Heart Disease and High Cholesterol: Beating the Odds

Written more for the practitioner than the lay person, this book on alternative herbal health care by Mills, co-director of the Centresic for Complementary Health Studies at England's University of Exeter, says plants are the major source of medicine for the world's population today. Unlike many guides to the medicinal uses of herbs, this one provides more than a passing look at their effects, dosage, preparation, chemical composition and pharmacology, covering approximately 60 common and not-so-common plant remedies described as tonics, cooling or warming agents, diuretics, expectorants or alternatives. Mills also offers extensive discussions of how herbs work on the various body systems, and supplies numerous references at the end of each herbal entry. Of particular interest is a clinical index summarizing the herbal approach to the treatment of diseases and conditions such as acne, anemia, bronchitis, colds, warts and morning sickness. Because the work reads much like a textbook, many readers may not find it particularly user-friendly. Still, some gratitude is due: Mills steers clear of the hype prevalent in pop alternative handbooks. (Aug.)