Customer Reviews

The Herbal Drugstore

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I really LOVE this book, and I have a lot of books on herbal medicine. What I like about the herbal drugstore is how it gives both the typical prescription drugs for common ailments, and the herbal alternatives. It also describes how the herbs are supposed to work (if it is known.) That alone sets this book apart from most other herbal references. This would be a terrific first book on the subject for anyone's home library and I think it adds a lot to my shelf on herbs.

There are good drawings of the herbs, sections on vitamins, excercises, nutrition, combining herbs with prescription medicines (some can interfere; tell your physician) and much more. Yet the book has a very well-designed format, clear print, good organization and is chatty and readable. What more could you ask for? If I could give this book 10 stars, I would. It is THAT good,

This book finally discusses the use of herbs and roots from an authoritative point of view. It compares common herbs to prescription medications, with an analysis of the ailment and each type of remedy. The authors and editorial staff have formal training from conventional medical schools and were able to do an actual comparative analysis of "natural herbal remedies" to over the counter and prescribed medications, for various common ailments. The book is well organized by malady, with an excellent reference guide for purchasing products and information on associations, and additional publications of interest. Good reading, very helpful.

Since the beginning of time, people have crushed herbs in a mortar and pestle to extract the healing properties and to mix herbal remedies. Herbs are in fact the best alternatives to over-the-counter medications and they have fewer side effect.

I love the fact that regular kitchen herbs and spices can be very beneficial, so I try to add them into the foods I love when appropriate. In this book you will find out which ordinary kitchen spices you can use for health benefits.

So, which herbs work better than drugs? Well, I love Echinacea for cold season. They also recommend "astragalus" which is a herb. It boosts your body's resistance to cold, flu and other viruses. Studies have proven that it has antiviral and antibacterial properties. Unlike Echinacea, you can take astragalus everyday. Echinacea is for seasonal use and this book does have some warnings you will want to read.

You will also find out:

Which herbs kill viruses that antibiotics don't! Which wildflower can stop excruciating migraines! (Feverfew tincture/not dried leaves) How to improve your vision. (Bilberries) How to recover from the flu in half the time. (Elderberries) Which kitchen spice you can use for inflammation. (Turmeric) Which herb relieves menopausal symptoms. (Black Cohosh) How to relieve arthritis pain. (Boswellia, Stinging Nettle and Evening Primrose) How to unclog your arteries. How to grow your own medicinal herbs. How to heal your child's earaches. To lift your spirits. (Try lavender- my favorite) How to naturally deal with diabetes! (Fenugreek)

Once you find which herbs you need, you can also look for tea in your health store or buy bottles of the specific herb. You can also find herbs to treat varicose veins, halt macular degeneration, and cure gout with cherries. You will also read why you should not take Tums for calcium. Some interesting information on "chocolate," and more information than I can list. This book will help you to solve over 100 health problems. This is a perfect gift for a friend who is interested in healthy alternatives. Herbs, essential oils and other natural remedies keep me out of the doctor's office.

~The Rebecca Review

I originally picked this book up at the library while taking a class on herbal medicine and was so impressed with it that I bought a copy. It contains clear and concise information on a variety of ailments with not only the herbal remedies but also their drug counterparts. There are "recipes" for herbal mixtures for some of the ailments. This is a book that will be referred to time and time again.

I like the way this book lists herbal remedies side by side with conventional medical treatments. It's useful to see your options laid out like that. I like the organization. It's easy to find what you need. I also like that one of the authors has an M.D. it's encouraging to see that a traditionally trained doctor sees the value of phytomedicinals. The book is organized by health problems. Under each heading, there is a listing of herbal as well as conventional remedies, as well as a paragraph describing how each remedy works. This method of organization makes much more sense than listing herbs alphabetically, especially for someone who's in a hurry to find something. I only just received the book from amazon.com, but I can already foresee that I will use it often. I only wish they had made the book bigger and printed it on nicer paper. Oh well...you can't have everything, I guess.

I had a bit of trouble rating this one; I was tempted to give it a three but ultimately was forced to decide on a 2. If Amazon offered a 2 1/2 choice, I would have used it.

Don't get me wrong - I didn't dislike this book. It had it's good points but the negatives couldn't allow me to give it a 3 as an average rating. For the positive side of things, this book is massive, pretty, well organized, and written in a simple to understand manner.

It's from the staff of Herbs for health, which includes many herbalists that are recommendable such as Christopher Hobbs. The main author of this book is Linda B. White, M.D., followed by Steven Foster. While I commend Ms. White for writing herbals and having an M.D. at the same time - we need more physicians taking alternate healing seriously - I felt the book was a bit too cautious and at time allopathic orientated.

Within every condition, there lay herbal recommendations....with prescription drug names and uses. In fact, drug names are listed first :( If this is a book on healing and herbs and natural remedies, why does it have to again share its pedestal? And even worse, be placed second when the book is supposed to be about it in the first place? If this Herbal Drugstore is supposed to be the options to prescriptions and over the counter drugs, then why list them so often in every section with details? At least their side effects are listed, which makes them appear a bit frightening in comparison. For those who really do want to know the name of each prescription drug used to treat asthma, angina, or any other condition, then here you'll find it.

Steven Foster was the co-writer for Tyler's honest herbal, which is an oxymoron if I ever heard one. Tyler's honest herbal remains one of the most hated books of the herbal profession, and for good reason. Fosters contribution there may also have been too cautious, although one isn't sure how much he really had to do with it. I am surprised someone who devotes so much time to herbs and even a magazine about them is so overly cautious, but that seems to be the current trend.

I did greatly appreciate some sections such as "How Herbs are Regulated" and common herb/drug interactions. The former is an interesting addition that's not seen enough, and was told honestly. There is a great simple reference guide at the beginning in a table where a condition is named, then commonly used drugs, then the herbal alternatives beside them.

The section on conditions is extensive enough and does offer more recommendations than herbs, as well as the occassional cool remedy/formula. Many of these seem like decent to good blends, particularly blister balm, Endometriosis Tea, and Swimmer's Ear Drops. Typical dosage is given for each herb, including teas or pills or tinctures, which is welcome.

The final half wraps up with very short comments on herbs, basically stating uses without complete sentences as a quick reference to herbs already covered elsewhere in the book. After these are the typical references and resources.

Overall this book is not bad but it's just so plain in terms of natural therapy. It's for the basic, basic lay person who only has a passing interest in herbal therapies. Here they're treated almost like little drugs beside other drugs, as alternatives, and no mention really on other herbal uses, as in holistic healing, etc. Diet is mentioned at times, and this is appreciated, but everything is so cautionary as seems to be found with these kinds of books lately.

Because of this, it can only be granted a low score. Not enough information per condition, with drugs listed FIRST, then herbs, and not much info on the herbs either. Too cautionary and medical minded to be a highly recommended herbal, but alright for the passerby who just wants to take a look.

This book has provided me with information about herbal therapy that I might not have received from other sources. I have found the book easy to read and extremely informative. I have tried some of the remedies that they have recommended and they have worked for me! I have brought this book into work because many of my co-workers were curious to find out about it. Some of them have indicated that they will purchase it for their own use. The alphabetical listing of ailments is one of the most helpful things about the book.

Lots of infomation and easy to read. What I liked about the book was that it has a section where it gives you addresses where you can buy herbs and herbal products. I also liked how the book is presented. For each of the herb listed, it givs the source, part used, forms available, uses, and caution. It also lists what herbs to use for what aliments you may have like a cold or acne.

I am new to the "herbal scene", and have read a number of books on the subject of herbs and healing (I myself have asthma, r. arthritis, and fibromyalgia) and found it to be an excellent resource. It's perfect for those of us who know very little about the subject, and very easy to read (not like a textbook).

This book was issued as a "textbook" for a course I am taking, and although slightly outdated, there are several things in the book that I really appreciate and have not seen in other books of the same type to date. I have read several herbal treatment books front-to-back because of the course I am working on.

Early on, the book shows a chart that lists specific ailments, what the conventional drugs and their side-effects are, and then what the suggested herbal remedy would be. Later in the book where common herbs are listed in a glossary, information about how each herb as a remedy is available (tea, tincture, capsules, etc.) and its cautions and contraindications and possible side effects are also listed.

The text shares information about how body processes work, how certain herbs and drugs function and can interact, and also what nutrient supplements (Vitamins and minerals) are also helpful for the disorders listed. I found it to focus quite well on using herbal remedies. Having the conventional options for treatment there to compare side effects to vs. herbal remedies was really eye-opening.

In comparison to other books I have read, this one did a fine job with listing commonly used herbal remedies that are used as "conventional" treatments (and I mean by actual doctors with an M.D.) in the United States as well as in other countries because the research for their efficacy has proven positive. I liked that it stayed away from more of the experimental herbs still undergoing research, and hope that this book continues to be published with updated editions.

I gave it four stars because I think some of the recipes for treatments in the book for the teas and decoctions are unreasonably excessive with ingredients. Complimentary and synergistic is one thing, but six different herbal ingredients in an herbal tea is gratuitous, especially when, from a holistic standpoint, the vitamins and minerals in food and in supplements will harmonize with the treatment too. In my opinion the six ingredients aren't going to work any faster than the two or three you would actually really need most of the time, but that is just my own homeopathic approach, to only use what is really needed, I guess.

The herbs listed in the book and their uses fall in line with what other remedy books offer as treatments, and the information about them seems to be true today to what research studies have published.

I was happy with the information in the book and would still recommend it to someone learning or curious about natural remedies, how they work and why. For someone who has no idea, I think it is a good book from someone to learn from, including for the biological and physiological information it includes about the human body.

Hope that helps. :)