Tracy Timothy S., Kingston Richard L. (eds.) Herbal Product Toxicology and Clinical Pharmacology

Springer Science & Business Media, 2007. — 288 p.Herbalists and laypersons have used herbs for centuries. Interest in and use of herbal products was revitalized in the late 1990s with the passage of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act, which allowed dietary supplements to be marketed without enduring the FDA-approval process required of drugs. Thus, despite the widespread use of herbal products, information about their safety and efficacy is generally sparse compared with the information available about prescription drugs. Toxicology and Clinical Pharmacology of Herbal Products was published in 2000 to help fill this information void. Since its publication, additional scientific information has come to light, and the public’s interest in particular herbs has changed. Herbal Products: Toxicology and Clinical Pharmacology, Second Edition updates the information presented in Toxicology and Clinical Pharmacology of Herbal Products. Herbs were chosen for inclusion in the current volume based on their popularity, toxicity, and quantity and quality of information available. A companion volume, Dietary Supplements: Toxicology and Clinical Pharmacology, covers nonherbal dietary supplements.Herbal Products: Toxicology and Clinical Pharmacology, Second Edition builds on the informative foundation laid by its predecessor. This fully revised and expanded second edition boasts more than 200 new references that document efficacy studies and adverse effects and four new chapters devoted to dietary products. Practitioners and researchers will find that this volume is a comprehensive resource for objective clinical information about the potential uses, efficacy, and safety of herbal medicines. The authors recognize that the majority of available information on dietary supplements is typically provided by distributors and designed to sell a product rather than objectively inform consumers; therefore, the emphasis throughout is on information not readily available from any other source. Similar to the first edition, this volume is based on original studies published in peer-reviewed journals, as well as meta-analyses, systematic reviews, and other high-quality assessments by recognized experts.