Persuasive speech on alternative medicine

Title of Presentation: Herbs as Medicine

General Purpose: To inform the audience about using herbs as a medicine.

Specific Purpose: To teach people about medicinal herbs and their therapeutic purpose as well as benefits of using herbs as medicine.

Thesis Statement: Herbal medicine has been used since ancient times to ease or treat most of the possible medical conditions.

I. Introduction

A. Attention-getter: An American physician of healthy living, Dr. Weil believes that healthcare providers can recommend herbal remedies in the form of capsules, extracts, tablets, tinctures, and teas as a practical way to address different types of medical conditions. In many cultures, the relationship between foods and medicine is close. Using species and herbs associated with disease preventive in our meals is the best way to take advantage of their healing power.

B. Relevance statement: Whether you are looking for natural herbs, vitamins or other over-the-counter dietary supplements to address some health issues, researching herbal medicine would be of great help. Doing thorough investigation about possible interactions with herbal medicines helps to ensure that one does not experience adverse effects for better health.

C. Credibility statement: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center provides a reliable database which can help understand the value of using dietary and common herbs supplements. Dr. Weil offers reliable information on the importance of herbs as medicine as well as guiding on some of the most popular herbal remedies and medical condition they are used to address.

D. Thesis Statement: Herbal medicines have been used since ancient times to ease or treat most of the possible medical conditions.

E. Preview Statement: I shall present the various types of herbs and there medicinal purposes that are proven by physicians and medicine specialist such as Dr. Weil, the benefit of using herbal medicines, and some of the conditions that you should avoid them.

II. Body

A. According to Dr. Axe, a food and medicine specialist, 25 percent of the drugs prescribed worldwide get derived from plants. As such, among the 252 drugs listed by the World Health Organization as an essential medicine, 11 percent are of plant origin (Dr. Axe, 1). Dr. Weil believes that there are many herbal remedies used to address a variety of medical condition.

1. Aloe is topically used for minor sunburns, burns or skin irritation

2. Chamomile tea is drunk for stomach upset, indigestion, colic and heartburn.

3. Dong Quai for women, ginseng for men, eleuthero, and Rhodiola are tonics ingested to improve general health and stamina (Pizzorno, et al., 35).

B. Dr. Weil, however, warns about mixing of herbs and drugs with similar actions. Also, he warns about mixing drugs and herbs which have opposite reactions. When in doubt, it is advisable to consult a pharmacist about the interaction between herbs and drugs.

1. It is advisable to avoid taking any herbal medicines during pregnancy mainly for the first trimester.

2. More so, women who are breastfeeding should avoid medicinal herbs for the first four to six months unless it stimulates breast milk production (Pizzorno, et al., 23).

3. Herbal remedies which are safe for adults may not be safe for children.

C. In comparing herbal medicines with conventional medicine, there are more substantial benefits in herbal medicines. These are some of the benefits of herbal medicine:

1. They are more affordable than conventional medication.

2. Herbal medicines are more accessible to obtain because they are most available in most health foods and grocery stores (Dr. Axe, 1). .

III. Conclusion

A. According to Dr. Weil, herbal medicines have the advantage of complexity. In that, they contain an extensive collection of chemical compounds which has useful healing power (Wellness, et al., 1). By visiting a reliable practitioner, you can get the best treatment to address the medical condition you are suffering.

B. The first pharmacological compound, Morphine was produced from opium extracted from poppy flower’s seed pods (Odyn, 45). Since ancient times, people have been using herbs to make medicines as well as medicinal herbs to address various medical conditions.

References

Wellness, Health et al. "Herbal Medicine | Medical Herbs | Dr. Weil's Wellness Therapies". Drweil.Com, 2018, Accessed 20 Nov 2018 from https://www.drweil.com/health-wellness/balanced-living/wellness-therapies/herbal-medicine/ .

Pizzorno, Joseph E., Michael T. Murray, and Herb Joiner-Bey. The Clinician's Handbook of Natural Medicine E-Book. Elsevier Health Sciences, 2016.

"The Top 10 Herbal Medicine Herbs". Dr. Axe, 2018, Accessed 20 Nov 2018 from https://draxe.com/herbal-medicine/ .

Ody, Penelope. The Complete Medicinal Herbal: A Practical Guide to the Healing Properties of Herbs. Skyhorse Publishing, Inc., 2017.