the comment about "the trivia that herbalists etc." base their claims on versus the "serious" issues dealt with by doctors is just plain ill-informed. Don't criticize something you know so little about--as you prove with the other ill-informed comments you make further on about how people in "some of those cultures" don't live past 50. Just to give you two examples, Chinese herbalism and Ayurveda are the two most prevalent herbal healing systems in the world, and the Chinese and Indians enjoy much greater longevity and health than lazy Americans exposed to multifarious toxins and weaned on junk food who have the best doctors in the world. It's not just about herbs versus modern medicine; it's about lifestyle and attitude.