Natural medicine is getting official recognition outside of the US—when will our government wise up? Action Alert!
For many months now we’ve been telling you about natural medicines that can help in the fight against COVID—medicines that our government not only refuses to recognize, but actively undermines. This is in stark contrast to other places in the world that are harnessing the power of natural medicine to promote the health of their populations. Cronyism is keeping us sick and our medicine expensive—this situation has to change.
Thailand just cleared the herb Andrographis paniculate to treat early COVID infections. Research demonstrates the stunning ability of this herb to fight the virus. Laboratory research in Thailand found that the plant’s extract was effective at killing the virus and preventing it from multiplying. Clinical trials on human subjects began soon after, which found that patients treated with Andrographis showed improvement after just three days of treatment.
How did this research come about? In general, Thailand owns the intellectual property rights on traditional Thai medicines like Andrographis. In the US, it is generally not possible to patent natural medicines, so there isn’t an incentive for companies to fund the exorbitantly expensive studies necessary to win FDA approval. And without FDA approval, no claim can be made for a medicine to treat a disease.
Thailand isn’t alone. China includes Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM) in its protocols to treat COVID-19. This includes a host of herbs and botanicals such as honeysuckle, liquorice, astragalus, orange peel, and yam.
In fact, most promising treatments are not being studied at all in the US and have little chance of attracting the necessary attention and funding with the onerously expensive FDA approval process standing in the way. Here are a few key examples of items that have tremendous potential but are being ignored by Pharma and its allies in government (more elaborated explanations for these treatments can be found in this article): potassium, zinc, quercetin, oregano oil, monolaurin, silver, and vitamin D. More information can also be found at our COVID-411 page.
The case for vitamin D is particularly persuasive. A study of 154 COVID patients found that 97 percent of severely ill patients requiring ICU admission were vitamin D deficient, whereas only 33 percent of asymptomatic cases were deficient.
Hospital protocols in the US are even including vitamins D, C, and B, as well as zinc and melatonin, in their COVID-19 treatment protocols.
Yet, as we’ve been telling you, federal agencies are attacking doctors and clinics for sharing basic information about the benefits of these medicines for COVID-19. The FTC and FDA sent a warning letter to a company advertising the benefits of Andrographis. Other letters have been sent to those discussing the benefits of vitamins D and C. Why? Because these treatments don’t have FDA approval to treat COVID.
The result of all this is that promising natural treatments are completely ignored by our health system. If we have any hope of improving healthcare in this country, this arrangement needs to change.
Action Alert! Support our legislative efforts that seek to reform a healthcare system that blocks access to natural treatments that generally cannot go through FDA approval. Please send your message immediately.
