H1N1
Cow Urine, Herbal Remedies to Combat Swine Flu
Since many Indians prefer to follow alternative medicine rather than allopathy for curing diseases, such alternative medicines are becoming popular to arrest the spread of swine flu. Now even things like cow urine and other herbal concoctions are gaining popularity among Indians to combat the H1N1 Swine Flu virus according to this Bloomberg report.
Reportedly it is the rising death toll from swine flu in India that is driving some people to buy remedies made of “cow- urine extract, clarified butter and herbal potions to ward off the disease”. This is also attributed to the fact that the government restricts sale and use of Tamiflu and other drugs.
There is a worry among those of the medical fraternity that this is just a way for many to make money since there is no regulation of some of these so called ‘herbal remedies’. People make any claim that they want in order to sell their product.
Though Ayurveda is proven to be very effective in treating a number of problems and ailments, there is the fear that at a time of crisis such as the one Swine flu has caused, people will try anything to make quick money preying on people’s fears and gullibility.
There are claims made by a Nagpur based organisation called Go-Vigyan Anusandhan Kendra, that a product that includes extracts of cow urine can cure people of many illnesses and increase immunity. Skeptics however claim that these are claims made without of any proof or evidence of efficacy.
While traditional medicines, particularly those including Tulsi, are seen to be very effective, people need to be aware that there are a lot of charlatans operating out there who want nothing more than to make quick money and have no proven track record of either the efficacy or even the safety of the product that they offer. So in the case of alternative therapies, it is a case of CAVEAT EMPTOR or let the buyer beware!
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