A plant fix over a prescription drug? Some experts swear by it.
When I went for my annual medical check-up a couple of years ago, I told my doctor I suffered frequent constipation, despite a healthy diet. “Is there something I can take?” Rather than recommend a bottle of pills, she suggested I try something herbal, and have it daily: isabgul (also known as psyllium). It’s a powder made from the husks of the psyllium (Plantago ovata) plant that you can buy at local pharmacies or health food stores, without a prescription. You stir it into a glass of water and drink it. I followed my doctor’s advice to take a teaspoon twice daily and found that psyllium works for me.
At one time, plants were the only drugs we had. Then, along came antibiotics and other manufactured drugs, which have saved countless lives and continue to do so. However, today they’re not the only option; witness the thriving market in herbal remedies. A 2018 Reuters article cites a report by Market Research Future, which estimates that the global herbal market will reach US$111 billion by the end of 2023.
But beware: not all natural products are safe, says Dr Sarah Jarvis, a BBC medical columnist and general practitioner in London who sometimes recommends natural remedies. “Many plants are the basis for powerful manufactured medicines.”
Natural medicines can interact with other medications, and how much you should take varies depending on the individual. According to Dr Isaac Mathai, an internationally renowned holistic health expert from Bengaluru, “It is important to check with a doctor on what kind of supplements are required. Only licensed medical practitioners can identify potential underlying problems in your body. This information is critical in determining the right supplement and dosage, so avoid self-diagnosing.”
この記事は Reader's Digest India の September 2018 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です ? サインイン
この記事は Reader's Digest India の September 2018 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
From the King's Table to Street Food: A Food History of Delhi
Pushpesh Pant, one of India’s pre-eminent food writers, is back with a comprehensive food history of the capital.
Who Wants Coffee?
It’s bitter—but beloved around the world
Prevent The Pain Of Shingles
You don't have to suffer, as long as you take two important steps
The Best And Worst Diets For Your Heart
Dozens of diets are touted as ‘best’, but it’s easy to lose track of the fact that healthy eating needs to be about overall wellness, not just weight loss.
ME & MY SHELF
Journalist Sopan Joshi has worked in a science and environment framework for nearly three decades. His book Mangifera indica: A Biography of the Mango (Aleph Book Company) synthesizes the sensory appeal of India's favourite fruit with its elaborate cultural roots and natural history. He writes in English and Hindi.
SWITCHED
In 1962, nurses at a small Canadian hospital sent home two women with the wrong babies. Then, 50 years later, their children discovered the shocking mistake.
ECHOES OF THE PAST
A VISIT TO THE ANCIENT BARABAR CAVES IN BIHAR REVEALS A SURPRISING CONNECTION TO A LITERARY CLASSIC
Fathers of the Bride
A young woman finds a unique way to honour the many men who helped her survive her childhood
Fiction's Foresight
British-Bangladeshi author Manzu Islam's works reveal startling parallels to recent political upheavals in Bangladesh, begging the question: Besides helping us make sense of our world, can stories also offer a glimpse into the future?
It Happens ONLY IN INDIA
The Divine Defence Picture this: A tractor in Rajasthan‘s Banswara district,a group of loan agents closing in to seize it and the defaulting farmer and his family standing by.
