For many people today's modern medicine is the only medicine they know and they do not realize that many of today's formulations are based on the science behind natural health products. Prior to the current pharmaceutical companies, most medicines consisted of ingredients derived from botanicals and the plants and herbs used for specific remedies were based on the knowledge available at the time. Many remedies were discovered by accident such as the plants used for colon cleansing were identified after a person ingested the plant and experienced the cleansing process. The amount of the plant used or the plant extract was adjusted to meet the needs of the individual patients. 

As natural healing medications were developed they could be manipulated to cure or provide relief for a variety of ailments. While headaches were not fully understood during these times, finding natural remedies to provide sinus relief was found by using other plants or herbs that allowed freer breathing. Much like many of today's conventional medications are developed, if a product worked on one type of ailment, it was tried in various dosages and with other ingredients on other ailments. Many modern physicians are not enamored with natural medicine, despite the proof that they work. 

In developing modern medicine, scientists insist on being able to repeat procedures resulting in repeated affects, and with natural medication the procedure may work 100 percent of the time of some people and only 98 percent of the time on others. Modern medicine does not take into account the difference in people's metabolic systems in accounting for any difference. Most are also willing to accept the various side effects that accompany synthetic drugs, even with medication for constipation that may be more serious than the original problem. 

One of the biggest advantages of natural health products, in addition to them being generally safe and non-addictive is that they are designed to treat the cause of the problem and not just the symptom. Since childhood, everyone is taught that there is no cure for the common cold, only medication to treat the symptoms. With natural health products the aim is to treat the cold. Not only the runny nose and sneezing. For the symptoms of menopause, for example, replenishing the woman's estrogen with phytoestrogens, available from plants has shown promise in relieving many of the symptoms, without the side effects of chemically produced androgens. 

Another good example is the science behind medications designed for sleep problems. A large percentage of adults suffer from occasional insomnia and many of the chemical substitutes work on the nervous system to help them fall asleep. Most natural products used for sleep are used to relax the person's mind and eliminate pain, two of the leading causes of insomnia. By tackling the basic cause of the sleep problem, most patients are better able to fall asleep and stay asleep and not worry about being sluggish or drowsy the entire next day, a common result of synthetic sleep aids. Most report that natural sleep allows them to feel more refreshed on less sleep when they have to awaken early.