Internet Guide to Herbal Remedies THE HAWORTH INFORMATION PRESS® Haworth Internet Medical Guides M. Sandra Wood, MLS Editor The Guide to Complementary and Alternative Medicine on the Internet by Lillian R. Brazin Internet Guide to Travel Health by Elizabeth Connor Internet Guide to Food Safety and Security by Elizabeth Connor Internet Guide to Cosmetic Surgery for Womenby M. Sandra Wood Internet Guide to Anti-Aging and Longevity by Elizabeth Connor Internet Guide to Herbal Remedies by David J. Owen Internet Guide to Medical Diets and Nutrition by Lillian R. Brazin Internet Guide to Cosmetic Surgery for Men by M. Sandra Wood Internet Resources on Obesity by Lillian R. Brazin Internet Guide to Herbal Remedies David J. Owen, MA, PhD The Haworth Information Press® An Imprint of The Haworth Press New York (cid:127) London (cid:127) Oxford For more information on this book or to order, visit http://www.haworthpress.com/store/product.asp?sku=5855 or call 1-800-HAWORTH (800-429-6784) in the United Statesand Canada or (607) 722-5857 outside the United States and Canada or contact [email protected] Published by TheHaworthInformationPress®,animprintofTheHaworthPress,Inc.,10AliceStreet,Binghamton,NY 13904-1580. ©2006byTheHaworthPress,Inc.Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthisworkmaybereproducedorutilized inanyformorbyanymeans,electronicormechanical,includingphotocopying,microfilm,andrecording, orbyanyinformationstorageandretrievalsystem,withoutpermissioninwritingfromthepublisher. Printed in the United States of America. 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Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN-13: 978-0-7890-2230-1 (case-13 : alk. paper) ISBN-13: 978-0-7890-2231-8 (soft-13 : alk. paper) ISBN-10: 0-7890-2230-3 (case-10 : alk. paper) ISBN-10: 0-7890-2231-1 (soft-10 : alk. paper) 1.Herbs—Therapeuticuse—Computernetworkresources—Directories.2.Websites—Directories.I. Title. RM666.H33O976 2006 025.06'615321—dc22 2006015772 To the memory of my mother and to the memory of my mentor, Miss Margaret “Maggie” Collins NOTES FOR PROFESSIONAL LIBRARIANS AND LIBRARY USERS ThisisanoriginalbooktitlepublishedbyTheHaworthInformation Press®,animprintofTheHaworthPress,Inc.Unlessotherwisenoted in specific chapters with attribution, materials in this book have not been previously published elsewhere in any format or language. 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CONTENTS Acknowledgments xi Introduction 1 Chapter 1. Navigating the World Wide Web 7 Understanding Web Addresses 7 Browsers 9 Web Surfing with “Bookmarks” or “Favorites” 10 How to Navigate a Web Site 10 Avoiding Eyestrain 12 Web Sites for Browser Downloads 12 Chapter 2. Online Conversations 15 Electronic Discussion Groups 15 Chat Roomsand Instant Messaging 16 Web Logs 17 Netiquette 18 Web Sites for Chatting Online 18 Chapter 3. Herbal Information on the Internet 21 The Good, the Bad, and the Sales Pitch 21 Web Sites for Evaluating Web Content 24 What’s in the Bottle?Understanding Product Labels 25 Web Sites for Decoding Herbal Product Labels 28 General Health and CAMWebSites 30 Chapter 4. Searching the Medical Literature 37 Understanding the Science of Herbs 37 Web Sites for Background Botany 40 The Importance of Medical Journals 42 PubMed (MEDLINE) 43 Google versus PubMed 44 Web Sites for Links to Databases, Technical Information, and Published Research 45 Chapter 5. Herbal Safety and Efficacy 53 Are Herbs Safe? 53 Web Sites That Discuss Herbal Side Effects and Herb/Drug Interactions 55 Let The Buyer Beware: Fraud and Quackery 59 Web Sites Dedicated to Consumer Awareness 61 Chapter 6. Diseases and Conditions 65 AIDS/HIV and Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) 66 Alzheimer’s Disease/Dementia 66 Anxiety 67 Arthritis 69 Cancer 69 Cardiovascular System 75 The Common Cold and the Flu 75 Depression and Memory Impairment 76 Diabetes 77 Headaches and Migraines 78 Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) 79 Menopause 79 Prostate Problems (Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia, BPH) 79 Sexual Dysfunction/Erectile Dysfunction 80 Skin Conditions 81 Sleep and Insomnia 81 Sports Injuries/Use of Supplements in Sports 82 Substance Abuse/Alcoholism 83 Teeth and Gum Diseases 83 Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) 84 Chapter 7. Herbal Information for Specific Populations 87 Women’s Health 87 Information for Children and Parents 91 Aging 94 Chapter 8. Herbs for Pets 97 Chapter 9. The Bottom Line! 101 Glossary 103 Index 113