Customer Reviews

Encyclopedia of Nutritional Supplements: The Essential Guide for Improving Your Health Naturally

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I found this book online after purchasing the author's excellent book on Hypoglycemia. After having low blood pressure all my life, I was suddenly diagnosed with severe hypertension (165/105) and before I knew it I was leaving the doctor's office with a prescription in hand and dire warnings about strokes and heart attacks (at 29 years old). The pharmacist was very worried about someone so young taking the medicine and kept telling me that it would cause a potassium deficiency and suggested a supplement. The next day I took the prescribed medicine (Hydrochlorothiazide) at breakfast. Within an hour I had the most blinding headache of my life (I have migraines, and this was worst than a migraine, which I had not thought possible), my eyes would not focus, I was dizzy, light headed and nauseated. I spent the next several hours being violently ill until my stomach was quite empty. Finally, at 5 o'clock in the afternoon, I went to bed completely exhausted. The next day, I pulled out this book and read about hypertension/high blood pressure. I had most (though not all) of the recommended supplements on hand. I called the doctor's office to let them know I was unable to take the medication, and scheduled the next earliest appointment - 6 days in the future. I then began the recommended supplement program (what I had of it already), with the rest on order. I also began walking 20 minutes a day. I altered and supplemented my diet as suggested as well. Upon my return to the doctor 6 days later my blood pressure was 138/90. She took it 5 times over the next hour (both arms, and with several different pressure cuffs) to make sure it was not a fluke of some sort. I explained to her what I had been doing, and she could find no fault in the advice, given the results. Instead of another medication, she told me to keep doing what I am doing and come back in a month for another reading. Though my initial reading had been severe hypertension, the improvement was so great that it is mild and I have high hopes that it will be even better in a month. Now I have several more of Dr. Murray's (and his colleague Dr. Pizzorno's) books and every one is worth it at 10 times the price. The advice is clear and well written, neither assuming you have a medical degree (as some books seem to) or that you are an idiot (which sums up most of the rest). When I acquired "Dr. Murray's Natural Alternatives to Over the Counter and Prescription Drugs", I looked up Hydrochlorothiazide. Even though the fact sheet with the prescription had not mentioned nausea, vomiting, headache, or blurred vision as potential side effects, this book did. Every symptom was there - as well as an explanation of why Hydrochlorothiazide actually increased the possibility of stroke and heart attack. I will never take another prescription medication again without consulting these two books first. Highly recommended for all readers.

My uncle, who has been taking vitamins for years, recommended this book to me when I asked him for a single reference that would tell me about vitamins, minerals,EFAs, as well as some of the non vitamin/mineral supplements. This book has it all and I love how it's layed out - for each item it gives a brief overview of what the vitamin etc is, lists the natural food sources which I was particularly interested in, gives the RDA, benefitial effects, and uses. It goes into detail but not so much that you feel bogged down with info. Just enough for me.

This is a valuable book for the layperson and professional, for the understanding of the complexities and properties of vitamins and minerals. However this book is now 10 years old and showing signs of age, and would benefit from a significant update, as some of the information is no longer applicable.

The section called "Understanding Fats and Oils" is probably the weakest link in the chain for this book, and the reader would be well guided to ignore this section. This is a shame because the effect of lipids on the human body is profound in terms of health benefits. To replace this section, the reader would be wise to read the publications written by Dr Mary Enig and Canadian Udo Erasmus, who are two of the leading research experts on the subject of fats and oils.

Also in this encyclopedia the section on cholesterol is also inaccurate. Better to read the books written on cholesterol by Swedish Dr Uffe Ravnskov, as well the recent book by Fitness Expert Anthony Colpo on cholesterol.

However as I mentioned before, this is an excellent encyclopedia, and I greatly look forward to a future update from the author to replace my well worn copy. Also a hard cover would be nice and I dont mind paying the extra cost. Whilst paperback is fine for books you read just once, hard cover is better suited to a reference book like this encyclopedia.

The book is the foundation of my Nutritional Supplement program. Murray's information is extremely reliable. He supports most of his comments with references. The best part of this book is that Murray takes cost into consideration. He does NOT recommend everything that might make an impact, but ONLY what makes sense from a cost point of view.

One of the few books I have found that did not make me feel as though I was do something wrong if I did not follow the author's regimen. Nor does the author dismiss physicians in the fashion that other non-traditional authors seem wont to do. Very comprehensive in its approach to treatment of symptoms and descriptions of vitamins, minerals, et al. And best of all, the author actually includes recommended dosages. A great resource.

During this time of the natural healing explosion it is helpful to have a tool which keeps you from drowning in all the information. Another helpful aspect of the book is the reference section composed of an extensive bibliography, relevant phone numbers and addresses, as well as a painstakingly detailed index of conditions and pages which apply. Worth every penny you'll find youself referring to it when ever necessary and feeling empowered to make informed decisions about your health.

This is an outstanding piece of work that Michael Murray has compiled! Whether you are a beginner or an expert in nutrition, you will find this book very insightful ! In this work he documents a comprehensive list of vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, nutrients, and glandular extracts. Mr. Murray also elaborates on the functions and uses of each to provide sound education to the reader. My favorite part of the book is that he includes many different lists of whole food sources to obtain everything listed above. For instance, when he discusses Magnesium, he breaks down what foods have the highest magnesium content and what foods have the lowest. This is an extremely valuable source of nutritional information and I would recommend this book to everyone!

Dr. Matthew J. Loop

- Author of "Cracking the Cancer Code"

This is an excellent reference book on vitamins and other nutritional supplements and a "must have" for those interested in learning more about improving their health naturally. It is very well laid out and chock-a-block full of useful information on the dosage, available forms and reasons why each supplement is beneficial. It makes me more confident when I'm shopping for supplements and I'm able to avoid making mistakes buying "snake oil" or empty supplements that have little nutritional value. Thank you Dr. Murray

I have been intending to get around to writing a review of this great book, but, alas, life is soooo busy. However, I have turned to this book time and again over the past couple of years and each time find it informative and dependable. Dr. Murray does consider the consumer's pocketbook, yet doesn't skimp on clear, intelligent information. We have to face the fact that in order to keep healthy longer in this fast paced life, we can't get by with just food. We need to add nutritional supplements to our daily regeime. About the same time I discovered Dr. Murray's book, a friend told me about a site, PapaNature, that carries a whole array of supplements - even several brands and/or dosages of the same supplement. Each is offered with documentation, and often links to great books such as this Encyclopedia are included. Even though I don't give credit where credit is due in a timely manner, I have successfully used an array of products from PapaNature that Murray recommends and feel healthier than I did five years ago! Buy the book. Try the recommendations.

This book is well organized, making it easy to find information. There's a short introduction to nutritional supplements and lengthy sections on vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, accessory nutrients and glandular products, as well as a quick reference guide to a number of specific health conditions.

The book traces many of its health claims to medical journal articles in a list of references at the back of the book. Its index is good too.