"Natural" Medicine

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by Sandman
Nah. 'It' might have done nothing whatsoever, and you felt better anyway. If I started clapping every time it started raining, I might eroneously conclude that clapping constantly made it eventually stop raining.

Yeah, but I'm smart enough to know that and take it into consideration.

Not all drugs fight the symptoms, not the infectious agent.

Which is why I specified cold medicines.

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by Brizey
Coughs spread disease, mucus provides a breeding ground for secondary bacterial infections, and fevers are generally ineffective against viral infections.

Coughs and sneezes also help remove phlem from your body, which is mucus filled with dead foreign bodies. The two together help you move invaders out where they can't hurt you anymore. And while fevers aren't terribly effective, they are slightly effective. These are defenses that we have evolved over millions of years. If they didn't have some beneficial effect, they wouldn't be universal. Granted, diseases have also evolved to keep up, it's a never ending war.

[DaShi]

Fevers increase the overall effectiveness of your immune response. Cells like macrophages work better in higher temperatures.

Mind you, the immune system is a beautifully complicated mess. Despite being evolved for a million years, it is rather defective. But still the best defense we've got.

[Ozz]

Originally posted by Japher
Which one is that? I work for them, and I see nothing evil about most of them.

How about Upjohn? I worked for them, and they qualify
as "evil". Rogaine, Copyright strongarm tactics.

[Ozz]

DP

[Ozz]

Double post

[Provost Harrison]

Originally posted by DaShi
Fevers increase the overall effectiveness of your immune response. Cells like macrophages work better in higher temperatures.

Mind you, the immune system is a beautifully complicated mess. Despite being evolved for a million years, it is rather defective. But still the best defense we've got.

It's a marvellous system, I wouldn't really call it defective, it just isn't perfect, that's all, but it's benefits outweigh it's negatives...allows an adult to reach reproductive age, and that is the only selection pressure there is.

Pyrogenesis is helpful in killing off bacteria, like sterilisation...unfortunately it isn't good for the body either, but if it kills a lot of the pathogen off then it is worthwhile.

Your body does have more strategies to fight viruses, interferon secretion from an infected cell warns neighbouring cells by slowing their rates of translation (protein synthesis) slowing down the manufacturing of viral components, giving more time for cytotoxic T lymphocytes to come along and apoptose a virally infected cell. I must say, out of all the fields I have studied, immunology was by far my favourite.

Anyway, what were we talking about again?

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by Provost Harrison
Anyway, what were we talking about again?

How cold medicines actually harm your body's ability to fight off colds while some herbal or mineral suppliments seem to stimulate your body's ability to fight. I recommend health doses of echanacea, aspergillas, vitimin c, zinc, and elderberry as soon as you feel a cold coming on. Haven't had a cold in years, and I used to get sick multiple times each winter.

[Provost Harrison]

I don't think they do impair the function of your body to fight infections particularly. These medicines can be quite effective at relieving symptoms which are uncomfortable, but the only way to really give your body a chance is plenty of rest, warmth and nourishment...

[Ozz]

Originally posted by Brizey
mucus provides a breeding ground for secondary bacterial infections

Drink lots of scotch to kill them germs, and save yer friends from infection.