Threat To Medicines From Plant Extinctions


	Threat To Medicines From Plant Extinctions

thisnamecantbetaken

1-20-2008 4:56 AM

1455 views

tags:

health, nature, extinction, medicine

thisnamecantbetaken says:

The world's most widely-used cancer drug, is Paclitaxel, which is derived from the bark of several species of yew tree. Its complex chemical structure and biological function has so far made it impossible to produce artificially.
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80 per cent of the global population - rely on traditional plant-based medicine as their primary form of healthcare.
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3 Comments |

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1-21-2008 11:21 PM

pokkets

Aspirin was extracted from willow bark. It seems the prospect is replacement of natural medicines, with chemically derived pharmaceutical patches, which are alien to natural processes.Too many medicines today are designed to treat problems that are essentially artificial.
Often occurring in response to the reaction of the human body to modern chemicals, such as pesticides,solvents, artificial materials, preservatives, detergents, etc.
There is more money to be made clearing land. and we'll have 'modern science' to find other answers. Like someone throwing away $1 million, because they're sure they're going to win $2 million in a lottery.
Science and Medicine find what they can. What is.
N...

1-22-2008 5:02 AM

jonhatespigeons

I was once told that for every ailment which we as animals suffer, nature will provide relief.

I understand a new form of painkillers are being researched using highly toxic venom from sea creatures, without the addictive element of opiates, or the other various withdrawal symptoms associated.

1-22-2008 5:58 PM

mooner-one

The money part is the problem. It gets spent before we can replace the tree.

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