Botanical Medicines The Desk Reference for Major Herbal Supplements

Answer patients’questions about botanical supplements quickly and easily!

This informative book is a compendium of detailed scientific research on 34 of the most popular dietary supplements used in North America and Europe. Its coverage of pharmacological studies on the main medicinal plants used in clinical practice and sold in pharmacies in the Western world is more extensive than any other publication of monographic reviews available. The way Botanical Medicines: The Desk Reference for Major Herbal Supplements, Second Edition. is organized (standardized topic formats are used in each monograph) makes it easy for you to locate relevant information quickly and to compare corresponding sections between different entries.

This book is an invaluable tool for pharmacists, physicians, and other health care professionals who need detailed, scientifically accurate information on appropriate use, safety, dosages, and similar issues related to botanical dietary supplements.

Each entry in Botanical Medicines: The Desk Reference for Major Herbal Supplements, Second Edition. covers botanical data (classification and nomenclature, common names, geographic occurrence, and botanical characteristics), plus:

* history and traditional uses
* chemistry
* therapeutic applications
* pre-clinical studies
* clinical studies
* recommended dosages
* safety profiles (including toxicology)
* side effects and contraindications
* drug interactions and special precautions
* safety recommendations during pregnancy and lactation

This extensively referenced volume includes appendixes with information on the major provisions of DSHEA (the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994) and on the criteria and procedures for assessing the quality of botanical products.

Reviews:
“CLEARLY WRITTEN, EXHAUSTIVELY RESEARCHED. . . . AN OUTSTANDING RESOURCE for comprehensive, evidence-based information on the most widely used herbal dietary supplements in North America and Europe. This edition is REVISED, EXPANDED, AND UPDATED. . . . Should become a standard reference in botanical medicine. This is a necessary resource for all libraries that serve physicians, pharmacists, and other healthcare providers and students, and can also benefit serious consumers.”

American Reference Books Annual

“AN EXCELLENT REFERENCE. . . Gives pharmacists and doctors the information they need to provide clients with reliable information about the safe and effective use of herbs now found in nearly every drug store. This new edition contains information from hundreds of new studies.”

Townsend Letter for Doctors

“COMPREHENSIVE. . . . Well annotated with extensive bibliographic references on each supplement. . . . A complex resource which merits to be included in any collection of general reference works on botanical medicine and related topics.”

Economic Botany

“A VALUABLE ADDITION TO THE HERBAL LITERATURE. Consumers and professionals will benefit from the comprehensive information in this resource.”

Doody Enterprises/Doody's Electronic Journal

“A detailed guide to the most common herbal supplements. AN EXCELLENT RESOURCE for serious students, informed consumers, and health care professionals.”

Andrew Weil, MD, Author, Spontaneous Healing, Eight Weeks to Optimum Health, and Eating Well for Optimum Health

“A VALUABLE TEXT AND REFERENCE SOURCE. . . . The information is accurate and up to date, including extensive bibliographies for each agent. This book will be recognized as a standard work in the field and a valuable addition to the libraries of interested physicians, naturopaths, scientists, herbal healers, and students of those disciplines.”

Ethan Russo, MD, Neurologist/Medicinal Plant Researcher; Author, Handbook of Psychotropic Herbs

Contents:

* Foreword
* Preface
* A Note on the Interpretation of Information on Pregnancy, Lactation, and Pediatrics in This Desk Reference
* Dietary Supplements
* Astragalus
* Bilberry
* Black Cohosh
* Capsicum
* Cat’s Claw
* Chamomile
* Cordyceps
* Cranberry
* Dong Quai
* Echinacea
* Eleuthero
* Ephedra (Ma Huang)
* Evening Primrose Oil
* Feverfew
* Garlic
* Ginger
* Ginkgo Biloba
* Ginseng
* Goldenseal
* Grape Seed
* Green Tea
* Hawthorn
* Horse Chestnut
* Kava
* Licorice
* Milk Thistle
* Red Yeast Rice
* Reishi
* Saw Palmetto
* Schisandra
* St. John’s Wort
* Uva Ursi
* Valerian
* Vitex
* Appendix I: A Note About Quality in Botanical Supplements
* Appendix II: DSHEA: What are the Key Provisions?
* Index
* Reference Notes Included