Prescription or Poison?

The Benefits and Dangers of Herbal Remedies

Amitava Dasgupta

• Publisher: Hunter House
• Year: 2011
• Print ISBN:
  9780897935500
• eBook ISBN:
  9780897935975
• Topic: Medicine
• Subtopic: Alternative & Complementary Medicine

From echinacea to ayurvedics, this book explains how toxic these remedies are alone or in combination with other widely prescribed drug treatments. For example, one should avoid most herbal remedies when pregnant because of pesticides and preservatives required in growth and storage of the herbs; a widely used herbal antidepressant called kava does damage to the liver; most ayurvedic medicines contain unacceptable levels of lead and other heavy metals; St. John's Wort is not recommended if you are taking a medication for any chronic medical condition. Dr. Dasgupta explains in simple, engaging prose what drug interactions are and why they are dangerous. Most educated people see herbal remedies as "natural" and therefore "safe." Dr. Dasgupta tells us that one of his first pharmacology professors taught him that "medicine" is just another word for "poison" and should be treated with the same respect. He will present a balanced account of efficacy and safety of herbal medicines with discussion on potentially unsafe and toxic remedies. This book will be written in layman's language for the consumer health market but will be based on solid medical research and published reports in the medical literature.

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Dedication
• Preface
• Acknowledgements
• CHAPTER 1 - Complementary and Alternative Medicines: Who Uses Them?
• CHAPTER 2 - Some Relatively Safe and Effective Herbal Supplements
• CHAPTER 3 - Essential Oils and Fish-Oil Supplements: How Effective Are They?
• CHAPTER 4 - Herbal Supplements That May Boost Your Immune System
• CHAPTER 5 - Homeopathic Remedies: Relatively Safe Alternative Medicine
• CHAPTER 6 - Vitamins and Minerals
• CHAPTER 7 - Moderately Toxic Herbal Remedies That May Cause Organ Damage
• CHAPTER 8 - Severely Toxic Herbal Remedies That May Even Cause Death
• CHAPTER 9 - How Herbal Remedies Interact with Your Medicines
• CHAPTER 10 - Food, Alcohol, Fruit Juices, Smoking — and Your Meds
• CHAPTER 11 - Herbal Supplements, Alternative Therapies, and Women’s Health
• CHAPTER 12 - How Herbal Remedies May Affect Laboratory Test Results
• CHAPTER 13 - Herbal Remedies That Are Misidentified or Contaminated with Heavy ...
• CHAPTER 14 - 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
• Notes
• Glossary
• Further Reading
• Index
• Copyright Page