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The Handbook of Clinically Tested Herbal Remedies

Posted on: Sunday, 8 May 2005, 03:00 CDT

The Handbook of Clinically Tested Herbal Remedies. Ed. by Marilyn Barrett. New York: Haworth Herbal Press, 2004. 2 vols. $159.95 (ISBN 0-7890-1068-2).

Complementary and alternative medicine, including herbal remedies, is a fast-growing aspect of healthcare in the United States. The amount of money spent by consumers on supplements and herbal remedies continues to climb. Yet, the question remains: How effective are these remedies? This source seeks to answer that question.

Remedies made from plants have been used for thousands of years and those who possessed knowledge of the healing power of plants were the first doctors. As the editor notes, "It is estimated that approximately 10 to 15 percent of the roughly 300,000 species of higher plants have a history of use in traditional medicine"(3). Until as recently as a hundred years ago, most medicines used in the United States were based on herbs; today, many common prescription and over-thecounter drugs have their basis in herbal remedies. It has only been in relatively recent history that single-entity chemical drugs have become the mainstays of medicine. Now traditional herbal remedies are again being used more frequently and, in some cases, are even being prescribed by physicians.

This set seeks to provide both consumers and health professionals with up-to-date, clinically based information on a variety of common herbal preparations. Thus, the editors provide detailed information on thirtytwo herbs and ten specific formulas, together representing more than 160 herbal products that have been studied in 369 clinical trials. The set is arranged in three parts. Part one, "Fundamentals of Herbal Medicine," provides a good general introduction to the use and regulation of plantbased supplements. Part two describes the methods used in gathering the information on the herbs and formulas included in the book, and also provides a discussion of the means of evaluating the clinical trials themselves. Part three, "Botanical Profiles," is the heart of the set and gives the specific information on the herbs themselves and provides a discussion of the relevant clinical trials. The appendixes give the manufacturer or distributor for each of the products as well as contact information. The index provides excellent access to the contents and features ample "see" and "see also" references.

The entries for each herb follow a general outline and give other common names for the herb, its Latin name, and the part of the plant used. Then a general discussion of the preparations used in the clinical studies is given, followed by a summary of the studies, and a discussion of any notable adverse reactions or side effects that have been discovered in the trials. Finally, each entry offers specific details on the various products and clinical studies on that particular herb. This is especially important because many herbal preparations vary in the dosage of the herb, its processing, and the standardization of known active ingredients.

Although other works cover similar territory, most notably The Complete German Commission E Monographs: Therapeutic Guide to Herbal Medicines, edited by Mark Blumenthal (American Botanical Council, 1998) and PDR for Herbal Medicines (Medical Economics, 2000), none include the wealth of clinical trial data that this set provides, making it an excellent addition to the collections of medical libraries and larger public and academic libraries. Smaller libraries that serve customers with an interest in natural medicine should also consider purchasing this work. -Gregory A. Crawford, Head of Public Services, Penn State Harrisburg Library, Middletown, Pennsylvania

Gregory A. Crawford, Head of Public Services, Perm State Harrisburg Library, Middletown, Pennsylvania

Copyright American Library Association Spring 2005

Source: RQ: Reference Quarterly

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