Internet Guide to Herbal Remedies

by David J. Owen

Overview

"The next best thing to knowing something is knowing where to find it." — Samuel Johnson

The Internet Guide to Herbal Remedies helps you find reliable online resources for the information you need about herbs used to treat a variety of medical conditions, including cancer, heart disease, depression, and AIDS. This easy-to-use consumer guide will help you steer clear of misleading—and potentially harmful—information that often amounts to nothing more than a thinly veiled product advertisement, as you search for the accurate and up-to-date news, facts, and advice that are out there—if you know where to look.

Author David J. Owen, whose previous book, The Herbal Internet Companion: Herbs and Herbal Medicine Online (Haworth) won the 2002 International Herb Association Book Award, guides you through Web sites, mailing lists, listservs, newsgroups, and databases to uncover safe and sound health information that’s aimed at specific conditions and specific populations; there’s even a chapter on herbs for pets! You’ll find the information you need on the safety and effectiveness of herbal remedies, current laws and regulations governing their use, and the basics of botany, including how herbs are named and what parts of the plants are used.

Internet Guide to Herbal Remedies provides the information you need on:

• decoding herbal product labels
  
• general and CAM Web sites
  
• PubMed (MEDLINE)
  
• Google versus PubMed
  
• Web sites that discuss side effects and herb-drug interactions
  
• consumer awareness Web sites
  
• Web sites for specific diseases and conditions
  
• Web sites for specific populations
  
• Web addresses, browsers, and navigating Web sites
  
• and much more!

Internet Guide to Herbal Remedies also includes helpful tables, figures, and screen captures from Web sites. This book is essential for anyone looking for safe and reliable information online.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780789022301
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	08/22/2006
Series:	Haworth Internet Medical Guides Ser.
Pages:	119
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

Table of Contents

Introduction Chapter 1. Navigating the World Wide Web Understanding Web Addresses Browsers Web Surfing with Bookmarks or Favorites How to Navigate a Web Site Avoiding Eyestrain Web Sites for Browser Downloads Chapter 2. Online Conversations Electronic Discussion Groups Chat Rooms and Instant Messaging Web Logs Netiquette Web Sites for Chatting Online Chapter 3. Herbal Information on the Internet The Good, the Bad, and the Sales Pitch Web Sites for Evaluating Web Content What's in the Bottle? Understanding Product Labels Web Sites for Decoding Herbal Product Labels General Health and CAM Web Sites Chapter 4. Searching the Medical Literature Understanding the Science of Herbs Web Sites for Background Botany The Importance of Medical Journals PubMed (MEDLINE) Google versus PubMed Web Sites for Links to Databases, Technical Information, and Published Research Chapter 5. Herbal Safety and Efficacy Are Herbs Safe? Web Sites That Discuss Herbal Side Effects and Herb/Drug Interactions Let the Buyer Beware: Fraud and Quackery Web Sites Dedicated to Consumer Awareness Chapter 6. Diseases and Conditions AIDS/HIV and Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) Alzheimer's Disease/Dementia Anxiety Arthritis Cancer Cardiovascular System The Common Cold and the Flu Depression and Memory Impairment Diabetes Headaches and Migraines Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) Menopause Prostrate Problems (Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia, BPH) Sexual Dysfunction/Erectile Dysfunction Skin Conditions Sleep and Insomnia Sports Injuries/Use of Supplements in Sports Substance Abuse/Alcoholism Teeth and Gum Diseases Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) Chapter 7. Herbal Information for Specific Populations Women's Health Information for Children and Parents Aging Chapter 8. Herbs for Pets Chapter 9. The Bottom Line! Glossary Index Reference Notes Included

Editorial Reviews

Reviewer: Martha J. Greenberg, PhD, RN (Pace University)
Description: This terrific little book is packed with useful guidance for consumers wishing to find reliable information on herbs and herbal remedies on the Internet. It discusses navigating sites, finding and using e-discussion groups, and accessing commercial and medical sites for herbal information and evidence.
Purpose: It is intended as a guide to the best online resources for herbal information. The author presents web sites, search tools, listservs, databases, and chat rooms that will help consumers (and healthcare professionals) find reliable information on safety and effectiveness of many herbs.
Audience: Consumers and healthcare professional alike are bound to find this book very useful. It is user friendly for both the novice and sophisticated Internet user. The author has expertise in library and knowledge management, holds an appointment in the UCSF School of Pharmacy, and has previously published on herbal medicine online.
Features: The book takes a simple approach to the Internet, starting with Internet basics and web navigation. Included is material on understanding web addresses and browsers, even tips to enlarge text to avoid eyestrain! The book moves through chat rooms and discussion groups into specific web sites on herbs. Medical and governmental web sites are emphasized, because of their scientific information. Herbal safety and efficacy and certain diseases and conditions where herbal treatment may be useful are included.
Assessment: I know of no other comparable resource and highly recommend this gem of a book!

Doody's Review Service