Chemicals in Medicine and Health

This chapter asks about the common medical treatments in Malaysia, the medicines given to patients, free radicals, antioxidants and the active ingredient in health products p. 203. Kitab Tib is an ancient Malay handwritten traditional medical manuscript that describes treating stomach aches, cough and eye sore with natural substances from plants p. 203.

10.1 Traditional Medicine, Modern Medicine and Complementary Medicine

There are three medical options: traditional medicine, modern medicine and complementary medicine p. 204. Traditional medicine is a medical treatment that uses plants, animals and natural substances for diagnosis and treatment of diseases, and each race in Malaysia practises its own traditional medicine p. 204. Its treatment is slow, it is inherited from generation to generation, its effectiveness is proven with experience, and the treatment cost is low p. 204. Modern medicine combines health science and biomedical fields such as clinical medicine, medical research and surgery p. 205. It is clinically tested, effective and fast, but the treatment cost is high p. 205. Complementary medicine refers to various methods of health care from many cultural backgrounds, covering natural products and mind and body practices, and it is sometimes used with modern treatments for diseases such as cancer p. 205.

Medicines are drugs or substances taken to control health, treat or prevent diseases, and they need to be obtained from accredited bodies p. 206. Traditional medicine is derived from plants and animals without being processed chemically p. 206. Aloe vera gel reduces pain due to sunburn, ginseng maintains good health, and ginger relieves swelling, bodily pain and bloatedness p. 206. Hibiscus leaves relieve headache and prevent hair loss, and the bark of Cinchona is used to make quinine for malaria p. 206.

Modern medicine is manufactured in the laboratory in forms such as pills, capsules, paste, suspension and solution, and it is classified into analgesics, antibiotics and psychotherapeutic medicines p. 207. Analgesics relieve pain, for example aspirin, paracetamol and codeine p. 207. Antibiotics kill or inhibit the growth of infectious bacteria, can be produced from fungi or bacteria or by synthesis, and must be taken according to prescription; examples are penicillin and streptomycin p. 207. Psychotherapeutic medicines treat psychiatric patients and include stimulants such as amphetamine, antidepressants such as imipramine and amitriptyline, and antipsychotics such as barbiturates and haloperidol p. 207.

Complementary medicine ensures that the patient is holistically healthy and is an additional treatment performed with modern medicine p. 208. In acupuncture, sterile needles are inserted at acupuncture points to stimulate the nervous system to relieve pain p. 208. Chiropractic uses no medicine; the chiropractor adjusts bone position by hand to treat back and neck pain, joint pain, headaches and sports injuries p. 208. Traditional massage manipulates soft tissues and soothes anxiety, pain, fatigue and muscle tension p. 208. Homeopathy strengthens the body’s immunity against infectious disease rather than killing germs, and herbal therapy uses plants or parts of plants p. 209.

Medicines are either man-made (synthetic) or from natural resources p. 210. Man-made medicines such as vitamin C pills are made in the lab, and their evidence of healing is based on clinical tests p. 210. Medicines from natural resources such as vitamin C from fruits must be taken for a long time, and their evidence of healing is by trust and past experiences p. 210. Both carry a risk of side effects if used without a doctor’s advice or without the correct dosage p. 210. Misuse of medicine occurs when a person does not use medicine for its intended purpose or does not follow the doctor’s prescription, and side effects are undesirable effects of drug use p. 211. Misuse can cause death, severe side effects, addiction, or make the medication less effective so the disease is not cured p. 211.

10.2 Free Radicals

Free radicals are atoms or molecules that lack one electron, which makes them unstable, reactive and likely to attack other atoms or molecules p. 212. Oxidation is a chemical reaction in which a substance loses electrons, and it occurs naturally in the body to produce free radicals in a chain reaction p. 212. Metabolism and inflammation are two internal factors that produce free radicals, while cigarette smoke, radiation, sunlight and air pollution are external factors p. 212. Free radicals damage DNA by removing electrons from molecules that build DNA, forming carcinogenic substances that may cause mutations and cancer p. 212. They also cause cardiovascular disease and infertility, damage the kidneys, liver and lungs, and cause premature aging such as wrinkles and grey hair p. 212. External factors include air pollution, ultraviolet rays, toxic waste, ionising radiation and cigarette smoke p. 213.

10.3 Antioxidant Substances

Antioxidants are chemical substances needed by our body to slow down or to stop the oxidation process, and they protect body cells from damage by free radicals p. 214. Our bodies produce antioxidants, but this ability decreases as we grow old, so we need to get antioxidants from food p. 214. Beta carotene is found in carrots, mangoes and sweet potatoes, lutein in spinach, cabbage and broccoli, and lycopene in papaya, guava, watermelon and tomato p. 214. Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is found in citrus fruits, and vitamin E, also known as alpha-tocopherol, is found in palm oil, wheat germ oil, corn oil and soybean oil p. 214.

Antioxidants can be obtained from chemical synthesis or natural plants, and when they react with free radicals, more stable compounds are produced and the oxidation process stops p. 215. Oxidation causes fruits such as apples and bananas to become brown when left exposed to the air p. 215. In Experiment 10.1, apple slices are soaked in sugar solution, lime juice, sodium bicarbonate solution and common salt solution, then left in air for 15 minutes p. 216.

10.4 Health Products

All health products, whether pills, powders or lotions, contain active ingredients, which are specific components of a product that have effects on the cure or prevention of disease p. 217. A label may list vitamin C as the active ingredient with the purpose antioxidant p. 217. The active ingredient has the same effect in products of different brands, and sometimes two or more active ingredients cannot be used together because they can react and cause harm p. 217. Supplements are taken to treat diseases and maintain health, and multivitamins promote growth among children p. 218. More people rely on health products because of their busy lifestyle and unbalanced diet, so we need to seek medical advice and check the label before buying or using any health product p. 218.