cider Vinegar, and discontinued processed foods. I then went vegetarian, and continued ACV. After 3 months, I felt great. I feel great. I'm doing great. I'm thinking great, and I HATE big pharma....

I went from being over-drugged by prescription medications which did nothing but harm me, to an all-natural regimen of vitamins, minerals and herbs which I find to be not only highly effective, but have many healthful benefits.

Of COURSE these studies never find anything effective about natural remedies. They are done by colleges which are heavily funded by pharmaceutical companies. Quite a few of these quack science "studies" are coming out of New Zealand. We know nothing about the structure of these studies, such as how many subjects participated, what their physical complaints were, how long were they followed, what was the protocol for determining how they were doing, etc.

I call B.S. I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in 1999. Everything offered for me only made me either sicker, more prone to infections and disease, or horribly addicted. I realized that western allopathic medicine was useless when it came to chronic disease. I did my own research and went through quite a few natural items before I found things that worked for me and restored most of my health.

Most days, I can forget that I am sick. But I can never forget the many doctors, the many medical bills, and the many prescriptions which almost destroyed my life. There is no benefit for big pharma to publish any research results which are favorable for vitamins and herbs that they cannot patent.

Follow the money and learn the truth about why we are now more likely to die younger than our parents did, more likely to die of some horrible chronic disease, and why a few companies are suddenly making billions in yearly profits.

Originally posted by Aloysius the Gaul

Holt told The Press that of the "hundreds" of therapies and products, about 95 per cent were either not biologically plausible or not supported by research evidence.

Of course herbal or natural remedies are "not supported by research evidence" and they never will be. Only patentable products receive any research funding. Drug companies routinely pay for research to be done on their products and, not surprisingly, the (paid) researchers often find that the study drugs work. You can't patent a food product (unless it's a GMO). I see this circular reasoning by the pharmaceutical industry all the time. Herbs will never receive any research funding, therefore herbal remedies will never be "supported by research evidence." Kind of a catch-22, huh?

Keywords here being,

or not supported by research evidence.

I hear to get something researched and published especially against the upstream fight, it can be expensive.
Big pharma is the real evil.

How did our ancestors ever survive without big pharma?

AtG, you need to do your research for BOTH sides of the spectrum. I had a terrible skin infection. Doctors prescribed 9 different antibiotics, but none of them worked.

Then, I read about oil of oregano. Got some and I was cured within two weeks without side effects.

I was also on antidepressants for a few years. After doing some of my own research, I quit them cold turkey (don't do this -- it was horrible!) and started taking 5000 iu of D3. I haven't felt so good in years. Now, if I'm depressed, there's a reason for it. I don't have days of feeling sad and anxious for no reason.

Not quite what the OP intended I don't think, but this thread is spreading awareness of alternative and natural remedies!
Thanks OP.

Originally posted by Afterthought
How did our ancestors ever survive without big pharma?

Not long, painfully, and with lots of problems

Some natural remedies seem to work, like honey. A lot do not. The basic thing, people should not rely strongly for natural medicines. People should not rely on singular thing not too much at all.

And, remember a placebo effect. Like what it is homeopathy. This can work too.