Natural vs. Synthetic
Natural Drugs have been a part of humanity and society for most, if not all, of recorded human history. Natural Drugs can be defined as a compound containing chemicals that is sourced from a plant or an animal, or any living organism. Synthetic Drugs, however, are a different beast. Synthetic Drugs are created using chemical compounds that have been synthesized in a laboratory or any non natural source. Synthetic Drugs are considered a relatively recent discovery when compared to Natural Drugs, with the first synthetic drug being discovered only in 1869, with the creation of Chloral Hydrate (Jones AW). Chloral Hydrate was used primarily as a sedative when it was first created by humans. Since that time, synthetic medicine has become so prominent that they now make up 90% of drugs readily available on the market. However, this doesn’t mean that Natural Drugs are any less popular among the general public.
Natural Drugs can be traced back millenia, being used by Ancient Mayans, Egyptians, and Greeks to name a few. A notable Natural Drug can be traced back to the Greeks, during the Era of Hippocrates, is the primitive version of Aspirin. Aspirin was not around in the pill from that we know today, but rather in its raw form, bark of a Willow Tree. This bark was chewed on to reduce inflammation and swelling, and was a basic pain reliever, due to the Salicin that it contains. From this time to the present, Salicin was refined and chemically metabolized within the body to create Salicylic Acid. If Salicylic Acid is further refined, it is combined with Acetic Acid in order to create Acetylsalicylic Acid. This is the chemical
compound that has become the medicine that has become known as Aspirin. Aspirin has been refined to become safer and more effective, but the natural source of Aspirin has not changed.
So What’s The Difference?
There are some factors that separate the two, other than their compounds that formulate the two. Natural Drugs can generate both harmful and helpful traits to their users. However, when the everyday person hears “natural” they “equate it with safe” (Herbal Medicines) which the European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology states that “it is profoundly wrong. “Herbal remedies can cause harm through a wide range of actions.” (Herbal Medicines) If taken in large quantities, Herbal drugs can become toxic when they were once harmless. Using White Willow Tree bark as an example, one could choose between the bark and an manufactured, synthesized aspirin pill, and potentially have the same effects. However, Natural Drugs come with a risk. Due to the unpredictable nature of Natural Drugs such as willow bark, the concentration of Salicylic Acid will almost definitely be inconsistent. Not only that, but Salicylic Acid taken in high doses can be toxic to the human body. It also may contain other substances that cannot be seen, which can bring heavy risks in various cases. The finished synthetic form of Salicin, Aspirin, is refined and measured to ensure that there is an exact amount of substances in each pill, with no surprise substances. This ensures the safety of anyone taking the the drugs, and provides a high level of consistency for the user. For example, if a person took an aspirin pill, they know that they have taken 325 mg of the drug, instead of taking a gamble with chewing White Willow Bark. This increased level of measurement and assurance is absolutely necessary for the mass manufacture, production and distribution of drugs. “Evolving from salicin (the active ingredient in many plant remedies) to salicylic acid (an analgesic in its own right) to the more effective, less toxic acetylsalicylic acid” (Wick JY)
Natural Drugs are created from a biological system, and can be refined further, but how about when a drug has no biological system that it came from? Those drugs are called Synthetic Drugs, and they are created from chemical compounds that are tested and researched in laboratories from the beginning. They are created, usually, with the purpose of being a more effective drug that targets diseases or problems within the body in a more specific and concise manner. However, Synthetic Drugs, especially new ones, can bring their own risks with them.
Synthetic Drugs: A Closer Look At Celebrex
As previously stated, Synthetic Drugs are created without a biological system. They are made to be more efficient, and to become a widely manufactured and sold drug, they must be successful. But with this success can come very heavy side effects. Celebrex is a synthetic NSAID (Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) and NSAIDs are statistically the type of medicine that is most commonly taken in the world. They are effective in lowering a fever, pain relieving, prevention of blood clots, and decrease of inflammations when a greater amount is taken. Celebrex is a popular brand name NSAID that is more commonly used as treatment for inflammation type disorders and moderate to severe pain. The side effects can be more severe than that of the typical NSAID. Common effects include a fever, coughing, skin rash, or ironically the swelling of the face and/or limbs. Less common side effects can be more deadly, and for celecoxib (Celebrex) there are around 50 that range from nausea, to heavy bleeding, to painful sores in the face. The cost is also much higher than a Natural drug NSAID, With Celebrex cost ranging from 100 to 500 dollars a month, compared to ibuprofen, Another NSAID, which costs around 10 Dollars for 1000 tablets of 200mg each. However, This doesn't mean that Celebrex isn’t worth it. In tests, Celebrex has been shown to potentially lower the severity of conditions plaguing the nervous system and helping with Autoimmune inflammation such as Rheumatoid Arthritis. Keeping the potential side effects in mind it was said that,
“For an individual with RA the potential benefits of celecoxib need to be balanced against the uncertainty that the short-term reduced incidence of upper GI complications are maintained in the long-term and its increased cost in comparison to traditional NSAIDs.”
(Garner, S.E)