Re: Very true, so VERY true DQ.

A good example........

Contrary to popular belief, Bayer did not "invent" Aspirin: Mother Nature did. And Bears (not the Chicago Bears but the big furry ones you find in the woods) discovered it.
Thousands of years ago, humans witnessed injured bears gnawing on the bark of white willow trees. Someone assumed that this was done to relieve pain where they made a tea from the bark and tried it for themselves. Instantly, the pain was gone. So others followed:.....

Around 200 B.C Greek physician Hippocrates apparently heard about the tea and prescribed willow bark to his patients to reduce pain and fever. Eventually, Big Pharma got their greedy hands into the mix, which laid the groundwork for the eventual synthesis of a molecule known as salicin – one of many ingredients found in white willow bark.

To the distress of Big Pharma, they could not market salicin as their own because it is a natural ingredient. In order to have a monopoly, they had to alter it a bit. Chemist Carl R. Gerhardt was the first to do so in 1853 by synthesizing acetylsalicylic acid (ASA). Bayer trademarked the anti-platelet drug as Aspirin in 1889 and it is now used in place of white willow bark. But it isn’t nearly as safe. The small molecular change made for big dangers.

Aspirin depletes the body of life-saving nutrients. These nutrients include folic acid, iron, potassium, sodium and vitamin C. Symptoms associated with such depletion include: anemia, birth defects, elevated homocysteine (a risk factor for heart disease), headache, depression, fatigue, hair loss, insomnia, diarrhea, shortness of breath, pale skin and suppression of the immune system. Internal bleeding is also a real and present danger.

The side effects of Aspirin are so severe that they can cause a higher death rate relative to the populations who do not take it.(1) Each year, a grossly underestimated 7600 deaths and 76,000 hospitalizations occur in the United States from use of Aspirin and other NSAIDS like Motrin, Aleve, and Celebrex. Only about 10% of deaths caused by NSAIDS are reported. Death by drugs is usually attributed to the patient being either too damn sick or too damn old.

Aspirin use is yet another example of how marketing hype, can supersede science.

Fortunately, the pain relieving ability, as well as any purported cardiovascular benefits, of Aspirin can be procured without risk. Simply use the forgotten tea white willow bark, ginger, high dose MSM, cayenne, or certain types of grape seed extracts. The track records of these natural products are impeccable. They can be used with great success for broken bones and the rare hangover.


By Shane Ellison, M.Sc.
Author Health Myths Exposed and Hidden Truth about Cholesterol Lowering Drugs
Organic Chemist

http://www.thepeopleschemist.com


References

1. Kauffman, Joel. Should You Take Aspirin to Prevent Heart Attack? Journal of Scientific Exploration. 2000;14(4):623-641.

2.
http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/anti-flammatory-000196.htm


3.
http://www.annals.org/cgi/content/full/127/6/429
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