The Christian’s Guide to Natural Products & Remedies

The Christian’s Guide to Natural Products & Remedies
Frank Minirth, M.D. et al
Broadman & Holman Publishers
ISBN: 0-8054-4082-8
Non-Fiction, Health, Christian
Reviewed by Dr. Tami Brady

Like you, when I came across this book, I wondered what a Christian herbal guide and how it differed from any other herbal guide. At the start of this book, one of the authors points out that Christians are often prone to the belief that herbal supplements are natural and therefore unlike prescription drugs are safe. Furthermore, Christians also tend to feel uncomfortable asking their doctor for help with health issues and therefore go to herbal supplements to self medicate.
Personally, I don’t believe these issues are unique to Christians. As health care cost rise, hospital wait times become completely outrageous, and a pleasant bed side manner becomes increasingly rare, seeking alternatives to traditional medical care is quite a logical scenario.
Despite my issues with the title, I believe this book to be a valuable resource. I agree with the author that often people take supplements thinking that since they come from plants they can’t possibly cause harm. Moreover, many individuals self medicate or mix herbs and prescription medication without ever researching the possible effects of these substances. In doing so, these people may be putting themselves at risk as their condition worsens without proper treatment, may cause new problems due to erroneous use or dosage, and may even cause death. Using fun question and answer surveys, the authors help individuals test their knowledge of herbal supplement and other natural remedies.