Natural remedies used by animals might help experts discover the cure for AIDS

Nov 28, 2011 12:36 GMT  ·  By

Wildlife populations can revolutionize the pharmaceutical industry, providing appropriate remedies to several zoonotic diseases, intensively studied by scientists at this point in time. Animal self-medication could inspire new kinds of treatments, also contributing a great deal to environmental preservation.

Experts now know that analyzing animal behavior is a strategy with a lot of potential. Several zoonotic diseases, like Bird Flu, Swine Flu, and Cow disease have already shown us that whatever is threatening animals ends up putting the lives of humans in great danger, reports Mongabay.com. We use different pills, cough syrup and special drinks whenever we deal with a running nose or the slightest fever symptom. Animals can't rely on this method so they search for alternative cures on their own.

Therefore, it is significantly important to investigate the resources animals use to fight their illnesses and to allow them free access to natural remedies. Now, massive deforestation correlated with habitat loss is a main disrupting factor that prevents creatures from safeguarding their wellbeing.

Recently, experts found out that plants' secondary metabolites provide a long list of advantages both to animals and to people. It appears that creatures are able to detect and distinguish several colors and aromas revealed by essential oils produced by plants for different purposes.

When animals face a poor state of health, they use them to get better and ‘recipes’ are kept secret. Empirical proofs indicate that ill, weak animals, combine the advantages provided by certain plants, minerals, soils and other elements to self-medicate and heal themselves.

Wildlife creatures have had no other means of curing their illnesses except their own natural treatment, whose recipes have been developed and improved throughout centuries of experience, inspiring a much more evolved industry.

The benefits of Zoopharmacognosy are now revealed and implemented by ecologists, animal behavior experts, pharmacists, veterinarians and biologists all across the Globe.

At this point in time, this field of activity may not be mature enough to provide cures for deadly zoonotic disease; yet, in time its beneficial exploitation will eventually draw up effective measures of precaution or even natural remedies meant to put an end to our suffering.

If the same path is preserved and further explored , experts might even find a proper cure to AIDS, one of the most notorious zoonotic diseases, that continues to make millions of victims every year.