Summary

The Natural Way to Wellness Find essential information on hundreds of vitamins, herbs, and supplements -- What will VITAMIN E help cure and how much should I take? Vitamin E can help prevent heart disease and treat acne. Adults should take 100 to 400 IU of natural vitamin E daily. Find vitamin, herb, and supplement treatments for hundreds of conditions! Experiencing migraines? See MAGNESIUM: There is considerable evidence that low magnesium levels trigger both migraine and tension headaches. Take 250 to 400 milligrams three times daily. Learn about possible interactions with your prescription drugs! Taking ST. JOHN'S WORT for depression? It may interfere with amphetamines, diet pills, nasal decongestants, or allergy medications, causing nausea or high blood pressure. Here is your comprehensive, portable, one-step guide to all over-thecounter vitamins, herbs, and supplements currently available -- an easy-to-use alphabetical listing that includes valuable information on the most effective forms of each supplement, the nutrient's food source and proper dosage, as well as signs of deficiency, safe use, and possible side effects.

Introduction: Mother Nature's Miracles	p. 1
Using This Book	p. 6
Understanding, Choosing, and Using Healing Supplements	p. 9
Vitamins and Minerals	p. 11
Biotin	p. 13
Boron	p. 14
Calcium	p. 15
Chromium	p. 18
Copper	p. 20
Folic acid	p. 21
Iodine	p. 23
Iron	p. 24
Magnesium	p. 27
Manganese	p. 29
Molybdenum	p. 30
Phosphorus	p. 31
Potassium	p. 32
Selenium	p. 34
Vitamin A (Beta-carotene)	p. 35
Vitamin B Complex	p. 37
Vitamin B1 (Thiamin)	p. 39
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)	p. 40
Vitamin B3 (Niacin)	p. 41
Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic acid)	p. 43
Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine, Pyridoxal, Pyridoxamine)	p. 44
Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin)	p. 46
Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid)	p. 48
Vitamin D (Calciferol)	p. 50
Vitamin E (Tocopherol, Tocotrienol)	p. 51
Vitamin K (Phylloquinone)	p. 53
Zinc	p. 53
Herbs	p. 56
Alfalfa	p. 61
Aloe vera	p. 62
Astragalus	p. 63
Bilberry	p. 63
Black cohosh	p. 64
Boswellia	p. 65
Cayenne	p. 66
Chamomile	p. 67
Chase tree berry	p. 68
Dandelion	p. 68
Dong quai	p. 69
Echinacea	p. 70
Evening primrose oil	p. 71
Fenugreek	p. 72
Feverfew	p. 73
Garlic	p. 74
Germanium	p. 75
Ginger	p. 76
Ginkgo	p. 77
Ginseng	p. 78
Goldenseal	p. 80
Green tea	p. 81
Hawthorn	p. 82
Licorice	p. 83
Milk thistle	p. 85
Myrrh	p. 85
Nettle	p. 86
Oats	p. 87
Peppermint	p. 88
Psyllium	p. 89
Saw palmetto	p. 90
Skullcap	p. 90
St. John's wort	p. 91
Tea tree oil	p. 92
Uva ursi	p. 93
Valerian	p. 94
Wild yam	p. 94
Yohimbe	p. 95
Amino Acids and Other Nutrition Supplements	p. 97
Acidophilus	p. 97
Arginine	p. 99
Brewer's yeast	p. 100
Bromelain	p. 101
Carnitine	p. 101
Chondroitin sulfate	p. 103
Coenzyme Q10	p. 103
DHEA	p. 105
Fiber	p. 107
Flaxseed oil	p. 107
Glucosamine (sulfate)	p. 108
5-HTP (5-hydroxytryptophan)	p. 109
Inositol	p. 110
Lecithin	p. 110
Lycopene	p. 111
Lysine	p. 112
Melatonin	p. 113
Omega-3 fatty acids and fish oil	p. 114
Quercetin	p. 115
SAMe (S-adenosylmethionine)	p. 116
Soy	p. 116
Sulfur	p. 117
Homeopathic Remedies	p. 119
Aconite (Aconitum napellus)	p. 129
Agnus (Agnus castus)	p. 129
Allium (Allium cepa)	p. 129
Alumina (Alumina)	p. 129
Amyl (Amyl nitrite)	p. 129
Arnica (Arnica montana)	p. 130
Arsenicum (Arsenicum album)	p. 130
Aurum (Aurum metallicum)	p. 130
Baryta Carb. (Baryta carbonica)	p. 130
Berberis (Berberis vulgaris)	p. 130
Bryonia (Bryonia alba)	p. 131
Calcarea (Calcarea carbonica)	p. 131
Calcarea Phos. (Calcarea phosphorica)	p. 131
Causticum (Casticuum hahnemanni)	p. 131
China (China officinalis)	p. 131
Coffea (Coffea cruda)	p. 132
Colchicum (Colchicum autumnale)	p. 132
Conium (Conium maculatrum)	p. 132
Digitalis (Digitalis purpurea)	p. 132
Eupatorium (Eupatorium perfoliatum)	p. 132
Euphrasia (Euphrasia officinalis)	p. 132
Ferrum (Ferrum metallicum)	p. 133
Ferrum Phos. (Ferrum phosphoicum)	p. 133
Gelsemium (Gelsemium sempervirens)	p. 133
Hamamelis (Hamamelis virginiana)	p. 133
Hyoscyamus (Hyoscyamus niger)	p. 133
Ignatia (Ignatia amara)	p. 134
Kali Carb. (Kali carbonicum)	p. 134
Lachesis (Trigonocephalus lachesis)	p. 134
Ledum (Ledum palustre)	p. 134
Lycopodium (Lycopodium clavatum)	p. 134
Nux (Strychnos nux vomica)	p. 135
Phosphoric acid (Phosphoricum acidum)	p. 135
Phosphorus (Phosphorus)	p. 135
Pulsatilla (Pulsatilla nigricans)	p. 135
Rhododendron (Rhododendron chrysanthum)	p. 135
Rhus Tox. (Rhus toxicodendron)	p. 136
Sanguinaria (Sanguinaria canadensis)	p. 136
Sepia (Sepia officinalis)	p. 136
Silicea (Silicea terra)	p. 136
Symphytum (Symphytum officinale)	p. 136
Urtica (Urtica wrens)	p. 136
Creating Your Individualized Supplement Program	p. 138
Shopping for Supplements	p. 149
Prescription for Healing	p. 155
Treating Common Medical Problems	p. 157
Acne	p. 158
Allergies and Asthma	p. 160
Alzheimer's disease and Dementia	p. 164
Anemia	p. 168
Angina	p. 171
Anxiety	p. 173
Arthritis: Osteoarthritis	p. 176
Arthritis: Rheumatoid arthritis	p. 180
Atherosclerosis and Arteriosclerosis	p. 183
Athlete's foot	p. 186
Bronchitis and Pneumonia	p. 188
Bursitis and Tendonitis	p. 191
Cancer	p. 193
Canker sores	p. 198
Carpal tunnel syndrome	p. 200
Cataracts	p. 202
Chronic fatigue syndrome	p. 204
Colds and Flu	p. 207
Constipation	p. 211
Dandruff	p. 214
Depression	p. 215
Diabetes	p. 219
Diarrhea	p. 224
Diverticulitis	p. 226
Ear infections	p. 228
Eczema	p. 231
Fibrocystic breast disease	p. 234
Fibromyalgia	p. 236
Flatulence	p. 237
Gallstones	p. 239
Gingivitis and Periodontal disease	p. 242
Glaucoma	p. 245
Gout	p. 247
Headache and Migraine headache	p. 250
Heart attack and Cardiovascular disease	p. 253
Heartburn and Indigestion	p. 260
Hemorrhoids	p. 262
Herpes	p. 263
Hypertension (high blood pressure)	p. 266
Impotence (erectile dysfunction)	p. 270
Incontinence	p. 273
Infertility	p. 276
Insomnia	p. 279
Irritable bowel syndrome and Inflammatory bowel disease	p. 282
Macular degeneration	p. 286
Menopausal symptoms	p. 287
Nausea and Morning sickness	p. 291
Obesity	p. 293
Osteoporosis	p. 296
Parkinson's disease	p. 299
PMS (Premenstrual syndrome)	p. 302
Prostate enlargement (BPH)	p. 305
Psoriasis and Seborrheic dermatitis	p. 306
Ulcers	p. 309
Urinary-tract infections	p. 312
Varicose veins	p. 314
Organizations of Interest	p. 317
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

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Excerpts

The Complete Guide to Vitamins, Herbs, and Supplements
The Holistic Path to Good Health

Chapter One

Vitamins and Minerals

Vitamins and minerals are essential for good health, but which ones do you need for optimal health? This chapter will help you understand the biological importance of various vitamins and minerals, and it will provide details on how to safely use these nutritional supplements. This information can be used in conjunction with the health information described in Chapter 7, as you design a supplement plan to meet your specific health needs.

How Much Is Enough -- and Too Much?

If you're like most people, you probably don't eat what you should every day. You may reach for burgers and fries or cookies and cakes with some regularity, making you wonder whether you should supplement your daily bread with a daily vitamin.

In virtually all cases, the answer is yes. A well-balanced diet is a cornerstone of good health, but multivitamins and nutrition supplements can come in handy when you want to make up for dietary failings. A daily vitamin provides peace of mind that you are getting enough nutrients, even on the days when you succumb to temptation.

Faced with the possibility of nutritional shortfalls, some people may be tempted to load up with vitamin and mineral supplements. But the “if some is good, more is better” approach does not apply to vitamins. Large doses of vitamins over long periods of time can trigger side effects, some of which can be serious.

When using nutritional supplements, you will take either a daily dose, which can be taken at a given amount on an ongoing basis, or a therapeutic dose, which should be used for a limited time to give the body a boost in either preventing or managing an illness. To avoid overdose, take the higher amount only during the course of the illness or as long as recommended on the product label.

You should also be aware that vitamins can be either fat- or water-soluble. Fat-soluble vitamins are stored in the body; megadoses of these vitamins can build up in the body and cause dangerous side effects. The fat-soluble vitamins are vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E, and vitamin K. Water-soluble vitamins are stored in smaller amounts in the body and must be consumed more often. They include the B vitamins and vitamin C. Excessive amounts of water-soluble vitamins are excreted from the body in the urine.

The following section provides an alphabetical list of vitamins and minerals, including information on food sources of the nutrient, signs of deficiency, medical uses, dosages, side effects, and any known drug interactions. You can refer back to these entries from Chapter 7 when you want specific information on the use of these nutrients for the treatment of medical problems.

Vitamins and Minerals A to Z

Biotin

Biotin -- also known as vitamin B7 and vitamin H -- is a member of the B vitamin family. Its primary functions in the body are to assist with the metabolism of fats, carbohydrates, and proteins, and to help with cell growth and facilitate the utilization of the other B vitamins. Biotin also has proved helpful in lowering and controlling the blood sugar levels in people with either insulin-dependent or non-insulin-dependent diabetes.

Good Food Sources: Soy, whole grains, egg yolk, almonds, walnuts, oatmeal, mushrooms, broccoli, bananas, peanuts, liver, kidney, milk, legumes, sunflower seeds, and nutritional yeast.

Signs of Deficiency: Signs of biotin deficiency include depression, hair loss, high blood sugar, anemia, loss of appetite, insomnia, muscle cramps, nausea, and a sore tongue. In addition, low biotin levels have been linked to seborrheic dermatitis in infants; biotin's role in causing this condition in adults has not been established.

Biotin deficiency is very rare, in part because this vitamin can be manufactured by the intestines from other foods. Long-term use of antibiotics, however, can hinder production of biotin and lead to deficiency symptoms. Signs of deficiency are also seen in people who regularly consume raw egg whites, which contain a protein called avidin that prevents the absorption of biotin into the blood.

Uses of Biotin: Biotin is used in the treatment of diabetes (page 219).

Dosage Information: The adult RDA is 100 to 200 micrograms; the therapeutic dose is 200 micrograms. Purchase either a multivitamin–mineral supplement or a B-complex formula that contains biotin. Most people do not need to take a separate biotin supplement unless they are treating diabetes, in which case it is recommended you do so under a doctor's guidance.

Possible Side Effects: Biotin is a nontoxic, water-soluble vitamin; if excessive amounts are taken, it is excreted in the urine without causing adverse effects. People with diabetes who are taking insulin may need to decrease their insulin dosage if they take more than 4 milligrams of biotin daily; diabetics should be under a doctor's care.

Possible Interactions: Biotin works in conjunction with the other B vitamins. Substances that can interfere with bioavailability of biotin include antibiotics, saccharin, and sulfa drugs.

Boron

Boron is a trace mineral that plays an important role in maintaining healthy bones, cartilage, and joints. It is also essential for the absorption of calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus. In addition, boron has been credited with enhancing brain function and promoting mental alertness.

Good Food Sources: Raisins, almonds, prunes, most noncitrus fruits, and leafy green vegetables. (The level of boron in various foods depends on the level of boron in the soil.)

Signs of Deficiency: No cases of boron deficiency have been reported. Low levels of boron have been associated with an increased risk of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women.

Uses of Boron: Boron is used in the treatment of osteoarthritis (page 176) and osteoporosis (page 296).

Dosage Information: Boron is not included in many multivitamin–mineral formulas because the federal government has not established an RDA for boron. For general health, look for a multivitamin that contains 1.5 to 3 milligrams of boron. If you have osteoarthritis or osteoporosis, consider taking 3 to 9 milligrams of boron daily in tablet or powder form. Look for sodium borate or boron chelates for osteoporosis; look for sodium tetraborate decahydrate for the treatment of osteoarthritis.

The Complete Guide to Vitamins, Herbs, and Supplements
The Holistic Path to Good Health. Copyright © by Winifred Conkling. Reprinted by permission of HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved. Available now wherever books are sold.

Excerpted from The Complete Guide to Vitamins, Herbs, and Supplements: The Holistic Path to Good Health by Winifred Conkling
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.