The Complete Natural Medicine Guide to Women's Health

Liz Dennett is a public service librarian in the Science and Technology
Library at the University of Alberta.

There are six well-organized sections in this guide for women who want
to improve their health using natural medicine. The first section
explains the basic principles of the natural-healing traditions such as
traditional Chinese medicine, naturopathic medicine, and ayurvedic
medicine. This section also outlines four steps to optimum health:
improve nutrition; restore balance; detoxify and rejuvenate; and
integrate body, mind, and soul. Section 2 deals with nutrition and
recommends a large number of dietary supplements. Section 3 focuses on
rhythms and women’s changing health needs as they age. Section 4
discusses the toxic chemicals and pollutants that can be found in the
environment and people’s bodies. Section 5 includes extensive seasonal
cleansing and rejuvenating programs that women can undergo for
everything from improving kidney health and balancing blood sugar to
building bones. Section 6, which comprises half the book, explains the
causes (as understood by the different natural traditions) and
treatments for a variety of conditions affecting females, such as
menstrual problems, endometriosis, ovarian cysts, and many more.

The book contains useful information but has some major flaws. There
are no references for the many claims it makes (examples of
unsubstantiated claims include “100 hours in a sauna will remove 80%
of the toxins from your body” and “the birth control pill is a
carcinogen”). Throughout the work are compelling anecdotes of single
patients who have been cured by using its recommended methods but there
are no citations to any scientific data. The book can also be overly
alarmist. For example, it suggests that prospective parents should tear
out all carpets and remove everything plastic or foam from their house,
and both should do bodily cleanses before conceiving, but doesn’t
indicate what concrete difference this will make to their baby’s
health.

Readers should research the treatments suggested by this guide in other
reliable sources, and then discuss them with their doctors before using.