A practical A-Z reference to drug-free remedies using vitamins, minerals, herbs and food supplements.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Library Journal
Written by a medical doctor and a certified nutritional consultant, this comprehensive guide to nutritional, herbal, and complementary therapies discusses natural healing programs for some 300 health conditions. Arranged in alphabetical order, it's a useful ready-reference tool, although it could have benefited from a good bibliography.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
This second edition has been expanded to reflect the latest research on drug-free remedies in the field of nutrition: as such it provides an excellent assessment and review of herbal tinctures and diets. From high blood pressure remedies to handling infections, this is packed with practical advice. -- Midwest Book Review
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
95 of 97 people found the following review helpful
By Rene Hawes
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
In 1989, I was working Medical Intensive Care, U.C.I. Hospital. I was a widowed mother with three children in college & high school. My health was great, I loved my career and the security it gave us and my life revolved around my career and children. I worked circles around younger nurses, when I SUDDENLY became so exhausted that I couldn't push myself out of a chair. My doctor & friend, ran tests that revealed Acute Hepatitis B. Long story short, after 3 months - I remained bed ridden and my liver specialist gave me 1 to 2 month life expectancy. My life and my childrens lives had turned upside down. Out of desparation, (the medical field could not help me as the acute hepatitis became chronic), my oldest daughter bought this book. She bought all the vit., mineral, dietary supplements, etc. listed under "esential" and "very important" and started force feeding me. I felt like I was being tortured these last days of my life as I already battled nausea/vomiting/diarrhea and a type of exhaustion beyond explaination. It took all my concentration to force an eyelid open or to ask my tongue to move in order to speak. I knew she and the book were nuts but I saw the desparation in her eyes as she would beg me to swallow the beet juice, alevea juice or some capsule. Never-the-less, she continued to insist, three weeks later - I was out of the bed. Three months later I was able to work one night a week and soon a full week. 13 years later - the good news - I am health, happy, active and alive. The bad news - the Acute Hepatitis B became chronic, (which happens in a low % of cases and though I FELT like I overcame the disease, my doctor says the liver is still being destroyed. I truely believe this book saved my life. I have 30 years in the health field as a nurse, and a teacher but this is the book I most frequently use for information. It lists diseases and disorders from "Acme" to serious diseases like "Cancer". They are listed in alphebetical order, making them fast to find. First a very accurate describtion of the disease is given. Then a simple and consice list of things to use. I have bought copies for friends and families and lent my copies to many. Happy ending: Shortly after my close to death experience, I changed jobs, for fewer hours, leaving time for more activities: hiking, biking, swiming, working out, learned ballroom dancing, and I continued the recommended changes in nutritional eating. I met a wonderful man, we married, and I kept cutting back my work hours till I reluctantly retired from my wonderful position at the hospital last year because our travels, projects, hobbies and activities just didn't leave me time to work. We share an absultely fantastic lifestyle. My health is very dependent on how I eat and drink - even now. I have learned to really "listen" to my body and I can enjoy perfect health if I avoid the foods and drinks that do not leave me feeling well. Pepsi, fats in moderation and sugars are my challenge. I gave out my last copy of this book and am buying another because I fractured my ankle while hiking near our home in Southern Baja, Mexico, last week. Again, I will do EVERYTHING Dr. Balch and Phyllis Balch reccommends and heal rapidly.
247 of 264 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars
Be careful, and do your own research before following some of these prescriptions
April 19, 2008
Format:Paperback
This is an excellent book in that it contains, in one place, an enormous amount of information about supplements and their use in treating various medical conditions. It also goes through all of the vitamins and minerals, amino acids, digestive enzymes, herbs, etc., explaining their function.
But do your own homework after consulting this book. Under AIDS, St. John's Wort is noted as containing "two substances, hypericin and pseudohypericin, that inhibit retroviral infections and could be useful in the treatment of AIDS." This is bad advice, because one of the most widely known herbal/drug interactions--and widely known since about 1997--is that St. John's Wort and protease inhibitors don't mix. This might actually be THE most widely known and infamous interaction. If you're a person living with HIV/AIDS, and you're taking a protease inhibitor, you should not take St. John's Wort UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. It is proven fact that St. John's Wort decreases the levels of the PIs in your blood, making them less effective. Meaning that if you have AIDS, are taking a protease inhibitor and St. John's Wort, you could very well be shortening your life expectancy. This is serious stuff, and not to be taken lightly.
Glutathione is also mentioned throughout this book. When introduced, the book does say that "the effectiveness of oral formulas [of glutathione] is questionable. To raise glutathione levels, it is better to supply the body with the raw materials it uses to make this compound: cysteine, glutamic acid...glycine...and N-acetylcysteine". But when this is recommended for use in "The Disorders" section of the book, little mention is made of the ineffectiveness of oral glutathione, and indeed recommends specific amounts of glutathione one should take.
Let me be clearer than this book has been: oral glutathione is worthless. If you're using it, you're not getting any benefit, and the companies that sell oral glutathione know this well. It's frustrating to see reputable companies produce a product just to make money when they know *for a fact* that it has zero benefit. If they really wanted to make money, they should instead put sugar pills in the glutathione bottles. That would be cost-effective! Interestingly enough, my partner is in pharmacy school and they just had a lecture on glutathione yesterday. I won't try to translate the medical techy stuff, but the gist of it is this: it won't be absorbed by the cells.
So why does this book recommend glutathione (by itself, with no disclaimer) throughout? That's a good question, and I'd love to know the answer.
Still, the book has its uses. As I noted, nowhere else will you find such a wealth of information in one place, and so easily accessible and understood. Just be prepared to do your homework.
But do your own homework after consulting this book. Under AIDS, St. John's Wort is noted as containing "two substances, hypericin and pseudohypericin, that inhibit retroviral infections and could be useful in the treatment of AIDS." This is bad advice, because one of the most widely known herbal/drug interactions--and widely known since about 1997--is that St. John's Wort and protease inhibitors don't mix. This might actually be THE most widely known and infamous interaction. If you're a person living with HIV/AIDS, and you're taking a protease inhibitor, you should not take St. John's Wort UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. It is proven fact that St. John's Wort decreases the levels of the PIs in your blood, making them less effective. Meaning that if you have AIDS, are taking a protease inhibitor and St. John's Wort, you could very well be shortening your life expectancy. This is serious stuff, and not to be taken lightly.
Glutathione is also mentioned throughout this book. When introduced, the book does say that "the effectiveness of oral formulas [of glutathione] is questionable. To raise glutathione levels, it is better to supply the body with the raw materials it uses to make this compound: cysteine, glutamic acid...glycine...and N-acetylcysteine". But when this is recommended for use in "The Disorders" section of the book, little mention is made of the ineffectiveness of oral glutathione, and indeed recommends specific amounts of glutathione one should take.
Let me be clearer than this book has been: oral glutathione is worthless. If you're using it, you're not getting any benefit, and the companies that sell oral glutathione know this well. It's frustrating to see reputable companies produce a product just to make money when they know *for a fact* that it has zero benefit. If they really wanted to make money, they should instead put sugar pills in the glutathione bottles. That would be cost-effective! Interestingly enough, my partner is in pharmacy school and they just had a lecture on glutathione yesterday. I won't try to translate the medical techy stuff, but the gist of it is this: it won't be absorbed by the cells.
So why does this book recommend glutathione (by itself, with no disclaimer) throughout? That's a good question, and I'd love to know the answer.
Still, the book has its uses. As I noted, nowhere else will you find such a wealth of information in one place, and so easily accessible and understood. Just be prepared to do your homework.
47 of 49 people found the following review helpful
By Julia Child
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I am amazed at the information available in this book. I have given copies to anyone interested in learning how to improve their overall health and well-being. This is my "Go to" book. I highly recommend this book to anyone truely interested in making positive changes in their life.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Use this book all the time!
Great resource for many ailments. When I go to the doctor and they write me a prescription, I'll immediately check this book for a natural cure and what is recommended usually... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Candice Pereira
5.0 out of 5 stars
Useful tool to change your life style
I purchased this book to provide for a family member who was trying to improve her health.
She's enjoyed the gift and has provided it to several friends. Read more
She's enjoyed the gift and has provided it to several friends. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Michael E. Adamson
5.0 out of 5 stars
Awesome alternative medicine book
Book covers an abundance of illnesses and conditions and offers a variety of alternative medical treatments. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Cat
5.0 out of 5 stars
If you care enough
about your health you will want this reference book. I refer to it constantly: What does this herb do?, What does it mean when my body does this?, How do I treat this? Read more
Published 1 month ago by Nancy Ward
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Book.
This book is a must have! We use it all the time for our family and our friends. It even Helped with my pony's eye. We tried all the drugs and her eye was just getting worse. Read more
Published 2 months ago by GB
3.0 out of 5 stars
Bought for Gift
Did not seem to meet my expectations of what I assumed I was getting; guess that may be more of a personal feeling than a product failure.
Published 2 months ago by Craig C.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very Helpful!
I got this book not really knowing much about it and was pleasantly surprised. I recommend it as one of those books you should have on hand, especially if you have kids and do not... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Charyl Rogers
4.0 out of 5 stars
lots of good info
this is a big book, size wise, not too think, and has large print. Seems to offer good advice I just am using a different book(s) no for some reason.
Published 3 months ago by R. Young
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great reference
This is a must have for those who want to care for their body in the way it should be treated.
Published 3 months ago by dr
5.0 out of 5 stars
loveeeeee
this book was in very well condition and is very informative. thank god for this book. i love it i will highly reccomend it to others.
Published 3 months ago by wanda conde
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