Dietary Supplements and Multiple Sclerosis: A Health Professional's Guide [Paperback]

Allen C. Bowling (Author), Thomas M. Stewart (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1888799900 | ISBN-13: 978-1888799903 | Publication Date: November 2004 | Edition: 1

There is a relatively high use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), especially dietary supplements, among people with multiple sclerosis (MS). Health professionals with CAM information can improve the quality of patient care by guiding patients away from possibly harmful therapies and, if appropriate, towards low-risk, possibly effective therapies.

"Dietary Supplements and Multiple Sclerosis" is meant to be referred to when people with MS ask a question about a particular dietary supplement. Supplements are arranged in alphabetical order under the most commonly used name. In addition, the index contains a listing of these common names as well as less common names that may be encountered. The main information about the supplements is written in a concise summary form that usually discusses only the MS relevance of the supplement.

The supplements selected for inclusion are those with specific MS relevance, such as those that are known to be used by people with MS, have claimed efficacy for slowing disease progression or relieving MS symptoms, interact with drugs commonly used to treat MS, and potentially worsen MS or its symptoms. Also, supplements are reviewed that are popular in the general population or are known to have serious adverse effects.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Allen C. Bowling, MD, PhD, is Medical Director of the Rocky Mountain MS Center. He is also the Director of the Complementary and Alternative Medicine Program based at the center and a Clinical Associate Professor of Neurology at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. Dr. Bowling has published numerous articles in clinical and basic science journals. He has presented information and original research on CAM and MS at national and international medical conferences as well as to lay audiences. His work on CAM has received numerous awards.

Product Details

• Paperback: 110 pages
• Publisher: Demos Medical Publishing; 1 edition (November 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1888799900
• ISBN-13: 978-1888799903
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 0.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #796,657 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Jampacked with lots and lots of essential information those of us with MS need, July 6, 2005

By 

Barbara L. Timmer "Nightsky Weaverwombon" (Cincinnati, Ohio United States) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Dietary Supplements and Multiple Sclerosis: A Health Professional's Guide (Paperback)

WOW! I now no longer feel like I'm fumbling around in the dark about dietary suppplements and MS! Dr. Bowling thoroughly and objectively examines supplements and their effects on MS! How empowering it is to know that certain supplements have the side effect of nausea, which is my most frequent and bothersome MS sypmtom and the one thing I simply can't cope with.

No more Evening Primrose Oil for me! I've replaced it with Flaxseed Oil, which does basically the same thing, but unlike Evening Primrose Oil does not have nausea as a side effect!

I would gladly trade more physical disability if I just could find a way to do something about the nausea!

And even more important information, supplements that stimulate the immune system. Also of importance is the information on which supplements can cause liver damage, particularly important for those of us who are on one of the interferons!

With Dr. Bowling's excellent book in hand I am adding herbal supplements to my regimin, and I do notice a measurable improvement in my overall condition!

However, as all us MS'rs know, our lovely little disease has a tendency to go through periods when it kicks our butts less than at other times, and with that knowledge, I'll do an update on this review towards the end of this year.

Obviously, highly reccomended to anyone with MS! I'd pretty much put this in the category of a must-read book for my Sisters and Brothers with MS.

Doesn't having MS absolutely STINK?????

10/19/05 As promised, I'm updating this review. Well, so far the improvement is continuing. Actually, I think it's a combination of several different things. I feel that the fact that I workout 4 to 6 times a week is also very beneficial! So this book still rates a 5+ with me!

34 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Bad intention & Questionable Credibility, September 28, 2005

By 

Bismillah "Bless Us All" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dietary Supplements and Multiple Sclerosis: A Health Professional's Guide (Paperback)

Dear MS-er:
If you expect this book to present a "Complementary and Alternative Medicine Program" that can help you with your disease (As could be implied by the authers' profissional field), then you are mistaken. If you are looking for "Dietry Supplements" (As could be implied by the title of this book) then look else where.

If you need to read such silly claims like"Excessive Vitamin E can increase risk of bleeding" ( may I ask if this has been clincially proven? huh), then buy this book and enjoy.

This book makes me wonder, if it was written with the intention to help MS suffes or was intended to favor beta-Interferon manufacturers over alternative Medicin?

False claims in the book makes the authers' credibility questionalble.

A POSITIVE, yet challenging,approach in handling the subject would be listing those supplements that can benifit MS suffers instead of a list to warn about.

Logically, a satement like "No clinical proof that X supplement have any impact on MS" - does NOT imply that X spplement has NO impact on MS but rather it means that NO clinical trials were conducted to prove its effectiveness.

Surprisingly enough, TWO of the most exciting herbs, backed up with clinical experiemens - proven to positively impact MS (Turmeric -resommended by Dr. Weil- , Polypodium Leucontomos ).

More funny thing about this book is that it considers "Turmeric" which is an Indian food spices to be equivelant to "GOLDENSEAL"!!!!! and warns against its sedative impact!!! by the way, it doesnt mention Polypodium!!!

If I would comment on all rubbish claims in this book, I could endup with another book of its size or even more!

Take Care

1.0 out of 5 stars Dietary Supplements and Multiple Sclerosis: A Health Professional's Guide, December 11, 2010

By 

Ernest J. P. Muhly - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Dietary Supplements and Multiple Sclerosis: A Health Professional's Guide (Paperback)

Not a good review of supplements. Mostly a big-Pharma / AMA approach with warnings about how supplements might adversely affect pharmaceuticals. Prior to the big-Pharma approach to medicine, orthomolecular doctors were having as good of results as any of the pharmaceuticals can claim. This book does not make that information available to concerned people.