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The ABC Clinical Guide to Herbs

Blunenthal, M, ed. 480 pages. Austin, TX: American Botanical Council; 2003. $49.95. ISBN 1588901572. Order phone 800-782-3488. Field of medicine: Herbal therapy, phytomedicine, and complementary and alternative medicine. Format: Hardcover book. Audience: Clinicians who encounter patients using or interested in using herbal products. Since recent studies suggest that approximately 50% of U.S. adults have used an herbal product in the past year, this book should interest all clinicians. Purpose: To provide a detailed review of relevant therapeutic and clinical data concerning some of the most frequently used medicinal herbs and to serve as a reference in clinical practice and in the curricula of medical, pharmacy, nursing, and dietitian schools, among others. Content: The book reviews more than 40 common herbs and herb products, chosen because of high retail sales or popularity among U.S. users. Each section includes a clinical overview, a patient information sheet, and a comprehensive, extensively referenced monograph on each herb. Details in the monograph include typical uses of the product, dosage, duration of administration, chemistry, pharmacologic actions, mechanisms of action, contraindications, adverse effects, drug interactions, and an American Herbal Products Association safety rating. Finally, tables summarize relevant clinical studies. Highlights: The easy-to-use format enables rapid searching for pertinent information on a specific herb. The tables summarizing research studies are an excellent reference source and provide rapid access to clinical data. The author included the brand names of the products specific to the clinical studies to help clinicians identify which products were reviewed. Lending credence and authority to the book, both Blumenthal and the American Botanical Council have been long-term proponents of scientifically validated, knowledgeable, and safe uses of herbs. Limitations: Tables summarizing clinical studies are organized chronologically. If they had been grouped into negative and positive outcomes, readers could more quickly assess and interpret the positive and negative evidence for an individual herb. Related readings: Earlier works from the American Botanical Council include the The Complete German Commission E Monographs (1998) and the more recent Herbal Medicine: Expanded Commission E Monographs (2000). The current work is more readily accessible as a reference tool to be kept at hand for quick use during clinical encounters. The Review of Natural Products, 3rd edition (Facts & Comparisons, 2002), is another excellent reference with shorter monographs but a more exhaustive index that includes several hundred herbal and other dietary supplement products. Reviewer: Brent A. Bauer, MD, The Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota.