The ABC Clinical Guide to Herbs [with supplement] [Hardcover]

Mark Blumenthal (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1588901572 | ISBN-13: 978-1588901576 | Publication Date: April 15, 2003 | Edition: 1

*National Continuing Education Credit for Physicians, Physician Assistants, Osteopaths, Pharmacists, Nurses, Nurse Practitioners, Dieticians, and Naturopaths

*400+ page self-paced course/reference including comprehensive clinical monographs, clinical overviews, patient information sheets, and references for 29 widely used herbs and additional information on numerous proprietary multi-herb products.

*Comprehensive clinical studies table for each herb including brand names of the products studied

*Important information on safety and drug interactions

Each in-depth clinical monograph covers: Overview, Description, Primary Uses, Dosage, Duration of Administration, Chemistry, Pharmacological Actions, Mechanism of Action, Contraindications, Adverse Effects, Drug Interactions, Safety Rating, International Regulatory Status (broken down by country), Clinical Review, and a Clinical Studies table, including the most up-to-date clinical research on each herb. The Clinical Studies Table covers: author/year, subject, study design, duration of study, dosage administered in study, preparation used, and a summary of the results and conclusions made from the study.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'Eminently suitable for the general practitioner. . .offers accurate information and a vital background in herb safety, standardization, regulation and lack of regulation, rational phytotherapy, and evidence-based medicine.' --Medicine Weekly

'Good explanations of the current regulatory and legal status of herbs in the US. . .the clinical trial summary tables do a good job of providing useful information in a succinct manner. . .the text is useful for information on common herbal products and provides good quality information. This text would serve as a useful addition to a medical library or a practitioner's collection.' --The Annals of Pharmacotherapy

'A detailed review of relevant therapeutic and clinical data concerning some of the most frequently used medicinal herbs and other preparations that patients are likely to take. . .urgently needed benchmark that is a must for clinicians, researchers, and laypersons.' --Majors Scientific Book Report

'Extensive information on 29 of the most popular herbs. . .well-referenced, comprehensive. . .' --Creations Magazine

'The ultimate resource for information about each of the twenty-nine most frequently used herbs. . .a valuable book for the lay person as well as the clinician at a time when alternative medicines are being widely discussed.' --Journal of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas

'Easy-to-use format enables rapid searchinf for pertinent information on a specific herb. The tables summarizing research studies are an excellent reference source and provide rapid access to clinical data.' --American College of Physicians

"Meticulous, well organized, definitive, practical are the words that come to mind on reading [this book] . . . There is something in this superb volume for anyone that uses or prescribes botanicals. . . . Promises to serve as the standard on herbs . . . It deserves a place on your bookshelf and in your office." - Integrative Health Care

"This book is a worthy addition to the library of any medical practitioner. The content for each herb is complete. [This book] sets an excellent example for prospective texts." --Medical Acupuncture

From the Publisher

Published by the American Botanical Council, Thieme is proud to be the exclusive worldwide distributor for this book.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 510 pages
• Publisher: American Botanical Council; 1 edition (April 15, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1588901572
• ISBN-13: 978-1588901576
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 8.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #418,454 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars A potentially useful book if, August 28, 2003

By 

Dr. Patricia Prigeon (Ann Arbor, MI) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The ABC Clinical Guide to Herbs [with supplement] (Hardcover)

In fairness to the authors, this is a potentially useful book if you do not have any other books by Mark Blumenthal and you do not subscribe to periodicals by the American Botanical Council. It is far from the best of in its field, because it is given to restating the vocabulary rather than giving meaning, as in this description of milk thistle:

Hepaptoprotective; reduces serum gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) and transaminases (ALT, AST), reduces triglyceride in serum; reduces malondialdehyde...

This is simply the ploy used by herbalists with a more limited grasp of technical terminology. One herbalist might say, "flushes the liver," which is meaningless, while these herbalists say, "reduces serum gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase," which is meaningless to most readers and of very limited clinical value to practitioners. Reduces GGT how? Through action on hepatocytes? By maintaining plasticity? By introducing variation in laboratory measurements without beneficials changes to tissue? Can we assume our patients are better if their GGT titers are reduced?

Dr. Blumenthal obviously reads and writes. He sees a scientific fact, rephrases it, and adds a citation. This may be impressive, but it isn't useful. And the focus is exclusively herbal. Physicians would be much better served to read Murray & Pizzorno's textbooks on naturopathy than this long vocabulary exercise.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Yet another rehash of Commission E, July 31, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The ABC Clinical Guide to Herbs [with supplement] (Hardcover)

How many times is this author going to publish the same book? Sure there's some new information--new in the sense it wasn't in his other books, but already dated compared to the science--and there are some new products--not a complete list by any means. But, please, once was enough!

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Valuable Pharmacy Resource, September 4, 2003

By 

Norbert A. Pilewski, R.Ph., Ph.D.- Duquesne U... (Pittsburgh, PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The ABC Clinical Guide to Herbs [with supplement] (Hardcover)

This book should be on every pharmacy reference shelf whether it is in the corner drugstore or the hospital pharmacy. Herbal questions arise continuously in practice and very often the pharmacist does not have the information at hand. The sections in this book on pharmacological actions, clinical review, and clinical studies are especially valuable as these often do not exist in other herbal references. The information on clinical studies is displayed in a series of tables that are quick to scan yet are detailed. For Ginkgo there are six pages of clinical studies tables. Contraindications, adverse effects, and drug interactions are there also for each herb and there is just enough botany and chemistry to keep an academic interested. This book is thorough and yet concise. It covers the 29 best-selling herbs in the United States and the information on each plant is extensively referenced. I have recommended this book to my students and I am currently using it in my courses.