Alternative Medicine in Modern Day Society
Information about the use of alternate medicines in modern day society.
Alternative medicines have been around since the dawn of time. Alternative medicines are defined as treatments that do not follow generally accepted methods and may not have a scientific explanation for their effectiveness. Despite this, they are still used continually today.
Some traditional cultures still use forms of treatment developed hundreds of years ago by their ancestors. Others use modern day equivalents such as paracetamol to cope with their health related problems. This article aims to focus on the use of multi-vitamins to supplement your diet and to obtain vitamins and minerals that your body needs.
We interviewed school parent Maria Bresic, and found that she takes multi vitamins for herself and encourages the rest of her family to take them as well. Multi vitamin tablets can aid you by providing much-needed vitamins and minerals if you are not receiving enough in your typical diet.
Some of the vitamins and minerals she takes:
- Calcium tablets: Calcium is important for bone and teeth development and as women age, calcium becomes important to help prevent osteoporosis. Most women do not eat enough dairy products to get their recommended intake.
- Iron-Rich in meat/animal products and leafy green vegetables but may not be consumed because of dietary choice, variety compared to Australia and the high cost of meat in Singapore
Maria encourages her husband Matt, who works long hours and may not always have the time to eat properly to take multi vitamin tablets to supplement his diet. They both encourage their children Nick aged 12 and Anna aged 10 to take these tablets so they can stay fit and healthy and get what they aren’t getting in their typical diet
Maria would recommend everyone should take multi vitamin tablets, as they do wonders for your body. Her family began using multi vitamin tablets since they moved to Singapore, and now she thinks it will something they will continue doing for life. If its something simple like swallowing a tablet and it will help you get your daily intake of vitamin and minerals to help you physically and mentally, then why not do it?
Multi-vitamin tablets can be found in many different forms, including tablet, liquid and powder. You can find an all round tablet with all of your needed vitamins and minerals for a day or you can take separate tablets for different things. Either way, the tablets are going to be doing a lot of good for your body.
So if you aren’t already on multi vitamin tablets, or thinking of using them, start now. The good they will do for you is indescribable.
Here are some common symptoms, their conventional remedies, and their alternate remedies.
| Symptom | Conventional remedy | Alternative remedy | Is it safe? |
| Headache | Paracetamol | Willowbark (bark from the willow tree that is drunk mashed up as a tonic) | Too much paracetamol can cause liver failure. Willowbark should be used with caution as it carries similar risks to aspirin (gastrointestinal bleeding) |
| Fever | Paracetamol | Willowbark (bark from the willow tree that is drunk mashed up as a tonic) | Take care when giving paracetamol or willowbark (see above) |
| Runny nose | Antihistamine | Echinacea (in pill, liquid and brewed tea form), zinc, vitamin C | Read the product insert of all medicines. Some antihistamines should not be used for children under the age of 2. Use Echinacea with caution as it can cause severe allergic reactions. |
| Wheezing | Ventolin | Buteyko method (Ukrainian breathing techniques) to mange asthma for those over the age of 4. | Don’t stop with a conventional remedy to use an alternative one as it may result in a bad asthma attack. If the medicine is used 2 or 3 times a day, see your GP. When using the Buteyko method, asthma attacks can be avoided simply by breathing more slowly. |
| Sore throat | OTC lozenges | Echinacea (in pill, liquid and brewed tea form), zinc, vitamin C | Lozenges are safe just follow the instructions on the packaging. |
| Skin rash | Calamine lotion, prescribed creams and anti fungal preparations. | Aloe Vera lotion (applied topically) | Calamine lotions contain substances that may be irritants. An unexplained rash should be checked by your GP to rule out serious infections, e.g. meningococcal |
| Cough | Depending on type, decongestant, expectorant or cough suppressant. | Echinacea (in pill, liquid and brewed tea form), zinc, vitamin C | Cough preparations are safe when used properly, but may not work for children. Some possible side effects of vitamin C are diarrhoea, hives and erosion of tooth enamel. |
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