Herbal Medicines: A Guide for Health Care Profesionals

A general disillusionment with conventional medicines, coupled with the desire for a "natural" life style has resulted in an increasing utilization of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) across the developed world. The global market for herbal products has grown rapidly in the past decade, yet the majority are not assessed for their quality, safety and efficacy. This completely revised and updated edition of Herbal Medicines aims to answer the questions raised for the healthcare professional by providing scientifically rigorous, impartial information on medicinal herbs. It contains: informs on quality, safety and efficacy; offersan overview of UK and European leglisation concerning herbal products; offers an account and examples ofthe scientific methods for investigating the chemical constituents of herbs and for determining their biological activities; deals with 148 herbs commonly present in herbal remedies sold by pharmacies in the UK; enables the healthcare professional to advise the public on the rational and safe use of medicines; and presents various appendices grouping together herbs with specific actions highlighting potential interactions with conventional medicine.