Herbal Drugs and Phytopharmaceuticals or The Way We Eat

Herbal Drugs and Phytopharmaceuticals

Author: Max Wichtl

An enormous increase in the knowledge of herbal drug constituents, their effects, and side effects has occurred in recent years. As a result, many herbal products are undergoing a transition from classic herbal teas to standardized extracts. This new edition of Herbal Drugs and Phytopharmaceuticals takes the advances made in medicinal plants research and phytotherapy into account and offers reliable, highly pertinent information. This reference offers comprehensive information about the origins, constituents, effects, indications, and dosage of herbal drugs and phytopharmaceuticals. The text also includes phytopharmaceutical information such as types of extraction solvents, drug-to-extract ratios, and dosage recommendations for extracts.

Doody Review Services

Reviewer: Nima Patel, PharmD (Temple University School of Pharmacy)
Description: This book, translated from the 4th German edition, contains 212 monographs describing herbs that are used for preparation of tea, herbal mixtures, or the production of phytopharmaceuticals. The last English edition was published in 2001.
Purpose: The main objective of this book, according to the editor and author (s), is to provide in-depth knowledge about herbals and to facilitate patient counseling on herbal products. Considering the rise in herbal product use in the United States, this book is necessary to present essential and accurate information regarding herbal drugs.
Audience: The targeted audience for this book includes pharmacists and physicians. The authors are experts in the field of pharmaceutical biology and are credible authorities.
Features: The herbal monographs were chosen based on readers' requests and those for which a German Standard License exists. The book is alphabetically organized according to the Latin name in the table of contents, but the index offers Latin and English names. Each monograph is organized in the same way: illustrations and descriptions, pharmacopoeial names, German standard licenses, plant source, synonyms, origin, constituents, indications, side effects, making the tea/tea preparations, phytomedicines, authentication, TLC identification, adulteration, storage, and literature. The updated edition expands upon phytopharmaceuticals, revises constituents and indications, provides 12 new herbal monographs and seven new herbal drugs in the section of short monographs. Some of unique features are the inclusion of an excerpt from the German Commission E monographs and photographs of herbal drugs as well as drawings to help with the process of quality assurance. There is also a list of herbals used for treatment according to indication, i.e. cold/cough, which is very useful.
Assessment: This is an excellent resource on herbal products for pharmacists and physicians. Information on authentication, TLC identification, tea preparation, and color herbal photos are included in this book. Another useful feature is the regulatory status of the herb in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Lacking in this book is information on pharmacokinetics, drug-drug interactions, and commercial herbal products taken as pills. Most of the common herbals are listed, but the list is not complete.

Rating

4 Stars! from Doody

Go to: Encyclopedia of Underwater Investigations or First World Dreams

The Way We Eat: Why Our Food Choices Matter

Author: Peter Singer

A thought-provoking look at how what we eat profoundly affects all living things—and how we can make more ethical food choices

Five Principles for Making Conscientious Food Choices
1. Transparency: We have the right to know how our food is produced.
2. Fairness: Producing food should not impose costs on others.
3. Humanity: Inflicting unnecessary suffering on animals is wrong.
4. Social Responsibility: Workers are entitled to decent wages and working conditions.
5. Needs: Preserving life and health justifies more than other desires.

Peter Singer, the groundbreaking ethicist who "may be the most controversial philosopher alive" (The New Yorker), now sets his critical sights on the food we buy and eat: where it comes from, how it’s produced, and whether it was raised humanely. Teaming up once again with attorney Jim Mason, his coauthor on the acclaimed Animal Factories, Singer explores the impact our food choices have on humans, animals, and the environment.

In The Way We Eat, Singer and Mason examine the eating habits of three American families with very different diets. They track down the sources of each family’s food to probe the ethical issues involved in its production and marketing. What kinds of meat are most humane to eat? Is "organic" always better? Wild fish or farmed? Recognizing that not all of us will become vegetarians, Singer and Mason offer ways to make the best food choices. As they point out: "You can be ethical without being fanatical."