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Introduction

Medicine is an enormous achievement, but what it will achieve practically for humanity, and what those who hold the power will allow it to do, remain open questions.
--Roy Porter, The Greatest Benefit to Mankind

Almost everyone would like to be healthier and take steps to prevent serious diseases such as cancer, heart failure, arthritis.  The question is how?  We live in a world where there are many choices but few concrete answers.

Even though we often hear that Americans are drowning in information, there's one type of information that can be frustratingly difficult to come by--sound, accurate data about nutritional supplements and their ability to forestall and clear up health problems.

That's what this book is about.  We've studied the research and discarded the dubious and inconclusive to bring you news about proven, scientifically sound cures--cures that you can buy immediately, without waiting for a doctor's appointment or a prescription.

If you read even one chapter of this book, you'll be solidly informed about an important aspect of your health.  And after you read the entire book you will have acquired knowledge that even today many doctors don't possess.

If These Remedies Work, Why Haven't We Heard More About Them?

Without a doubt Western medicine is one of mankind's greatest achievements.  It has stopped plagues and turned once-common killers such as diphtheria and smallpox into rare and isolated occurrences.

But the high-tech, white-coat approach to medicine, practiced and envied throughout the world, does have a few blind spots.  It can be impersonal and, because of that, frightening. It can be so absorbed with fixing the body it ignores the patient inside that body.  It can become so enamored of chemically synthesized drugs that it overlooks remedies that have worked for centuries.

These shortcomings are especially true in America.  While our system of for-profit medicine has given us one of the finest medical systems in the world, it has allowed important research to remain undone.

All research, even research on inexpensive nutritional supplements, costs money.  Pharmaceutical companies fund an enormous amount of research in hopes that their investment will result in medicines that can ultimately be patented and marketed. But in America no one can patent or own vitamins, minerals, herbs, or other nutrients.  This is good for consumers, of course, since it keeps costs low.  The down side is that without a profit incentive pharmaceutical companies have no reason to fund research.

Insurance companies, which fund studies on many aspects of life and health, are also uninterested in this type of research. To date, they have been required to cover only "officially approved" treatments, and this has not included vitamins, herbs, or other supplements.  Without a financial stake in discovering what works and what doesn't, it's hard for corporations to justify expensive studies and trials.

For the most part, this kind of research has been left to hospitals and universities.  The work they have accomplished is invaluable.  The problem is that there is simply too much research to be done, competing with too many other urgent and pressing projects, to assure a steady flow of information.

Even when research is conducted, even when the findings are quite impressive, many of us never learn about them. Consider the rapidity with which "Prozac" and "Viagra" became household words.  In both cases a pharmaceutical public-relations effort blended seamlessly with the media eager to embrace the newest high-tech cure-all.

For a complex, technically written study to enter the information mainstream, someone must write about it in ordinary terms, and get his or her article published in an ordinary magazine or newspaper.  This doesn't happen as frequently as it should.  Too often the media hop on the Prozac or Viagra bandwagon, and other important work goes unnoticed.

Welcome to the People's Revolution

The American medical scene is changing.  And it's changing by popular demand.

If you're one of the nearly 50 percent of Americans who take vitamins regularly, or one of the 34 percent of Americans who have tried alternative medicine, you're on the cutting edge. Your actions have been duly noted.  And changes are being made.

Not too long ago, nutritional supplements were only available in health food stores, and health food stores were few and far between.  Today health food stores can be found everywhere.  Nutritional supplements of all sorts can be purchased in drugstores, national chain stores, and even some grocery stores.

And today the word "supplements" means far more than vitamins and minerals.  Sales of herbal remedies are increasing at a rate of 12 percent to 15 percent each year, and more than two hundred companies in the United States produce herbal remedies of one form or another.

However belatedly, the American medical establishment is bending to consumer wishes.  It is acknowledging that traditionally used herbs form the basis of many modern medicines, including quinine and digitalis.  It is also acknowledging that more recent discoveries--such as the cancer-fighting drugs derived from the Pacific yew tree--justify continued research in this area.

In 1992 the government-sponsored National Institutes of Mental Health created an Office of Alternative Medicine.  Its mission is to fund research into the safety, effectiveness, and potential usefulness of remedies that fall outside traditional boundaries.

How Do We Know What Works?

If research is just starting to be done on nutritional supplements, is it possible to know what works and what doesn't?  Yes, it is!

Research may be just beginning in the United States, but this is one area in which we definitely are not a world leader. When it comes to studying and using natural remedies, much of the rest of the world is way, way ahead of us.

Germany and France, especially, have done a good deal of pioneering research, and doctors in both countries frequently prescribe nutritional supplements for patients.  Such prescriptions are not mere placebos, and the curative effects of many supplements are supported by convincing research.  In fact the German government funds a highly respected body known as Commission E, whose sole mission is to review current research and approve various herbal supplements for use.

A good deal of sound, reliable research has also been done in England, Sweden, Finland, Japan, and China.  Fortunately, more of these studies are now available in the English language than ever before.  And, as information flows out, more and more of these miraculous cures are becoming available for use in the United States.

How We Chose the Cures in This Book

Today you can go into any drugstore or health food store and find literally hundreds of nutritional supplements for sale.  You can read mountains of newsletters and magazines packed with advertisements, testimonials, and miraculous case studies.  If you have a computer and an Internet connection, you can surf your way to dozens of sites that sell thousands of products.

Amazing life-saving cure! the ads shout. Proven effective in dozens of studies!

Are all of these products as effective as their manufacturers claim?  In a word, No.

This book discusses over sixty healing nutrients.  As the References section shows, we've included hundreds of studies. What that section doesn't reveal are the many supplements and thousands of studies we reviewed but didn't include because they didn't meet our tough criteria.

In planning this book, a commitment was made to include only the most effective, best-researched supplements on the market.  This meant looking not only at the quantity of supportive research but evaluating its quality as well.  The purpose of this book is not to jump on the bandwagon of the latest fad nutrient.

It probably won't surprise you to learn that when it comes to the winning but vague phrase Studies prove, many manufacturers, and even a few writers, bend the findings to fit their own agenda.  For example, studies may prove that a nutrient kills harmful microorganisms in a petri dish--but that doesn't mean the nutrient will kill the same microorganisms in living creatures.  Many miraculous "cures" (including innumerable antidotes for cancer), have been discovered in petri dishes, only to prove disappointingly ineffective when tried on lab animals and humans.

One of our more surprising findings in this vein concerned ginseng, touted everywhere as a universal energizer.  Ginseng does boost your energy--if you're a lab rodent. Seldom publicized is the fact that when tried on human beings ginseng has not lived up to this claim.  (Ironically ginseng has a far more dramatic effect on humans as a cancer preventative, which we discuss in chapter 6.)

We also ruled out another strategy of eager marketers: personal testimonies and individual case studies.  There are a few problems with these.  First, we don't doubt that most people who offer testimonies are sincere and honest.  But individuals suffering from a health problem have such a strong wish to be well that even ineffective treatment may make them feel well.

In science this is known as the placebo effect.  Symptoms such as pain, fatigue, and discomfort are especially likely to be influenced by the placebo effect.  In fact, about 30 percent of patients with these complaints will claim to improve even if the pill they were given contains nothing but sugar and a bit of food coloring.

Another problem with testimonials and single case studies is that sometimes patients get better for reasons even doctors don't understand.  Life-threatening tumors seem to dissolve of their own accord, allergies vanish, diabetes goes away.  The patient fully recovers and goes on with his or her life.  But that doesn't mean the drugs, nutrients, or other remedies the patient took will work for others.

Individual case studies do have a place in medical literature, and they can be quite useful in suggesting avenues of research to explore.  But, like personal testimonies, such cases have too many unknowns to be taken as proof of a particular method of treatment.

To validate claims made for various nutrients, we looked for carefully controlled clinical trials that tested the nutrient in question on groups of humans.  When a study's findings were positive, we looked for other studies that confirmed these findings.

Needless to say, not all studies are equal.  When we say "carefully controlled" study, we mean a trial that has been constructed to eliminate as many errors as possible.  One way to guard against the placebo effect, for example, is to divide volunteers into two groups, giving one group the active nutrient and the other a harmless placebo.

A well-designed study of this type will take pains to make the two groups as equal as possible in terms of age, general health, and other variables.  It may also ask volunteers to follow certain guidelines during the test period (such as refraining from taking other nutrients or over-the-counter remedies) in order to preserve the integrity of the results.

When you read ads or promotional materials for various nutrients and find yourself wondering if the favorite phrase studies prove means all it seems to, your skepticism is often justified.  You needn't have such concerns in this book. If convincing research wasn't available on a nutrient, we left it out.

How to Use this Book

We have arranged this book alphabetically by disorder or problem.  If you are wondering about a specific problem and don't see it listed on the contents page, please refer to the index at the back of the book.  If you are wondering whether a particular nutrient is discussed and where to find information on it in the book, the index is also your best guide.

Here are some pointers that will help you make the most of this information:

Don't dispense with your doctor. Nothing in this book is meant to take the place of traditional medical diagnosis and treatment measures.  We don't advise that you act as your own doctor or prescribe your own remedies for conditions and problems.  This book is meant to be used in addition to--never instead of--regular medical care.

Read sections on nutrients thoroughly. Warning: The information in this book causes excitement!  You may be tempted to skim just enough to find out what nutrients to take without finding out how to take them.  We urge you to take the few additional minutes needed to read the entire entry that's of interest to you, including our instructions for use.

The nutrients in this book are safe and effective if taken according to the guidelines set forth.  If these guidelines are ignored, the nutrient you take may be neither safe nor effective. We want to make sure you get the health benefits you deserve from each and every nutrient, so do take time to learn about dosages, tips for use, and possible cautions.

Read the "major" and the "minor" listings in chapters of interest to you. You'll notice that in addition to in-depth discussions of various nutrients, many chapters conclude with a "What Else Can You Do?"  section.  This section includes shorter discussions of additional nutrients.

Why do some nutrients get more attention and some less?  Does it mean that nutrients in the "What Else Can You Do?"  section are unproven?  There are a few answers to these questions.

Nutrients chosen for in-depth discussion are those that have been proven most effective for the problem at hand.  This means the research was themost convincing and clearly demonstrated that the nutrient worked for most of the people most of the time.

This does not mean that nutrients given less discussion space are speculative or untested.  They may simply have worked for a smaller number of people.  It's important to remember that even in the case of the "most effective" prescription drugs ever developed not everything works for everyone.  A nutrient placed in the "What Else Can You Do Section?"--because it didn't help as many people as one of the nutrients given more attention--may be a true miracle for you, and well worth trying.

Nutrients were also placed in the "What Else Can You Do?"  section for other important reasons.  One was that the nutrient in question may play a supporting--rather than a key--role in dealing with the problem at hand.  Very often this same nutrient does play a major role in another health concern, and is given a full discussion elsewhere in the book.  To learn more about a nutrient, always consult the index.

Finally, lack of research caused some very promising remedies to be given shorter rather than longer discussions. More studies may need to be done to confirm early but still unsubstantiated findings.  Or "rave reviews" from individual users may need to be proven by scientific studies.

In no case did we include a nutrient, even for short discussion, based solely on manufacturers' claims or offers of proof.  And we have tried, in each case, to provide you with only responsible and verified information.

Know that you may be a special case. The guidelines for the use of various nutrients in this book are safe and effective for most people.  However, you may have a condition that makes you a special case.  The guidelines in this book do not apply to children or to pregnant or breast-feeding women.  And if you have a disease for which you are being treated, or are taking medication, you must, to be safe, get your doctor's advice before beginning a supplement program.

Supplements: How to Get Your Money's Worth

Throughout this book we avoid using brand names and making recommendations regarding specific manufacturers.  Not because there aren't good companies out there.  That's one of the problems.  There are many very good manufacturers, and naming only a few of them might give you the idea that companies we did not name turn out substandard products.

There's another reason we do not name specific manufacturers.  We don't want to give you the idea that certain companies have spoon-fed us research orpromotional information. As we mentioned above, in no case did we rely on anything but exhaustive research for the preparation of this manuscript.

That said, there are some things you should keep in mind when shopping for and using nutritional supplements.  Here are three simple rules to follow to make sure you always get your money's worth:

Always buy from a reputable manufacturer. Some people assume that these products, like medications, are regulated by the government and must meet certain standards. This is not true.  And, unfortunately, some companies have taken advantage of the lack of regulation to increase their profit margins.  There have been instances of highly adulterated products being sold.  Varo Tyler, a noted authority on herbs as medicine, has noted that an analysis of fifty-four ginseng products found that 25 percent of them contained no ginseng at all.  To avoid wasting your money, buy from reputable manufacturers who are willing to guarantee the quality of their products.

Look for standardized products. Products you buy should be guaranteed to contain a specific amount of active substances.  This is important for two reasons.  First, untrustworthy manufacturers may include a lot of filler and very little of the product itself.  Second, herbal products are subject to many variations.  Plants vary in chemical composition from plant to plant, crop to crop, and season to season.  A good manufacturer has found a way to overcome all of these obstacles and is able to guarantee that each and every dose you take contains the same amount of the desirable ingredient.  Where possible, we have included guidelines for these substances in this book.

Read and follow the manufacturer's package instructions.  Just as you should take time to read the guidelines for each nutrient given in this book, you should take time to read the manufacturer's own guidelines.  Since products may vary in strength and quantity of active ingredients, it wasn't always possible for us to give you hard-and-fast instructions.  When in doubt about how much of a nutrient to take, follow the manufacturer's package directions.

Following these three simple rules will help you get the most for your money.  But there is one final word of caution. Unfortunately, a few people have fallen prey to a particular myth.  The myth goes something like this: "If it's natural, it's safe in any quantity, and more is better than less."

This is not true at all.  Some nutrients can be toxic, and overdoing it can be harmful.  Too much vitamin E, for example, can cause blood to become so thin it fails to clot properly.  And, as you'll discover in the chapter on colds, licorice that has not been deglycyrrhizinated is so potent it can only be used for short periods of time.  Remember, the nutrients included in this book were chosen because they have a significant action on the body.  Their power should not be underestimated.

The Future of Miracle Cures

The remedies in this book are indeed miraculous.  Not in the clouds-and-angels sense of the word but in its hard, scientific sense.  It is indeed a miracle that inexpensive, readily available nutrients can spare us the ravages of life-threatening diseases such as cancer, heart attack, and stroke.  Just as it is miraculous that these same nutrients can outperform many far more expensive prescription medications.

Even in Europe, where study is more advanced than it is here, we are still very much at the beginning of the journey. There is much that remains to be discovered.  And, in time, science may find a way to bioengineer certain nutrients to make them even safer and more effective.  In time, nutrient-based medicines may come to replace many synthetic drugs in use today.

Excerpted from Corinne T. Netzer's Big Book of Miracle Cures by Corinne T. Netzer
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.

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