Just because they're natural doesn't mean they're safe. Herbal supplements can have harmful effects when taken in improper doses or when mixed with other herbs or medications. Until recently, it's been a bit of a guessing game, but there is now a guide to navigating the confusing landscape of herbal dos and don'ts.
The Essential Guide to Herbal Safety is 704 pages of comprehensive information on the safety of 125 herbs, covering everything from interactions and adverse reactions to toxicity and allergies.
Written by Simon Mills, Director of the Centre for Complementary Health Studies at the University of Exeter in England and Kerry Bone, Head of Research and Development at MediHerb and principal of the Australian College of Phytotherapy, The Essential Guide is probably the most up to date guide to herbal safety available today (it was published earlier this year).
The Guide has even received a glowing - if technical - review from Francis Brinker, Clinical Assistant Professor of the Program for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona.
Interests: Anything with an ING: dancing, biking, listening, talking, writing, reading, watching, eating, drinking, running, thinking, working, dreaming, surrendering, laughing, smiling, acting, traveling, singing, surfing, driving, shopping, thanking, observing, welcoming, connecting, loving, learning, sharing, practicing, asking. I love supermarkets in other places, lyrics to songs, seeking out gluten free food, responding to questions and surveys, finding deals and bargains, doing public relations for anyone/anything I believe in, good conversation, sociological observation, the beach, early mornings, condiments and spices, vitamins and minerals, alternative medicine, nutrition, holistic health, fitness gum, coffee drinking, gun chewing and sitting in the steam room.
Inspiration: Books: Letters to a Young Poet, Rainer Maria Rilke
Music: Linkin Park and The Cure
People: My mother and all of those that have come before me that have fought their own battles and didn't give up.
Places: Carl Schurz Park, New York, NY
Movies: In Search of a Midnight Kiss, Stealing Beauty, Beautiful Girls, When A Man Loves a Woman, In America, Magdelene Sisters, The Notebook, Run Fat Boy Run
Things: Causes worth fighting for: Lupus and other auto-immune disorders, Organ Donation and impoverished and at-risk youth.
I’m adding this to my Xmas list.