Faulty Arguments in the Field of Herbalism, Natural Cures and Plant Coursework

Faulty Arguments in the Field of Herbalism, Natural Cures and Plant Medicine - Coursework Example The reasoning behind this phrase is poor because it insinuates that herbal products are safer, healthier, and has lower rates of toxicity compared to other medicinal drugs which is not true. It is also a dogmatic phrase which may be interpreted to mean that use of pharmaceuticals may result to harm. Andrew Weil, the mastermind and inventor of Arizona Center for Integrative medicine. He says ‘I did ethnobotanical study in South America, researching native uses for coca leaf, which most of us know only as the source of the isolated, problematic, addictive drug cocaine†¦if you look carefully at the coca leafs molecular array, you find 14 bioactive alkaloids, with cocaine in the greatest amount†¦Herbs like coca can "tone" the body and bring it back to homeostasis’. The source is The Huffington Post http://www.huffingtonpost.com/andrew-weil-md/why-plants-are-usually-be_b_785139.html. This is an illustration of a non-sequiter, appeal to authority, poor logic and faulty statistics. The reasoning behind it is poor since its conclusion doesn’t infer the premise. It also emphasizes on his expertise owing to convince the masses concerning his opinions. It also does not have firm deductions to the conclusions made. It also claims that a coca leaf has 14 bioact ive alkaloids but it does not give precise details how he obtained this data. David Kroll holds a doctor of philosophy in therapeutics and pharmacology. He coaches the public on organic commodities and botanical plants supplements. He says ‘Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F, or thunder god vine†¦has a history of use as an anti-inflammatory herb. As with many traditional medicines, usage patterns do not necessarily indicate scientific validity. In fact, a Cochrane review published just last month on herbal therapies for rheumatoid arthritis indicated that the efficacy of thunder god vine was mixed. More concerning is that the herb had significant adverse effects in some trials, from hair