Natural Alternatives to Over-the-Counter and Prescription Drugs

( 1 )

Want to read this on your NOOK? Request as NOOK Book from the publisher

Thank you for requesting this book as a NOOK book from the publisher.

Customers Who Bought This Also Bought

More About This Book

Overview
Editorial Reviews
Product Details
Meet the Author
Read an Excerpt

Advertising

Overview

Is there really a safer, more effective natural alternative to most prescription and over-the-counter medicines? Yes.

In Natural Alternatives to Over-the-Counter and Prescription Drugs, his groundbreaking book, naturopathic physician Michael T. Murray provides specific natural alternatives to some of the drugs most used by Americans, including Tagamet, Prednisone, Seldane, and Zantac. Examining the side effects and effectiveness of many of the drugs used today, Murray shows how these drugs can be replaced with less expensive natural remedies whose medicinal benefits have been proven in clinical studies. He discusses how herbs, vitamins, minerals, extracts, and ointments can be used to bring relief from a wide array of specific ailments, including:

Diabetes
Asthma, hay fever, and the common cold
High blood pressure and high cholesterol
Arthritis
Heartburn and headache
Insomnia

With easy-to-understand charts, graphs, and tables throughout, Natural Alternatives to Over-the-Counter and Prescription Drugs offers detailed, practical information that will help readers live a fuller, healthier life—free from pharmaceutical medicines.

"A naturopathic physician explains how a healthy, low-fat diet, vitamins, and herbs can alleviate the symptoms and decrease the severity of a variety of diseases and disorders."

Editorial Reviews

Library Journal

Murray ( The Encylopedia of Natural Medicine , LJ 5/1/91) has written another excellent book offering an alternative to traditional healthcare. He does more than merely list alternatives to over-the-counter and prescription drugs; his book also includes information on the causes of diseases, the side effects of both drug and herbal therapies, and practical advice on diet and exercise. A section on staying healthy is particularly good since it doesn't overwhelm the reader with too much information. Murray presents a good balance between the advantages and disadvantages of both natural remedies and conventional medical treatment. Although libraries that own the more in-depth encyclopedia by the author may not need this work, it belongs in all other libraries as one of the best guides to healthy living. With an excellent bibliography; highly recommended.-- Natalie Kupferberg, Montana State Univ. Lib., Bozeman

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780688166274
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date: 12/28/1998
Edition number: 1
Pages: 384
Sales rank: 1,213,420
Product dimensions: 5.50 (w) x 8.25 (h) x 0.96 (d)

Meet the Author

Michael T. Murray, N.D., teaches at Bastyr University in Seattle, Washington. In addition to practicing medicine, he is the author of fourteen books, including A Textbook of Natural Medicine. He lives in Bellevue, Washington.

Read an Excerpt

Making Medicine or Making Money

The United States spends more money on health care than any country in the world. For 1994, the projection is that the total will exceed one trillion dollars. Despite this tremendous financial commitment, are Americans getting their money's worth? If so, why is the United States ranked sixteenth in terms of life expectancy and why are there more people in nursing homes in this country than anywhere else in the world? Where is all this money spent on health care going? Are drug companies and doctors more concerned about making money than making people healthy?

Since the 1950s, the drug industry has been the most profitable industry in America. In December 1959, the last year of the Eisenhower administration, the Senate Subcommittee on Antitrust and Monopoly heralded a year-long investigation of the drug industry with the declaration that the public was not only being overcharged for drugs, but was being ripped off by more than $250 million a year for useless and sometimes harmful medicines. The drug industry was harshly criticized for its unrestricted promotional, marketing, and pricing practices.

Have things changed in the last thirty-five years? Yes, they have gotten much better for the drug companies at the public's expense. During the past thirty-five years, drug costs have skyrocketed at a rate four times that of inflation. In 1960, the drug industry was the most profitable industry in America, with a profit margin of 10.6 percent of sales. By 1992, this had increased to 13 percent.

In 1980, the average prescription cost was $6.52. In 1992, the cost of the same prescription was $22.50. Since 1980, prescription drug costshave risen nearly three times higher than the consumer price index. Projections are that drug costs will continue to rise at a rate of nearly 10 percent per year for the next few years. Some drugs will see rises even steeper. Not surprisingly, the drugs most likely to rise in cost are those in highest demand among aging baby-boomers. For example, Premarin, a drug used primarily in women around the time of menopause, is being prescribed more. In 1985, the price of one hundred tablets of Premarin was $13.34; in 1991, the price had increased by nearly 2.5 times that amount to $33.09.

Customer Reviews

Average Rating 5

( 1 )

Rating Distribution

5 Star

(1)

4 Star

(0)

3 Star

(0)

2 Star

(0)

1 Star

(0)

Your Rating:

Review Guidelines

Tell the world what you think of this product.

Add Recommendations

Your Name: Create a Pen Name or Leave Anonymously

Barnes & Noble.com Review Rules

Our reader reviews allow you to share your comments on titles you liked, or didn't, with others. By submitting an online review, you are representing to Barnes & Noble.com that all information contained in your review is original and accurate in all respects, and that the submission of such content by you and the posting of such content by Barnes & Noble.com does not and will not violate the rights of any third party. Please follow the rules below to help ensure that your review can be posted.

Reviews by Our Customers Under the Age of 13

We highly value and respect everyone's opinion concerning the titles we offer. However, we cannot allow persons under the age of 13 to have accounts at BN.com or to post customer reviews. Please see our Terms of Use for more details.

What to exclude from your review:

Please do not write about reviews, commentary, or information posted on the product page. If you see any errors in the information on the product page, please send us an email.

Reviews should not contain any of the following:

- HTML tags, profanity, obscenities, vulgarities, or comments that defame anyone
- Time-sensitive information such as tour dates, signings, lectures, etc.
- Single-word reviews. Other people will read your review to discover why you liked or didn't like the title. Be descriptive.
- Comments focusing on the author or that may ruin the ending for others
- Phone numbers, addresses, URLs
- Pricing and availability information or alternative ordering information
- Advertisements or commercial solicitation

Reminder:

- By submitting a review, you grant to Barnes & Noble.com and its sublicensees the royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable right and license to use the review in accordance with the Barnes & Noble.com Terms of Use.
- Barnes & Noble.com reserves the right not to post any review -- particularly those that do not follow the terms and conditions of these Rules. Barnes & Noble.com also reserves the right to remove any review at any time without notice.
- See Terms of Use for other conditions and disclaimers.

Anonymous

Posted December 25, 2007

A reviewer

This book, among many others, has helped me realize that my true calling is to become an N.D. There was a major crisis in my family and this book helped to point us in the right direction. It is, in my opinion, a 'life-saver'.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

If you find inappropriate content, please report it to Barnes & Noble

Natural Alternatives to Over-the-Counter and Prescription Drugs

Pick Up in Store

Overview

Customers Who Bought This Also Bought

More About This Book

Overview

Editorial Reviews

Library Journal

Product Details

Meet the Author

Read an Excerpt

Customer Reviews

Rating Distribution

5 Star

4 Star

3 Star

2 Star

1 Star

Your Rating:

Your Recommendations:

Barnes & Noble.com Review Rules

Reviews by Our Customers Under the Age of 13

What to exclude from your review:

Reviews should not contain any of the following:

Reminder:

Recommend other products that relate to your review. Just search for them below and share!

A reviewer