So, I just got over a truly epic bout of the flu. For an entire week, I fought off the aches and the chills and the most intense coughing grossness of my life. I tried to combat my symptoms with a wide range of over the counter drugs, and they actually kinda made things worse, and I had a ton of annoying side effects like stomach upset and dizziness from all the various chemicals I was pumping into my system. I actually had better luck with all-natural remedies, like a spoonful of honey, when it came to quieting my cough.

This is a long way of explaining what drew me to check out the iPhone app My Natural Healer Free, developed by WorldLink, Inc. I’ve had a passing interest in herbal remedies over the years, and I was attracted to this app’s interface.

What is it and what does it do

Main Functionality

My Natural Healer Free presents a long list of symptoms and ailments, and then lists several all-natural or herbal supplements that can treat those conditions. The Free version of My Natural Healer contains 2 remedies for each of the over 100 illness categories for over 200 remedies total. The Paid version contains 10 remedies for each illness category for over 1000 remedies total.

Note: Please don’t use this app as a substitute for a doctor. dotTech and its writers are not responsible for any gain or harm incurred.

Pros

• Easy to navigate and attractive app design
• Tons of info about different herbal supplements, both common and less well known
• Information about what form the supplements most often come in (such as capsule, liquid, powder, etc.)
• No Internet connection required

Cons

• Free version has limited herbal alternatives compared to the paid version
• No way to search for specific herbs by name (but you can save some items to a favorites list for later easy access)
• Lacks information about possible drug interactions or side effects that the herbs can cause

Discussion

I love the idea of an app that lets you find an herbal supplement based on what symptoms you are currently facing. However, it does seem silly to not let users just search for an herbal supplement by name. Still, even with only two treatments for each condition, there are a ton of interesting herbal supplements and all-natural remedies that you can learn about.

However, I have a big problem with this app. It simply does not do enough to warn people about the side effects or possible drug interactions that they might experience. This is a big deal: just because something is all natural doesn’t make it safe. Cyanide is all-natural, and you can find it in apple seeds, but you shouldn’t take it. Plenty of herbal supplements in this app have unexpected issues: St. John’s Wort can interfere birth control, for example, while velvet bean can cause hair loss, extreme emotional states, and hallucinations.

Conclusion and download link

This app is a good way to learn about herbal treatments for your aches and pains. However, you should do the due diligence and research any herbal supplements fully to learn about their side effects or possible drug interactions. The app is easy to navigate, and a good first step towards finding a safe, all-natural herbal way to treat your ailments.

Price: Free

Version reviewed: 1.5 

Requires: iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad, iOS 3.0 or later

Download size: 6.8 MB

My Natural Healer Free on Apple App Store