In every culture, people have found that certain foods, herbs and treatments improve their health overall or reduce specific unwanted symptoms. Every culture brings as much knowledge as possible to reduce the ailments in its community, even if some persist despite the best available remedies.
When we see people touting a miracle food or beverage for wellness or to replace medications for something like a cold — think the recently viral “Amish amoxicillin” — it’s tempting to try the “natural” remedy and take advantage of the centuries and millennia of received wisdom about naturopathic or alternative medicine. However, there are also significant benefits to the scientific clinical trial process that allows synthetic drugs to be systematically tested and used to treat illnesses that natural medicine cannot consistently cure.
So, how do you choose between these two sources of healing when experiencing an injury or illness? Let’s explore what doctors have to say and how to navigate the available treatments you encounter.
What is natural medicine?
Natural or alternative medicine can refer to a broad range of foods, herbs and treatments.
Dr. Francisco Contreras, chief oncologist at Oasis of Hope, explains, “A ‘natural’ therapy is understood as one that administers only elements found in nature such as foods, food extracts and from nonedible plants. This was the only therapy available to humans for millennia, and we survived. Drug-based therapy, on the other hand, is what we now call conventional therapy. A combination of the two is called complementary or integrative therapy and is becoming more and more popular.”
Dr. Contreras notes that many home remedies have been at the root of discoveries that became synthetic drugs, such as the use of willow bark in a natural medicine context, from which salicylic acid was eventually isolated to create aspirin.
Furthermore, natural medicines of various kinds have been studied to see how verifiable their health benefits are. Though not every natural remedy shows high efficacy in the literature, many traditionally trusted natural remedies can be clinically studied, revealing that they treat the symptoms for which they’ve been used for centuries in folk contexts.
For example, some well-studied natural medicines and treatments include:
- Essential oils derived from plants like lavender and thyme have been shown to be antiseptic against various types of bacteria in this 2011 study, though to varying degrees.
- The use of ginger as a remedy has been identified as having a high degree of reputable research in this 2020 systematic review when it comes to the treatment of inflammation, nausea during pregnancy and digestive function.
- Herbal remedies were found to be as effective as synthetic antibiotics in the treatment of a particular condition (small intestine bacterial overgrowth or SIBO) in a 2014 study.
- In this 2007 study, honey was found to be as effective for lowering cough severity, cough frequency and how bothersome a nighttime cough was when compared with no treatment and with a common cough suppressant drug, dextromethorphan.
One necessary caution: “natural” doesn’t always mean safe. There are naturally occurring toxic substances and remedies that, when taken out of a specific context, can make health worse rather than better. So, even if you prefer natural medicine, it’s important to show discernment and research. If you’re ever unsure of something, speak with your doctor.
What are FDA-approved drugs?
FDA drug development and approval allows a proposed remedy to be tested to determine its safety and effectiveness.
“FDA-approved medications undergo extensive clinical trials to ensure they are safe, effective and dosed appropriately for specific conditions,” explains Dr. Andrew Youssouf, a dual board-certified physician and medical director at Ikon Recovery. “These medications are developed based on scientific research and are regulated to guarantee quality and efficacy.”
FDA-approved drugs are also often patented and subject to various laws regarding exclusivity for a given manufacturer. At the same time, natural medications are often freely available as food and herbal products that aren’t subject to regulation, government exclusivity or intellectual property protection.
Is it safe to use natural or alternative medicine?
There are two aspects of safety to consider when you want to try a natural medicine: Is the natural medicine safely manufactured and accurately labeled, and is the natural remedy a wise choice for a given condition?
First, natural medicine can be safe, but without the FDA or other regulatory entities reviewing the contents of a given supplement, it’s possible that a natural remedy is not what it purports to be.
“Sourcing for natural medicines is very important,” says Dr. Amy Offutt, president of ILADS (International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society). “When choosing nutraceutical-based products or herbal products, getting them from a company that uses good manufacturing practices and quality control is a must.”
You might want to find supplements that aren’t FDA-approved, but the company sends their products for third-party testing that showcases what is in them, helping you feel confident in the products’ contents.
Lately, people have taken to the internet to share remedies with trendy names like “Amish amoxicillin” using readily available foods. The name might seem to imply efficacy on the same level as the well-known synthetic medication amoxicillin, but these two remedies work very differently.
“The idea behind ‘Amish amoxicillin’ is appealing, because it combines several ingredients with known health benefits,” says Youssouf. “However, calling this mixture a replacement for antibiotics like amoxicillin is misleading and potentially dangerous. Antibiotics are specifically designed to target bacterial infections and work in ways natural ingredients cannot replicate.”
Trends like this can lead to confusion about two important definitions of “antibiotic.” There are natural substances with antibiotic properties, substances that kill bacteria and other microbes.
However, every substance doesn’t have the same targeted efficacy as a rigorously tested FDA-approved antibiotic medication. In some cases, FDA-regulated antibiotics don’t just claim to kill some bacteria, but instead kill a particular bacteria, and in the right doses, to fully eliminate the illness so that no drug-resistant bacteria can remain and grow.
So, even a substance that has antibiotic properties won’t always be the “safe” choice when you face a severe infection, which may only effectively be treated with an FDA-approved antibiotic medication.
When should you use natural medicine?
Natural medicine can often be helpful for treating mild symptoms while the body naturally recovers.
“Natural remedies may help with symptom relief, such as using honey for a sore throat or peppermint oil for mild digestive issues,” says Youssouf. “Home remedies may relieve minor viral infections, such as colds or sore throats.”
While FDA-approved drugs and medications have a very thorough process behind them, it’s important to remember that there is research to back up natural medicine as well. Dr. Patrick Fratellone, an MD specializing in integrative cardiology with extensive training in naturopathic medicine, sees both the research and your physician’s assistance as key.
“To navigate which medicine is to be used, there is research on both,” says Dr. Fratellone. “Unfortunately, there are many more articles and research in peer-reviewed journals on conventional medicine rather than natural medicines. This does not mean that natural medicines do not work. The consumer needs to read in all types of journals to find their answers, as well as consulting with their physician.”
Since your medical provider can provide valuable context, a great time to use natural medicine is when the research supports its effectiveness in your context, when your medical provider has helped you evaluate the pros and cons and when it isn’t likely to interact with or inhibit the benefits of other medicines you’re taking.
When should you use FDA-approved drugs, either prescribed or over the counter?
It’s wise to rely on FDA-approved drugs for well-studied types of illnesses that don’t always respond to natural remedies, and when the scientific research shows strong efficacy in clinical trials.
“Regarding infections, chronic conditions or serious diseases, FDA-approved medications are often necessary to prevent complications and ensure proper treatment,” says Youssouf.
That being said, there are sometimes multiple options among the FDA-approved synthetic drugs; your medical provider is still a vital resource in choosing your treatment path.
Interactions between natural medicine and synthetic drugs
Natural medicine can be powerful, but combining both natural remedies and synthetic drugs can create interactions that reduce the effectiveness of some treatments.
“Checking for potential interactions with medications is also crucial, as many herbs and supplements can interfere with prescription drugs,” says Youssouf. “For example, St. John’s Wort can make antidepressants and birth control pills less effective, and garlic supplements can increase the risk of bleeding in individuals taking blood thinners.”
The goal isn’t to remove all natural remedies or all synthetic drugs when treating a given condition; rather, aim to know any interactions between supplements and remedies you choose and your needed FDA-approved medications.
Dr. Roger Billica of Tri-Life Health notes that you don’t need to choose only one type of remedy just because you’re cautious about interactions.
“Both categories have a lot to offer, and you just need to have the knowledge and experience to decide when to use which therapy (or find someone who can help you decide),” says Dr. Billica. “Be wary of any healthcare provider who maintains that their approach is the best and only way to achieve a positive health outcome. Don’t automatically turn your nose up at prescription medicines or automatically assume that natural is safer and better.”
Not every doctor is going to be well-versed in natural therapies, so looking for a medical professional with cross-training may allow you to understand what natural medicine and synthetic drugs will work best in combination.
“If someone is going to consider mixing natural medicine options with synthetic options, I recommend that the person find an integrative or functional medicine practitioner,” says Offutt. “Naturopathic doctors are also very well-trained in this area and, in some states, they use both as they approach patient care. It may require some testing and history taking to be able to decide on the best steps in this case, so I would encourage patients who want to combine therapies to seek professional guidance.”
When to consult a doctor
When you’re doing your own research about a promising supplement, food choice or natural remedy, it’s often wise to consult your doctor before making changes to your supplement regimen or any current synthetic medications you take.
It’s considered dangerous to suddenly stop an FDA-approved medication without consulting your doctor. Rather than stopping an FDA-approved drug suddenly, consult your doctor about ways to alleviate side effects or otherwise improve your outcomes with additional natural remedies.
There’s also a big difference between an internet trend that encourages a moderate increase in a well-studied food and someone who is trying to sell you expensive and unverifiable supplements.
Dr. Offutt says, “Be wary of anything that sounds too good to be true, especially on the internet. I see patients frequently who have spent thousands of dollars on supplements from the internet due to excellent marketing, but they are seeking guidance because of confusion or a lack of efficacy.”
The bottom line
Eating a variety of foods and herbs is a component of health, and many home remedies and alternative medicine approaches are a valuable addition to overall wellness. However, relying on remedies that haven’t been studied and shown to fully treat a given condition can delay getting the FDA-approved medication that will resolve an illness.
Unregulated supplements may provide health benefits, but they may or may not contain what they claim to contain. Talking with a medical provider who is versed in both synthetic and natural medicine can give you valuable context about the specific natural medicine that is of interest to you. They can also weigh in on whether it can be safely used in combination with any FDA-approved medications you’re taking.
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