Feb 15 2010
Mother Nature, the Killer
Critical thinkers are wary of the naturalistic fallacy, of arguments that make appeals to Nature (capital n, of course) as representative of absolute good. More natural is better than the less natural, simply by the fact it is more natural. And nature is good.
While I certainly could be considered a nature-lover–my favorite hobbies are nature photography, bird watching, and snorkeling–I realize that nature is . . . nature. Sure there is plenty of good in nature, and without some aspects of nature, I couldn’t exist. My life depends upon a big slice of it. But consider mushrooms. Are they good? Some are, particularly when sautéed in butter. Others will kill you.
Many people consider so-called alternative medicine more desirable because, in part, it is more natural. And natural is an absolute good. But is it? A new science finding highlights the folly of this thinking. In Herbal Medicines Can Be Lethal, Pathologist Warns I learned,
An analysis of 251 Asian herbal products found in United States stores identified arsenic in 36 of them, mercury in 35 and lead in 24 of the products.
I would recommend not serving those herbs in a salad. Or using them to treat disease. Not unless the benefits far outweighed the costs.
The article also contained this statement -
Other side effects of herbal medicines can include liver, renal and cardiac failure, strokes, movement disorders, muscle weakness and seizures.
While that claim strikes me as a tad hyperbolic, it is simply the inverse of what many alt-med practitioners of the herbal variety spout. Oh yes, clover blossoms can support immune function and have been known to reverse signs of Alzheimer’s . . .
But back to my main point. Are herbs good? Well, which herb? Good for what? And it seems to me that science is the best way to determine the “good for what” question. And so I turn to it for guidance as to the real value of treatments.
