Dietary-Supplements Books

Naturopathic Clinical Nutrition
by Jonathan Prousky, ND, MSc, CCNM Press, Toronto, 2008
(416 pages, available at Amazon.com)

With its wealth of clinical information, well organized and clearly explained, this insightful text recommends restorative treatments and offers research as evidence. With ten years of clinical experience, seeing patients with various health problems including psychiatric disorders, author Jonathan Prousky, ND, MSc knows about the healing capabilities of nutritional regimens, even for anxiety, ADHD, autism, alcoholism, bipolar disorder, depression and schizophrenia. While the author did not address this medical text to laymen, Prousky's accessible writing style makes scientific and medical information understandable to every reader, no matter what their education. Prousky presents clinical pearls about nutrition and nutrients. He encourages readers to learn about naturopathic and orthomolecular care, cooperate with differential diagnostic workups and consider the benefits of regimens of vitamins, trace minerals and amino acids i.e. supplements.

Abram Hoffer's preface states that readers can trust Prousky's reports. After meeting Jonathan Prousky and reading many books about orthomolecular medicine, I agree. Prousky's book reminds me of Dr. Hoffer's Orthomolecular Medicine for Physicians (OMP), printed in 1989 and no longer easy to find. Hoffer's book still reads fresh and clear today. Prousky's clinical guide adds current information. Fortunate readers of both books will realize that Jonathan Prousky has carefully studied Abram Hoffer's research and clinical findings. Prousky not only learned how to help his patients restore their health, but he also writes about restorative care and he teaches orthomolecular principles and practices to naturopaths-in-training. Prousky's textbook explains the healing power of complementary naturopathic and orthomolecular practices. He encourages medical students and health professionals to read about orthomolecular medicine and consider nutritional regimens. Some professionals may follow Prousky's example and document the progress of their patients by writing their own books and medical journal articles. Hopefully this will help to sustain orthomolecular medicine for decades to come.

Prousky's important clinical textbook belongs in the libraries of a wide readership where his excellent information can bring clinical help and hope for restoring health to thousands of patients. If sick and vulnerable people trust quick labels and easy shortcuts and only get toximolecular pills, they are unlikely to heal as well as patients whose health professionals read Prousky's comprehensive clinical guide and learn to assess nutritional and biochemical aspects and recommend restorative regimens as complements to other treatment modalities.

As an example, let's consider benign prostatic hypertrophy. What does conventional medicine offer aging men who have trouble with their waterworks? - DRE exams and PSA tests before painful and repeated surgical procedures combined with pills and unwanted side effects. When I had that sort of trouble, I googled and read how Feinblatt and Gant were researching another problem when they noticed that three amino acids - glycine, glutamic acid and alanine - helped a surprising number of patients to restore normal `flow'. In 1958, they published their finding in the J Maine Medical Assoc., available from the Prostex website. Prousky's 2008 book shares their discovery, which was confirmed by other doctors in 1962, but remained little-known for the past fifty years. Within one day, those three amino's eased my discomfort.

Thousands of trusting patients hope that our health professionals will find, read and apply books about restorative treatments which were researched and found safe and effective by Abram Hoffer and other orthomolecular pioneers. Readers of Naturopathic Clinical Nutrition can thank Jonathan Prousky for studying orthomolecular medicine very carefully and then writing this thorough, detailed and documented textbook with more than 400 pages of clinical information about the principles and practices of naturopathic and restorative orthomolecular medicine.

Review by Robert Sealey, BSc, CA (author of Finding Care for Depression, www.searpubl.ca)

(Note to readers - Dr. Hoffer has updated his 1989 OMP book, re-titled as Orthomolecular Medicine for Everyone, due in Nov., 2008 from Basic Health.)

I am proud to say that I do not take any prescription drugs. I totally believe in supplements and and helping the body naturally heal itself. I've bought Relora since reading the book, and take it three times a day. I'm considerably less edgy than normal, and I'm sleeping better than I ever have without waking up groggy. This book is a quick-read with lots of information regarding stress and its effects. I highly recommend this book to everyone.

I have been involved with health topics for almost 30 years, and this book is the most comprehensive one that I have seen on vitamins and minerals. The author discusses dozens of vitamins and minerals along with the disease symptoms of too little or too much of a vitamin or mineral. For example, the easiest vitamin to overdose on is Vitamin D, and yet we must have it to maintain strong bones. Patricia tells the overdose limit in her book for this vitamin as well as others. Since many people do not eat right, they can easily become vitamin deficient in some areas, especially as a person gets older and food is not digested as well. The author tells how to recognize vitamin and mineral deficiencies and what to do about it. You'll be glad you bought this book!

Ken is one of the brightest and most informed nutritionists in the country, and in this excellent book he helps you navigate the confusing world of seafood and wellness. Yes, seafood is good for us, but what about the mercury contamination of the larger fish? Ken answers these and other important questions. This is a must book for anyone who eats seafood and cares about their health.

Simply Soy: Nature's Own Antidote is the story of how Julia Elliot, when needing to mitigate the effect of menopause, began to use soy in her diet as an alternative to Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). Elliott was successfully in lessening her menopausal effects. Simply Soy addresses just what exactly soy does for menopausal symptoms, whether soy can help with hart disease and osteoporosis, and provides interesting, informative, occasionally surprising common sense solutions to these medical issues that particularly confront women going through "the change". Simply Soy is an ardently recommended addition to alternative medicine reference collections and reading lists -- especially for women anticipating, or engaged, with the onset of menopause.

Shines a light on a vast subject. Offers clarity with its clear writing style.

Very concise overview with excellent references and data to support the health benefits of antioxidants.

Coenzyme Q10 (often abbreviated as CoQ10) is essential for human life. It catalyzes the formation and utilization of energy in every human cell. Fortunately, our bodies manufacture CoQ10. Unfortunately, some people do not manufacture enough CoQ10 to keep them healthy, especially as they grow older. Research has shown that deficiency of CoQ10 is the major cause of cardiomyopathy, congestive heart failure, and other heart diseases and these diseases can often be cured by CoQ10 supplementation. In fact, many heart transplant candidates have no longer needed a heart transplant after supplementation with CoQ10. Now it has been found that CoQ10 can also prevent -- and, sometimes, even cure -- a number of other diseases including some cases of cancer. Please learn all you can about this essential component of health.

Another excellent book on CoQ10 is The Coenzyme Q10 Phenomenon by Dr. Stephen Sinatra, a board-certified cardiologist, which is also available from Amazon.

A complete handbook, fully illustrated, with detail descriptions for each entry, covering not only their characteristic, daily allowances, symptoms when not taking the minimum required, foods that contains them, safety issues, but also specific needs during the different stages of our lives - adolescence, pregnancy, intense activity, post-surgery, stress periods, etc.

A definitive must have to manage your health, and supplement your diet and daily routines, in an informed way

This book helps you to understand all the different vitamins, supplements, and minerals and what they can do for you. It's informative without being too technical -- it's very easy to read. I'd reccommend this book for anyone who wants to learn more about the effects and benefits of vitamins, supplements, and minerals.