Mayo Clinic Book of Alternative Medicine: The New Approach to Using the Best of Natural Therapies and Conventional Medicine (Mayo Clinic, Book of Alternative Medicine)
| BUY FROM AMAZON.COM |
List price: $24.95 Our Price: $16.47
Usually ships in 24 hours
|

Consumer Rating: 
By: Mayo Clinic
Format: Hardcover
From: Time Inc Home Entertainment
Pub. Date: December 2006
Product Details:
Catalog: Book
Release Date: 2007-01-02
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Pages: 192
Ean: 9781933405926
Isbn: 1933405929
ABOUT THE BOOK
The Mayo Clinic Book of Alternative Medicine is an illustrated, accessible guide to understanding what works and what doesn’t in the world of complementary and alternative medicine, and how to put this information to use in your everyday life.
From acupuncture to yoga, Echinacea to St. John’s wort, and meditation to healing touch, Mayo Clinic provides answers to the most pressing questions people have about the effectiveness of complementary and alternative medicine, and when it’s appropriate to use natural remedies in place of or in conjunction with traditional medicine. This guide also offers practical advice for treating common ailments and incorporating alternative treatments into your — and your family’s — life.
"It is never wise to completely shun a proven method, and it's never wise to shun all alternatives as well. "Book of Alternative Medicine: The New Approach to Using The Best of Natural Therapies and Conventional Medicine" is a scholarly written and researched guidebook to alternative medicine, combining natural therapies and the conventional wisdom of modern science to find solutions when the common method fails alone. A seminal piece that should be read by all who want to keep their health up to snuff, "Book of Alternative Medicine: The New Approach to Using The Best of Natural Therapies and Conventional Medicine" is highly recommended for community library medicine collections."
~ Written on 2008-07-11
"Mayo Clinic book on alternative medicine should be on everyones book shelf. It contains down to earth information about many simple procedures for good health."
~ Written on 2008-07-02
"I purchased this book because I have been so happy with PDR for Herbal Medicines, 4th ed. (Physician's Desk Reference (Pdr) for Herbal Medicines). Which is another mainstream book on natural medicine. Unfortunately, this book is nowhere near that quality of research. It is a simplistic, inaccurate, and critically judgmental review of numerous approaches to natural health.
They use a stop light as a visual aide to show you their opinion of that particular item, a red light means not to use the treatment, or use it with a doctor's close supervision. The doctor's close supervision is a constantly reoccurring theme. A yellow light means use with caution, and a green light means it is safe for most people to use.
They give the herb goldenseal a red light. The Herbal PDR states the goldenseal is 90% effective against malignant brain tumors. It is more effective than any chemotherapy available.
Niacin they give a green light, stating that it can effectively reduce cholesterol, but then they go on to say it should only be taken under a doctor's supervision. A medical doctor recently told me that niacin was medicine's "dirty little secret" because everybody knows it is much more effective than any cholesterol lowering drug. But, there's no money to be made in it, so no doctor will tell you about it. Another natural alternative to a prescription for high cholesterol is vitamin C, it is discussed in great detail in Putting It All Together: The New Orthomolecular Nutrition.
It gives magnesium a yellow light and says that it is uncommon for most Americans to be deficient in it. We need 300 mg. of magnesium a day, and most people only get 250 mg. so there is a gradual depletion of our magnesium levels. It is one of the main causes of constipation, it is called for in heart cases, and it greatly reduces the chances of having a mentally retarded baby; the list goes on and on. If you have a health problem, a magnesium deficiency will seriously aggravate it.
When it does give interesting information, it doesn't give you the details to use it. For instance, it says that a study showed that vitamin C, E, beta carotene and zinc showed that it reduced the advancement of macular degeneration. But it doesn't tell you the dosage or even site the study so that you can look it up.
It gives homeopathy a yellow light, and says that there is no research to support its use. There is an immense amount of research supporting the efficacy of homeopathy. One researcher said "Either double blind studies don't work, or homeopathy does." He obviously went into the study believing that homeopathy didn't work. Hence the need for double blind studies, so that the researcher can't influence the outcome.
It says that generic supplements are as effective as brand names, which is simply not true. Quality varies greatly by manufacturer in all things, including herbs and supplements.
If you are educated on the subject of natural health, this book will make you furious because it is so inaccurate and misleading. If you are just getting interested in natural health, I recommend you start with Chemistry of Man (Man Series, Second Edition) instead.
"
~ Written on 2008-01-06
"I was very happy with the book. It is in good condiltion, very readable, and came quickly. I wanted to give it as a gift for christmas, and was able to do so. "
~ Written on 2007-12-31
"This really deserves 3 1/2 stars. It is very good for what it includes, but should include a bit more. It mostly emphasizes cardiac health. Much of the information is well documented and available elsewhere.
But it does a very good job in presenting the material and making it understood by many people.
"
~ Written on 2007-07-07