The Nutraceutical Revolution: 20 Cutting-Edge Nutrients to Help You Design Your Own Perfect Whole-Life Program

Host of the weekly radio show HouseCalls and nutrition columnist for Psychology Today, Firshein practices nutritional medicine in New York City, recommending the use of nutritional supplements (which he calls nutraceuticals to indicate that they have the power of pharmaceuticals). Among them are some familiar vitamins and minerals, fish oils and soy, folk remedies such as milk thistle and black cohosh and the less familiar quercetin, tyrosine and phosphatidyl serine. Twenty such compounds are described in chapters filled with stories relating Firshein's success in treating patients with allergies, memory loss, prostate problems and other diverse conditions. A final chapter reports on newer nutraceuticals currently being researched for their potential to treat cancer, heart disease and ulcers. Dosage charts indicating the amounts to take of each supplement, either for general health or to treat specific conditions, and an alphabetical list of ailments and recommended compounds make this a handy reference for those interested in a more natural approach to healing. (Jan.)