I pour myself a big glass of herbal tea, sit down, and get all geared up for my favorite television show when another one of those pharmaceutical commercials comes on with the smiling faces of actors and a soothing voice in the background trying to squeeze in the long list of side effect in only 30 seconds. Without a doubt it is a clever approach since visual images almost always garner most of the attention.

Certainly, pharmaceutical medications are not only useful but necessary under the right set of circumstances but too much of a good thing may actually produce diminishing returns.

A recent article titled €The Side Effect of Side Effects€ in one of the most widely disturbed senior publications made a compelling case that tens of millions of people are suffering everyday €" often without knowing why €" from the side effects of prescription medications.

The average number of prescription medications for a person 60 years old is 5! Are we really that bad off? Do we really need 5 drugs just to maintain a reasonable quality of life? If we are truly that bad off perhaps we need to look in the mirror and wonder why and then take action to turn this runaway train around before it is too late.

One other problem according to this article was that multiple prescription medications aren't generally designed to work seamlessly with one another thus producing side effects on top of side effects.

Personally I have noticed my fellow citizens looking a lot older and feeling a lot worse than they should be. Have you noticed more of your co-workers, friends, and relatives dying, or become seriously ill, before the age of 65? I know I have.

Statically the United States is way down the list in life expectancy despite being the number one consumer of prescription medications and having the most highly trained medical professionals and advanced medical equipment.

Studies also show that 6 out of 7 new drugs are no more effective than the old ones, and are riskier because they haven't been around long enough to have established a track record for safety.

Natural remedies on the other hand generally have a very good track record for safety and in many cases provide both antioxidant benefits and immune system boosting benefits. Some such as St. Johns wort and Passion Flower have helped millions overcome mild depression and anxiety. Glucosamine and chondroitin has helped millions with their arthritis and joint concerns. Ginger root has been shown to help with nausea and motion sickness. Saw palmetto works well for urinary and prostate problems while ginkgo seems to improve circulatory health.

The omega 3 fatty acids found in fish oil are another natural remedy that seems to provide a number of benefits including reducing arterial plaque and quelling internal inflammation on a cellular level.

The list is almost endless of the natural remedies that can provide us with a myriad of both short and long-term benefits.
In conclusion, not all pharmaceutical medications are bad and not all natural remedies are good but it seems that the pendulum has swung too far to the side of reactive medicine rather than concentrating on preventative medicine.

If you are one of the millions of Americans who feel they are over medicated talk to your doctor about finding a better balance. A balance that includes more natural remedies and is geared more towards prevention. Remember once your prescription medicine regime gets out of hand not only will the expense incurred be substantial but it will be increasingly difficult to reverse the trend as many pharmaceutical medications are now stacked one on top of the other to deliver the expected results.