= Enlightening and Informative
Reviewer: The Rebecca Review
“Today, conventional medicine has
fewer quarrels with alternative medicine than in the
past….This openness to exploring new methods of healing is
especially relevant to what I see as the most significant trend
in alternative medicine: the dramatic increase in the use of
vitamins, minerals, herbs, and other nutritional supplements.
For many people, these supplements have come to play an
important role in medical self-care, either as preventative
medicine or as therapy for a variety of ailments.” –David
Edelberg, M.D., the chief consultant for this book
“The Healing Power of Vitamins, Minerals, and Herbs” is
an A-Z guide and so much more. This book will encourage a deeper
understanding of how various supplements can enhance your
health.
These supplement may not always work miracles, but they do
have proven benefits. A combination of supplements with a
healthy diet and lifestyle changes (regular exercise, weight
control, stress reduction) can help you avoid many trips to the
doctor and help you avoid the “standard” medication or
“prescription” refills we are all so used to.
Contents:
Comprehensive list of over 90 ailments discussed. The
supplements and dosages to treat conditions is very helpful.
This is the first section in the book and each ailment is given
it’s own two pages. It is easy to find your ailment in
alphabetical order.
For each ailment, you will find these items discussed:
Symptoms
When to Call a Doctor
What it is
What causes it
How supplements can help
Supplement Recommendations
What else you can do
Facts & Tips
Latest Findings
Did you Know
Under Fatigue, you will not only find out that Hippocrates
and Shakespeare wrote about it, but that there are many things
you can do that do not include supplementation. Simple ideas
like not skipping breakfast of avoiding caffeinated beverages.
Could it be a vitamin B12 deficiency? Is it a result of stress?
Too much exercise? The list goes on. Anyway, it is all very
interesting to see the options.
Ailments sections include:
Acne, Aging, Alcoholism, Allergies, Alzheimer’s disease,
Anemia, Angina, Anxiety and Panic, Arrythmias, Arthritis,
Asthma, Athlete’s food, Back pain, Bad breath, Bronchitis,
Burns, Cancer, Cancer Prevention, Canker sores, Carpal tunnel
syndrome, Cataracts, Chronic fatigue syndrome, Chronic pain,
Cold sores, Colds and flue, Congestive heart failure,
Constipation, Cough, Cuts and Scrapes, Depression, Diabetes,
Diarrhea, Diverticular disorders, Dizziness, Earache, Eczema,
Endometriosis, Epilepsy, Eye infections, Fatigue, Fibrocystic
breasts, Fibromyalgia, Flatulence, Gallstones, Gout, Gum
disease, hair problems, Heart disease prevention, Heartburn,
Hemorrhoids, Hepatitis, High blood pressure, High cholesterol,
HIV/AIDS, Impotence, Infertility (male and female), Inflammatory
bowel disease, Insect bites and stings, Insomnia, Irritable
bowel syndrome, Lupus, Macular degeneration, Menopause, Menstral
disorders, Migraine, Multiple sclerosis, Muscle aches and pains,
Nail problems, Nausea and vomiting, Numbness and tingling,
Osteoporosis, Overweight, Parkinson’s disease, Premenstral
syndrome, Prostate problems, Psoriasis, Raynaud’s disease,
Rheumatoid arthritis, Rosacea, Shingles, Sinusitis, Smoking,
Sore throat, Sprains and strains, Stress, sunburn, Thyroid
diseases, Tinnitus, Ulcers, Urinary tract infection, Varicose
veins, Warts and Yeast Infections.
80 Vitamins, Minerals, Herbs and Nutritional Supplements
covered by leading experts in the field.
For each supplement you will find a discussion on the
following:
Names of this Supplement (there are often many)
Common Uses
Forms
CAUTION
What it is
What it does
How to take it
Possible Side Effects
Facts & Tips
Shopping Hints
Did you Know?
Under “Feverfew” we find the common uses are to prevent
migraines. The caution is that pregnant women should not use
this supplement and it is a member of the flower family that
includes daisies and sunflowers. It has active compounds that
seem to block substances in the body that widen and constrict
blood vessels. A study in Great Britian reported that half of
the feverfew preparations examined contained virtually none of
its active ingredient, parthenolide. You have to look for
“Tacacetum parthenium” on the label. Most helpful!
The Supplements discussed include:
Acidophilus, Aloe vera, Alpha-liopic acid, Amino acids,
Astragalus, Bee products, Beta-carotene, Bilberry, Biotin and
pantothenic acid, Black cohosh, Calcium, Carotenoids, Cat’s
claw, Cayenne, Chamomile, Chasteberry, Chromium, Coenzyme Q10,
Copper, Cranberry, Dandelion, DHEA, Dong quai, Echinacea,
Ephedra, Evening Primrose oil, Feverfew, Fish Oils, 5-HTP,
Flavonoids, Flaxseed oil, Folic acid, Garlic, Ginger, Ginkgo
bilobab, Ginseng (panax), Glucosamine, Goldenseal, Gotu kola,
Grape seed extract, Green tea, Gugulipid, Hawthorn, Iodine,
Iron, Kava, Lecithin and choline, Licorice, Magnesium, Milk
thistle, Mushrooms, Nettle, Niacin, Pau d’arco, Peppermint,
Phosphorus, Potassium, Psyllium, Riboflavin, Saw palmetto,
Selenium, Shark cartilage, Siberian ginseng, Soy isoflavones,
Spirulina and kelp, St. John’s wort, Tea tree oil, Thiamin,
Trace minerals, Valerian, Vitamin A, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12,
Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, White willow bark,
Wild yam and Zinc.
This book is very easy to read and does give warnings and
discuss potential side effects. There are various herbs
mentioned in this book that are no longer quite so readily
accepted. Who is still willing to take Ephedra?
I think if you are going to take herbs, you should also read
the: “Natural Health Magazine Complete Guide to Safe Herbs”
by Chris D. Meletis, N.D. “The Doctors Book of Home
Remedies” and “The Herbal Drugstore” by White and Foster
are almost essential reading! The Real Vitamin and Mineral Book
by Shari Lieberman is also a good resource.
“Despite more extensive research,
however, a number of benefits attributed to vitamins, minerals,
and herbs remain unproven and controversial.”
I think that conventional medicine has often failed us by
keeping us in the dark about how individuals can cure themselves
with alternative therapies. I’ve often found a natural remedy
that far outperforms any antibiotic. When you have the flu there
is a product called “oscillococcinum” which is a homeopathic
medicine that really works. I’m not so enthusiastic about
“Echinacea” anymore because it can cause acne reactions. For
some, it might still be a great way to boost their immunity.
Just because an herb is recommended, does not mean you will not
be allergic to that particular herb. When taking herbs, you
often have to be willing to be a part of your own health
experiment. For me, the results have been mostly positive.
If you are taking ANY prescriptions of any sort, please
consult with your physician before taking any herbs. Or at least
really read up on “interactions” between Herbs and
Prescriptions.
While doctors will often tell me to not use natural remedies
when I discuss them, I now know what works and what doesn’t.
When they give me a product that doesn’t help, I am willing to
look in an alternate direction.
This book answers these questions and many more:
1. Did you know that while oxygen is essential for
life, it can have adverse effects on your body? Read about the
chemical changed that occur that create reactive unstable oxygen
molecules which can damage cells.
2. What do RDAs, DVs and RDIs mean?
3. How do I read a supplement label more effectively?
4. What form of a supplement should be used? Tablet”
Capsule? Powder? Liquid? Chewable? Lozenges? Sublingual Tablets?
Time-Released Formulas? Tinctures? Teas? Infusions? Oils? Gels?
Creams? Ointments?
I also like the “other supplements” section that lists
many of the supplements they might have left out because they
didn’t have enough room. They each have the uses and other
comments. You might want to do more research before taking these
“other” supplements, as there is not enough information here
to make an informed decision. There is an easy-to-use index.
Pictures are included for most of the items discussed.
Highly Recommended to anyone who wants
to take charge of their health!
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