Product Description

This A-Z Guide to Supplements draws on “Prescription for Nutritional Healing” – America’s best-selling book on natural health (now in it’s third edition). It presents authoritative information about some 350 of the most important supplements available today in a handy, pocket-sized format. Revised and expanded from the first edition, it covers how these supplements work, how to use them and what to look for when choosing supplement products. Here is a straightforward, easy-to-understand guide to vitamins, minerals, amino acids, enzymes, antioxidants, phytochemicals, herbs and more.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #80202 in Books
• Published on: 2003-07-31
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: 1.00 pounds
• Binding: Paperback
• 304 pages

About the Author
Phyllis A Balch has been a leading nutritional counsellor and advocate of natural therapies for more than 2 decades. She is the founder and owner of the health food store “Good Things Naturally” in Greenfield, Indiana and frequently lectures on the subject of nutrition and natural healing. James F Balch is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and the author of 5 books on health and nutrition.

Customer Reviews

The ABC of nutritional supplements
This useful guide provides basic information on a wide range of nutritional supplements, incorporating cutting-edge research results in the fields of nutrition and supplementation. This updated edition includes information on newer supplements and herbal remedies like MSM, IP6, colostrum, olive leaf extract and saw palmetto amongst others.

In a discussion of nutrition, diet and wellness, the author provides the ABC of nutrition, from the 4 basic nutrients to the micronutrients plus guidelines for selecting and preparing foods. An interesting article deals with phytochemicals (biologically active substances in plants that give them their color and flavour).

The chapters that follow provide an overview of vitamins, minerals, amino acids and water, explaining their functions in the body and then providing more detailed information on the functions, roles and sources of these individual vitamins, minerals and amino acids. The section on water compares tap, artesian, bottled, sparkling, distilled and natural spring water.

The chapter on anti-oxidants looks at a wide spectrum of free-radical scavengers, from Alpha-Lipoic Acid to Zinc. Anti-oxidants include amino acids, enzymes, minerals, phytochemicals & trace elements. They protect the body against aging and disease. The section on enzymes deals with their role in the body and how they interact with different foods. A list of commercially available digestive enzymes is provided.

The alphabetical index of Natural Food Supplements contain the latest information on nutrients from Acidophilus to Yeast, including substances like SAMe, Phosphatidylserine, MSM, Glucosamine, CoQ10, the natural antibiotic Colloidal Silver plus the natural hormones DHEA, Creatine, Melatonin and Pregnenolone.

The subject of herbs encompasses essential oils, extracts, teas, tinctures and wines. Here one can find information on anything from Acerola to Yucca, divided into the parts of the plant that is used, its phytochemical and nutrient content, its actions and uses plus further observations on the plant's qualities.

This valuable and handy guide concludes with a thorough index. Another excellent guide to supplements is Earl Mindell's Supplement Bible. For a more thorough treatment of nutritional healing, I recommend the extensive work Prescription for Nutritional Healing.

A Wealth of Information
This book contains a wealth of information for those seeking a nutritional solution to health problems. It is divided into three parts with the first section devoted to a discussion of the relationship between nutrition, diet and wellness and the importance of vitamins, minerals, water, amino acids, antioxidants, enzymes, natural food supplements and herbs. The second part contains descriotions of common disorders and nutritional recommendations for their cure and the third part gives an overview of such traditional treatments as juicing and hydrotherapy. Although many general references are made to the latest research, this book is in no way a resource on research in the health field.