Herbal Drugstore - Softcover

White, Linda B.; Foster, Steven

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1579547052 ISBN 13: 9781579547059

Publisher: Rodale Books, 2003

Ease Symptoms, Fight Disease, and Supercharge Immunity-- All without Drugs or Chemicals!

You're about to enter a completely different kind of drugstore. One where herbal medicines are offered right alongside conventional pharmaceuticals. Where bottles of feverfew stand next to bottles of aspirin, and echinacea has its place among other cold and flu remedies.

The Herbal Drugstore - by Linda B. White, M.D., Steven Foster, and the staff of Herbs for Health - is the only place where you can compare mainstream drug treatments and their herbal alternatives for close to 100 common health problems. You'll find herbs that have the same healing powers as many prescription and over-the-counter medications-- only they're cheaper and gentler, with few or no side effects.

Whether you need fast first-aid or long-term relief, The Herbal Drugstore has a remedy for you. Here's just a sampling:

* Immobilized by arthritis? Rub on capsaicin cream, a natural pain reliever made from hot peppers (page 96)

* Can't sleep? Start snoozing with valerian-- it's as effective as Valium, but it isn't addictive (page 352)

* Want to lose a few pounds? Get a helping hand from psyllium, an herbal alternative to appetite suppressants (page 448)

* Feeling stressed? Calm jangled nerves with ginseng-- it won't undermine alertness (page 509)

* Battling bronchitis? Clear up that cough with licorice, a natural expectorant (page 129)

* Need help with high blood pressure? Turn to hawthorn-- it has much in common with beta blockers, except for the side effects (page 326)

The Herbal Drugstore features these and many more herbal remedies-- 712 in all! They're profiled right next to their pharmaceutical counterparts, so you can make your own comparisons and decide which treatments are best for you.

Review:

Readers may find the term herbal drugstore an oxymoron. But just as conventional drugstores carry prescription drugs and products for skin care, hair care, and even pet care, hundreds of manufacturers are now distributing herbal remedies and treatments for these same ailments and needs. "And just as a conventional drugstore can be a bewildering place, competing herbal products can leave you confused as to what to buy," according to authors Linda B. White, M.D. (Kids, Herbs, Health: A Parents' Guide to Natural Remedies) and Steven Foster (101 Medicinal Herbs: An Illustrated Guide). "We created this book to be your guide to an ever-growing herbal marketplace."

They deliver even more than they promise. This is one of the most comprehensive and well-written herbal guidebooks available. The opening pages are devoted to important discussions about herb usage, including safety tips (such as never giving herbs to children younger than 2 years old without your doctor's approval), dosage information, and how to make your own herbal remedies. It has a quick-glance chart of familiar ailments, along with a listing of commonly used drugs and herbal alternatives. (For instance, according to the chart, bladder infections are routinely treated with antibiotics, but numerous herbal remedies exist, including bearberry, cranberry, goldenseal, goldenrod, and Oregon grape root.)

The meat of the book, however, is devoted to an alphabetized listing of ailments as well as extensive discussions of herbal remedies, dosages, and ongoing treatments. For example, under "sinus infection," readers will find a list of symptoms, a sympathetic write-up about the causes and different kinds of infections, and a list of numerous herbs and treatments, from echinacea to the Chinese herb astragalus. Entries address minor ailments such as a hangover to serious diseases like diabetes and Parkinson's disease. The book closes with a thorough index and a listing of manufacturers that sell herbs. Without a doubt, this is the book for treating common ailments with herbs. Anyone interested in exploring alternatives to prescription drugs will find safe and sound advice within these informative pages. --Gail Hudson

From the Inside Flap:

By one estimate, Americans are spending upward of $3 billion a year on herbs and herb products. More and more people are turning to herbal medicine for solutions to their health concerns because they believe that herbs are gentler, safer, and more affordable than pharmaceuticals.

Yet how can they be sure of what really works and what is right for them? Despite the glut of information on herbs, these remedies have rarely been compared objectively with drugs. That's just what consumers need, so they can rest assured that the decisions they make will help them get well-- not harm them.

The Herbal Drugstore sifts through all the studies, facts, and opinions to provide objective, concise profiles of more than 280 drugs and drug categories, along with their herbal alternatives. For each health problem, you can weigh the functions and side effects of the most common pharmaceutical treatments against the benefits and cautions of the best-known herbal remedies. You also get:

* Accurate dosage instructions for using herbs safely and effectively
* Essential information about potential herb-drug and herb-herb interactions
* A comprehensive chart that lists drugs and their herbal alternatives side by side for easy reference
* In-depth profiles of nearly 60 herbs, with explanations of herb sources, uses, and safety issues
* A shopper's guide for choosing among various herb forms and brands
* Detailed instructions-- for making your own herbal remedies
* A resource directory-- of herbal products, practitioners, and publications

Whether you're a newcomer to herbal medicine or you've been using herbs for years, The Herbal Drugstore arms you with clear, concise, impartial information that puts you in control of your health. Now you can feel confident that when choosing between herbal and pharmaceutical therapies, you have the power of The Herbal Drugstore behind you.

Linda B. White, M.D., received her bachelor's and master's degrees from Stanford University and her doctoral degree from the University of California, San Diego. She has written about s20natural health for numerous publications, including Health, Mothering, Nutrition Science News, and Natural Pharmacy. She resides in Golden, Colorado.

Steven Foster is one of America's most respected authorities on natural health. An author, photographer, and consultant specializing in medicinal and aromatic plants, he is a frequent contributor to Herbs for Health and The Herb Companion and lectures internationally on medicinal herbs. He resides in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

• Publisher: Rodale Books
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 1579547052
• ISBN 13: 9781579547059
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 624