Customer Reviews

The New Encyclopedia of Vitamins, Minerals, Supplements, and Herbs: A Completely Cross-Referenced User's Guide for Optimal Health

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Do you need food supplements? If so, which ones? And how much? Nicola Reavley answers these questions and many more in The New Encyclopedia Of Vitamins, Minerals, Supplements, & Herbs. Reavley points out that we're all different, and not everyone needs supplements. She emphasizes that supplements don't make up for a poor diet. Peo0le need first to have "a good understanding of the roles played by vitamins and minerals in health and disease." Then they need to understand how supplements are "affected by your age, sex, state of health, and lifestyle. Certain supplements can be harmful to certain people." She starts with a general description of vitamins and minerals and their roles in the human body. She explains how the Recommended Daily Allowances (RDA) are calculated and how to determine if those are adequate for your individual needs. With this, she includes a discussion of what constitutes a good basic diet. In some instances, people can get all the nutrients they need from their diet, and don't need to take supplements. The bulk of the book is devoted to an in-depth discussion of each vitamin, mineral, herb, and other nutrients. Other nutrients include substances like melatonin, shark cartilage, and coenzyme Q10. She starts each discussion with a "Quick Guide" which summarizes what the supplement does in the body, sources, RDA, interactions, and cautions. She then provides a complete information about that supplement. The final section of the book is a listing of common health problems, such as asthma, insomnia, and osteoporosis, with information on the causes and treatments for each. She describes the role of diet and nutritional supplements in preventing and treating those diseases. A glossary provides definitions of terms used in the book, and an extensive reference section enables readers to do their own research if they so desire. Reavley says that "as diet has a huge role to play in the prevention of disease, eating well and consuming adequate amounts of vitamins and minerals are vital for both present and future health." She wrote The Complete Encyclopedia Of Vitamins, Mineral, Supplements, & Herbs to provide the "necessary knowledge to make informed choices about the food you eat and the supplements you take." Readers will find that she has met her goal.

Sandra Smith, Reviewer

AWESOME book. I have been buying books, CD's, videos since amazon.com first came on line...and this is the 1st time I felt compelled to write a review. I owned a copy of Earl Mindell's Vitamin Bible, but I was looking for more. I take about 9 vitamins a day & this book answered ALL of my questions and then some. I keep it at work & use it almost daily. I like the way you can find everything very quickly. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a lot of info.in one place.

I recently borrowed this book from the library. It is stock full of information, vitamins, minerals, herbs, symptoms, a little of everything. I especially liked the full explaination of vitamins and their attributes. The only thing bad about this book is that it isn't up to date with all the new herbs out on the market or new diseases and afflictions.

I found this book invaluable in understanding the way the body absorbs and utilizes vitamins, minerals, supplements and herbs. It is an important tool when designing your own health program. The reference gives you details on how the body utilizes these elements in daily building of tissue. I highly recommend this to anyone who is concerned about what you eat and what to use as supplements to enhance your nutrition.

It was well written, with adequate references. A very helpful health supplement publication.

In this a great book to get an average indivdual without a chem major to understand what all the viatmins and minerals do for the body.