Prescription or Poison?

The Benefits and Dangers of Herbal Remedies

From echinacea to ayurvedics, this book explains how toxic these remedies are alone or in combination with other widely prescribed drug treatments. For example, one should avoid most herbal remedies when pregnant because of pesticides and preservatives required in growth and storage of the herbs; a widely used herbal antidepressant called kava does damage to the liver; most ayurvedic medicines contain unacceptable levels of lead and other heavy metals; St. John's Wort is not recommended if you are taking a medication for any chronic medical condition. Dr. Dasgupta explains in simple, engaging prose what drug interactions are and why they are dangerous. Most educated people see herbal remedies as "natural" and therefore "safe." Dr. Dasgupta tells us that one of his first pharmacology professors taught him that "medicine" is just another word for "poison" and should be treated with the same respect. He will present a balanced account of efficacy and safety of herbal medicines with discussion on potentially unsafe and toxic remedies. This book will be written in layman’s language for the consumer health market but will be based on solid medical research and published reports in the medical literature.