Physicians can use this fact-filled second edition to advise patients in their quest to learn about proper use of supplements and functional foods. Now updated and including new information on functional foods.

"Physicians Desk Reference(" presents this essential guide to the exciting new world of designer foods and nutraceuticals that offers information on supplements for everything from baldness to kidney disease. This guide presents information on the biochemical makeup and healing properties of each supplement, side effects, other dangers, and much more.

"Recent scientific research has shown that nutraceuticals - which include everything from supplements and herbs to vitamins and healing foods - offer an effective, safe alternative to traditional prescription drugs and are a great way to maintain or improve your health. In this comprehensive, authoritative guide, Dr. Arthur J. Roberts, Dr. Mary E. O'Brien, and Genell Subak-Sharpe combine the wisdom of conventional and alternative medicine to help you choose the nutraceuticals best suited to your individual needs. Based on solid scientific evidence, the wealth of information contained in this book is organized by nutraceutical as well as by medical condition."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

This comprehensive reference contains the information families need to use vitamins, minerals and herbs wisely, whether they are interested in maintaining good health, coping with everyday complaints, or dealing with serious diseases. 300 color photos, illustrations & charts.

Presents information on vitamins, minerals, and dietary supplements in a dictionary format, with over 900 entries.

This greatly expanded and revised edition contains more than 1,000 entries, covering everything from common everyday foods to the latest in genetic research--and beyond. Each substance's properties are objectively described based on the latest scientific evidence. Included are substances that not only claim to improve thinking and other brain functions, but those that are thought to help prevent brain damage and degeneration, prevent aging and extend the human lifespan, enhance social skills and moral behavior, induce altered states of consciousness, and improve mood, stamina, and energy.

Integration of complementary and alternative medicine therapies (CAM) with conventional medicine is occurring in hospitals and physicians offices, health maintenance organizations (HMOs) are covering CAM therapies, insurance coverage for CAM is increasing, and integrative medicine centers and clinics are being established, many with close ties to medical schools and teaching hospitals. In determining what care to provide, the goal should be comprehensive care that uses the best scientific evidence available regarding benefits and harm, encourages a focus on healing, recognizes the importance of compassion and caring, emphasizes the centrality of relationship-based care, encourages patients to share in decision making about therapeutic options, and promotes choices in care that can include complementary therapies where appropriate. Numerous approaches to delivering integrative medicine have evolved. Complementary and Alternative Medicine in the United States identifies an urgent need for health systems research that focuses on identifying the elements of these models, the outcomes of care delivered in these models, and whether these models are cost-effective when compared to conventional practice settings. It outlines areas of research in convention and CAM therapies, ways of integrating these therapies, development of curriculum that provides further education to health professionals, and an amendment of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act to improve quality, accurate labeling, research into use of supplements, incentives for privately funded research into their efficacy, and consumer protection against all potential hazards.