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Prescription or poison? the benefits and dangers of herbal remedies
The widely used herbal antidepressant kava is damaging to the liver. Pregnant women should avoid most herbal remedies because of pesticides and preservatives required in the growth and storage of the herbs. Most ayurvedic medicines contain unacceptable levels of lead and other heavy metals. St. John's Wort could complicate any chronic medical condition. Many people see herbal remedies as "natural" and therefore safe, but in "Prescription or Poison?" Dr. Amitava Dasgupta explains that one of his first pharmacology professors taught him that "medicine" is just another word for "poison" and all medicines of any kind should be treated with great caution. This book, written for the layperson but based on solid science and research, explains how toxic many alternative remedies can be, alone or in combination with widely prescribed drug treatments. He includes detailed information on the proper use of alternative medicines and their history of good results, while also cautioning readers in this wake-up call about the casual, often uninformed, and sometimes damaging use of alternative remedies.
Record details
- ISBN: 9780897935500 (trade paper)
- ISBN: 0897935500 (trade paper)
- Physical Description: xiv, 258 p. ; 24 cm.
- Publisher: Alameda, CA : Hunter House ; c2010.
Content descriptions
Bibliography, etc. Note: | Includes bibliographical references and index. |
Formatted Contents Note: | Complementary and alternative medicines: who uses them? -- Some relatively safe and effective herbal supplements -- Essential oils and fish-oil supplements: how effective are they? -- Herbal supplements that may boost your immune system -- Homeopathic remedies: relatively safe alternative medicine -- Vitamins and minerals -- Moderately toxic herbal remedies that may cause organ damage -- Severely toxic herbal remedies that may even cause death -- How herbal remedies interact with your medicines -- Food, alcohol, fruit juices, smoking and your meds -- Herbals supplements, alternative therapies, and women's health -- How herbal remedies may affect laboratory text results -- Herbal remedies that are misidentified or contaminated with heavy metals or western drugs -- An introduction to ayurvedic medicine -- Appendix A: generic and trade names of drugs discussed in this book -- Appendix B: herbal supplements you should avoid because they are potentially toxic. |
Search for related items by subject
Subject: | Herbs Toxicology Herbs Therapeutic use |