Side Effects of Medicines

The side effects of medicines, is largely a shortsightedness of the pharmacists or lack of approach to see through the entire action of the medicine. The active principle existing in the medicine is solely used as a medicine in modern pharmacology. Ayurveda looks at it differently. Every vanaspati or a medicinal plant is a confluence of many components, and when the texts state that it works on a certain disease, it means that the entire plant is under consideration.

The modern science however locates the active principle under laboratory conditions and proves that that component alone is the primary drug. This drug is mass manufactured and used as a medicine. Ayurveda differs in this approach because it understands the confluence of the various components and their involvement in the healing process. Each component exists there for a purpose. The purpose is to either enhance the medicinal effect or to neutralize the ill effects or the adverse effects of the concerned medicine thereby making it completely safe for consumption.

Excessively sharp medicines are far less in Ayurveda. The patient’s constitution could be such that it might tend to react to certain medicines. The Vaidya checks this possible outcome and use such medicines judiciously. In other cases, certain medicines are added to counter the excess sharpness so that it complies with the patient’s constitution.

Hence, there is negligible need for lab experiments on rats and other animals and can be straight away used on the humans if it has been stated in the texts. The medicines derived from the plant kingdom are effective and devoid of any side effects. The manufacturing process is simple, safe and can be fairly liberally used under physician’s supervision.