This is an account of personal opinion it should not be taken as gospel
Drugs evolved as our scientific knowledge has grown over the years. With our knowledge of science (more specifically chemistry) we have become capable of separating a substance into its active constituents. The main benefit of this is we are able to test the substance reliably using randomised controlled trials. It is no secret that drugs have side effects. This is something which is a recognised and (for some reason) accepted bad point to using drugs. The BNF.org lists each drug, what it does and its side effects and contraindications should you be interested in finding out more. Why these side effects occur is yet to be discovered but there is a theory which says that we cannot process these pure substances very well because our bodies have not evolved to handle such things.
For this reason, sweeping statements that natural remedies are safer alternatives are made. Personally, I do not believe all natural remedies are safer, some are quite toxic. However, I do believe our bodies are better at dealing with these toxins as we have dealt with them in our past (in evolutionary terms).
Drugs are not all bad, some are life saving and this should not be taken for granted. Although herbs work instantly I would not want to use them in an emergency situation because of the variation of response between individuals. They can be highly effective in first aid but I would not take the chance when it comes to life or death situations. Drugs are useful because of their reliability and the quickness with which they work. However, it is my experience that drugs given in hospital situations such as pain killers are not always necessary and are often handed out with little transparency and little choice to the individual.
This is simply one example of how our current health care system takes the control from the patient and puts it into the doctor giving patients an ever increasing feeling of helplessness. My aim as a herbalist and person is to return the empowerment to the patient, to educate them on their health so they can make informed decisions.
I believe that herbs are better because of their complexity. The mystery about synergy and how chemicals work together to create a substance the body is more familiar with makes herbs all the more interesting to me. These are the same reasons a scientist would discredit herbal medicine. However, I believe the complexity and synergy are the most important parts therefore; when scientific evidence warns against the use of a herb because of one constituent it contains I take it with a very large pinch of salt. These research papers may be reliable but they are not particularly valid to a practicing herbalist as we take into account individual variations between people and also the synergy of a natural plant.
Let us never forget that our drugs were made from plants and to plants we will return!