Consumer's Guide to Dietary Supplements and Alternative Medicines : : Servings of Hope

AADL has no copies of this item

Foreword / Larry Walker -- Preface -- the new therapeutic scene -- Acknowledgments -- Reviewer's acknowledgments -- Abbreviations and acronyms -- Author's note -- ch. 1. Introduction : A cautionary tale from Hollywood -- pt. 1. Basic scientific principles of using natural products to maintain and improve health -- ch. 2. Do we really want scientific medicine, or do we want magic? -- Magic or medicine? Supernatural or scientific? -- Fundamental scientific concepts : what is scientific? -- Clinical research aspects -- Scientific validation of efficacy : the "gold standard" -- The use of placebo control groups in human research -- Meta-analyses of clinical pharmacologic interventions : useful but not perfect -- Biases of medical-related professionals -- Conflict of interest -- Pharmaceutical producers live in glass houses -- The problem of delayed effects : examples of long-term toxicity issues -- ch. 3. The uncertainty principle in medicine -- When the gold standard cannot be met -- The problem of validating delayed effects of long-term therapy -- The significance of it all -- What is a dietary supplement? -- ch. 4. Who's a quack? Conflict on the current health care scene -- What approaches are legitimate? -- If it quacks like a duck, what is it? -- Conventional medicine and therapies -- Unconventional medicine and therapies -- Why complementary and alternative medicine now? -- Another viewpoint : afternoon of alternative medicine -- Dietary supplement regulation -- The consequences of DSHEA -- The freedom to pursue better health : at what cost? --
ch. 5. Historical natural remedies -- How did we get to where we are now? -- Botanical marvels : "Miracle drugs" from long ago -- Development of scientific medicine -- pt. 2. Major myths and misconceptions -- ch. 6. Botanical supplements as foods -- Pain relievers as foods? -- What does nutritional science say? -- ch. 7. Natural botanical supplements -- Toxicity problems of modern pharmaceuticals -- Ignorance is dangerous - not blissful! -- Traditional "herbal remedy" may contain animal surprises -- Familiarity should not breed contempt -- Conclusion -- ch. 8. FDA regulations -- Caveat emptor (let the buyer beware)! -- Ma huang -- The ban on ephedra products -- A less notorious agent -- ch. 9. Botanicals and prescription drugs -- Altered drug responses and St. John's Wort -- Serotonin syndrome and St. John's Wort -- Risk of bleeding from use of botanicals before surgery -- Other interaction examples -- ch. 10. Supplement labels -- Unreliable label data -- Helping the supplements along - illegally -- Ephedrine -- Unreliability of some nutritionals' labels -- ch. 11. If a little is good for you, a lot will be better! -- pt. 3. Questionable supplement marvels -- ch. 12. CAM : hope, help or hazard? -- A new plague : hepatitis C virus -- The drinker's deadly destiny : alcoholic cirrhosis -- A recurring tragedy : amanita mushroom poisoning -- Unwise self-prescribed "liver cleansing" -- More about SAMe and the liver -- Botanicals containing hepatotoxic constituents -- Conclusion --
ch. 13. Hormonal supplements : fountain of youth formulas? -- Basic concepts -- Endocrinology and aging -- Gonadal hormone replacement therapies for women -- Androgen replacement for men -- DHEA -- Melatonin -- Conclusions -- ch. 14. Antioxidant supplements : fountain of youth formulas? -- Basic science -- Antioxidants and cancer -- Antioxidants and dementias -- A metabolite useful for failing memory -- Antioxidants versus kidney disease -- Antioxidants for "mystery maladies" -- Functional foods that may fight aging -- Good eating for a good intake of antioxidants -- Nonsupplemental approaches to fight aging -- Conclusion -- ch. 15. The soya saga : are soy products safe and effective? -- health problems associated with soy foods -- Biological quality of soy protein -- Soy as a protein concentrate source -- The phytoestrogen aspect -- Nonestrogenic adverse responses to soy -- Soy as a phytoestrogen -- Conclusion -- ch. 16. Supplements and superior sex -- Basic science -- Impotence and the Viagra era -- Impotence and the placebo effect -- The Viagra-substitute era -- Erotic enhancement for women -- Fatal pursuit of eros (Death by aphrodisiac) -- ch. 17. Good fat and bad fat -- Importance of serum cholesterol levels and dietary fats -- Antioxidants, fats, and heart disease -- Physiological and therapeutic roles of omega-3 fatty acids --
ch. 18. Cancer cures: are they believable? -- A brief view of conventional therapies -- The nature of the challenge -- Current status of unconventional therapies -- Examples of unconventional therapies -- The toxicity factor in conventional therapy -- Personal choices -- ch. 19. Immunoenhancing supplements : are they effective? -- Introduction -- Botanical supplements and immunonutrition -- Overview of Conference on Immunonutrition (1999) -- Can nutrient supplements aid the immune system? -- Micronutrients and the immune system -- Prebiotics and probiotics for immune system benefits -- Polysaccharide products for immunoenhancement -- Dietary sources for critical immunonutrient factors -- ch. 20. What is the price of globalism? Heavy metals, heavy risks -- Chuifong Toukuwan -- Metropolitan market for dangerous ethnic remedies -- Conclusion -- pt. 4. More certain supplement marvels -- ch. 21. Marvelous micronutrients : the vitamins -- Basic foundations -- The two subgroups of vitamins -- How much is enough? -- Who needs to supplement vitamin intake? -- Vitamins for prevention of chronic diseases -- Important features of individual vitamins -- Vitamin toxicology -- Conclusions --
ch. 22. Marvelous micronutrients : essential minerals -- Introduction -- Vital mineral elements -- ch. 23. Marvelous metabolites : amino acids, new biochemicals, and new health benefits -- Combined amino acids as supplements -- Essential amino acids -- Nonessential amino acids -- Coenzyme Q10 -- Alpha-lipoic acid (thioctic acid) -- The SAMe story -- ch. 24. Bioflavonoid benefits : chemoprevention of cancer -- Chemopreventive candidates -- Bioflavonoids -- Specific flavonoids -- Resveratrol (red wine extract) -- Prostate cancer -- Nonflavonoid chemopreventive agents -- ch. 25. The pharmacology of ascorbate -- The feared, unappreciated tomato -- Basics on ascorbic acid -- Ascorbate and the cardiovascular system -- Ascorbate in treatment of cancer -- Ascorbate and pancreatitis -- Questions about ascorbate's safety -- conclusions -- ch. 26. Marvelous aloe vera -- Background -- The nature and contents of aloe vera -- Oral aloe vera gel -- Protective aloe vera polysaccharides -- Lifelong oral aloe vera ingestion -- ch. 27. Eye health -- Phototoxicity --
Risks for age-related macular degeneration -- Dietary role in eye health and disease -- Nondietary lifestyle risk factors for AMD or cataract -- Clinical applications -- Concern about adverse effects of some natural products -- Conclusion -- ch. 28. Functional fruits -- Background -- More details -- Conclusions -- pt. 5. Most certain supplement marvels -- ch. 29. Botanical mistaken identity -- Background -- More cases -- ch. 30. The L-tryptophan disaster -- A history -- The sequel : 5-hydroxy-L-tryptophan -- ch. 31. Miracles promised, not delivered : false hopes, failed hopes -- Some miracle cures examined -- Self-chosen therapies for diabetes -- pt. 6. The future of dietary supplements -- ch. 32. Accreditation, validation, standardization, assimilation, and attrition -- Validation of dietary supplements' therapeutic abilities -- More thoughts on validation -- Accreditation : who is looking after John/Jane Q. Public? -- An alternative route for alternative remedies -- Legislation requiring standardization -- Globalization effects on the dietary supplement scene -- ch. 33. Would you bet your life on good advice? -- Adverse reactions -- How can the buyer beware? -- Can we eat our way to better health? -- Personal advice to consumers of dietary supplements -- Laughter is the best medicine -- Where are medicine and health care going? -- Final thoughts -- ch. 34. Spiritual aspects of health and healing -- The nature of us all -- Maintaining health : what we need to avoid -- Healings : from illness to recovery -- Conclusion -- Appendix ; book-length resources -- Notes -- Glossary -- Bibliography -- Index.

REVIEWS & SUMMARIES

CHOICE Review
Summary / Annotation

COMMUNITY REVIEWS

No community reviews. Write one below!