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Rating: 
Summary: Excellent guide to the immune system & its supporting herbs.
Review: My favorite new herbal is Paul Bergner's excellent book, _The Healing Power of Echinacea and Goldenseal and Other Immune System Herbs_ (Prima Publishing, 1997). I hadn't ordered it previously thinking it was a short review of the two herbs. Big mistake! It covers the immune system and the whole category of immune modulating herbs.This book is good for anyone who would like more background in the workings of the immune system (including health care professionals who know the physiology but are not used to thinking of immune function as a system) At least a quarter of the book is dedicated to the functioning of the immune system, covering technical material in prose ranging from humorous to stunningly beautiful. He has a gift for chosing just the right metaphor to explain difficult concepts. In the section titled "Protective Powers: the Healing Power of Snot" he describes the IgA-saturated mucous secretions as a "sophisticated, genetically enginee! ! red antibiotic paste that is tailored to whatever infection is current." The antibodies carried in the mucus are produced in immediate response to current infections in the body and will attack them while protecting your tissues. In other words, don't try to stop your running nose! One reason for tasting herbs- indeed holding them in your mouth for a while before swallowing- is that lymph nodes are located just behind the tongue. Echinacea for instance works best to stimulate lymphatic activity, but first it must get to the lymphatic system. Lymph, unlike blood, does not have a pump to circulate herbal factors. So if it lands in your stomach in a capsule, the herb may not get to the lymphatic system where it is needed- or at least may arrive ineffectively. (This is aside from taste preparing your liver to utilize herbs.) The book also covers the titular herbs in detail, with emphasis on proper use, situations where they are inappropriately applied (90% of the tim! ! e for goldenseal) and when alternatives to the endangered g! oldenseal can be used. For example, he shows that goldenseal should NOT be taken when you are coming down with a flu or cold, although echinacea might be quite effective. Oregon grape OTOH is quite useful at that time, as a berberine-containing substitute for... echinacea. Goldenseal probably has no effective substitute when a long term cold or respiratory infection starts to turn bacterial, with yellow or green mucus because the hydrastine works directly upon the mucosal secretions. And goldenseal works NO better in large doses than small doses- as single capsule or half-dropper of tincture is all you will need for a dose. The book covers a number of alternatives to echinacea and goldenseal, shows unusual uses for them and gives recipes. It is well worth adding to your herbal bookshelf.
Rating:
Summary: You won't put it down
Review: This book is packed full of information in a very readable form.Don't take it to bed. You won't get any sleep. Great information on the immune system and how Echinacea works WITH the body for healing. No! I won't lend this book out to anyone. It's too valuable.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent buy
Review: Yes, we've been waiting for this book. It's a good in-depth study of Echinacea and Goldenseal, giving us the true usefulness of these plants, and the folly of a lot of their popular use. This is a book for everybody interested in herbs, from casual herb users to practitioners.
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