With the increasing controversy over the side effects of many medicines, natural remedies aren't just used by traditional healers. Any individual might decide to go the natural route as well. If you're worried about or fed up by the medications you're getting through your dental or health plan, you might consider trying a natural remedy. We'll tell you all about natural remedies here so you can make an informed decision one way or the other.

To some extent, almost all remedies are natural remedies. Most medications are synthesized or extracted from plants (penicillin, for example, is made from mold). It is the extraction, refinement, and synthesizing processes that make them unnatural. If you were to crush or eat the mold or mix it with other plants or natural substances, then it would remain a natural remedy.

There are many types of natural remedies. Some have been passed down from native healer to native healer for many decades and longer. These types of healers base their recipes and dosage on years and years of administering it to their people on a trial and error basis, so you can be fairly certain it's not going to kill you outright unless you have an allergy. Some cultures that have very popular traditional medicines include North American First Nations Cultures and the Chinese.

Another common type of natural remedies can be found in the mall, the drug store, and the grocery store. These remedies consist of things like herbal teas, vitamin supplements, and colon cleansers. These medicines tend to be more trustworthy than traditional medicines because they are required to be approved by the food and drug authorities or FDA, before they are allowed to be sold on retail shelves. They are only required to not be harmful. They are not tested for effectiveness, so keep in mind they may have no proven effectiveness.

Side effects are a major worry for a lot of people who are taking synthesized medicines, but the thing to remember is that natural remedies aren't without their risks and side effects too. It's just that natural remedies tend to be far less concentrated than even the Aspirin you take, so the side effects are less pronounced. Even though your doctor will not usually dispense natural remedies, you should still talk to him or her before trying one, as he or she may be able to give you more information on its risks.