However, since the last edition, there has been an enormous growth in interest in other supplements, such as carotenoids, glucosamine, isoflavones, omega-3 fatty acids and probiotics, substances that were hardly known to the general public until very recently. Technological advances are increasingly making it possible to include such ingredients in both dietary supplements and foods, hence the blurring of boundaries between ‘supplements’, ‘functional foods’ and the ‘nutraceutical’ ingredients that go into them. As the range of substances identified in foods, and knowledge of their potential benefits in disease, continues to grow, it is likely that many more such substances will be included in food supplements in the future.
Few health professionals, including pharmacists, nurses, doctors or dieticians, have an in-depth knowledge of dietary supplements, yet the public expects them to be able to answer questions on these products. Although there is an abundance of spurious information, there is, alongside this, a growing evidence base for dietary supplements. A large number of peer reviewed, high-quality trials, systematic reviews and meta-analyses have been published since the second edition of this book, offering health professionals a better evidence base from which to offer information to the public.
There are still, of course, many uncertainties, and the inevitable ‘more research needed’ will continue to apply to many dietary supplements for some time to come. However, this should not prevent health professionals from giving evidence-based information where it exists and being honest enough to say ‘research has not yet provided the answers’ where appropriate.
So, what has changed in the third edition of Dietary Supplements? The answer to this lies mainly in the depth of information provided in the monographs, which has arisen entirely because of the growth in the research base. Ten new monographs have also been added. Another significant change is the inclusion of maximum safe upper levels for vitamins and minerals, which have been published in the UK since the second edition. The regulatory framework for dietary supplements has also changed in the UK, in that the European Union Food Supplements Directive has now come into force. Although this has meant limited change to the book, the labeling and marketing of supplements is likely to change in the near future.
The easy-to-use encyclopaedic format continues to be retained and it is my intention that this book is primarily a reference source, which will continue to be useful to many colleagues around the world.
About the author
PAMELA MASON is a pharmacist and registered nutritionist working as a writer and consultant based in Grosmont, Monmouthshire. She qualified as a pharmacist at Manchester University and worked as a community pharmacist for several years before studying at King’s College London, where she completed an MSc and PhD in nutrition. Her interest in food supplements began as a result of her studies in nutrition and her experience in community pharmacy, where she was often asked questions about these products. She is the author of three other books, several open learning programmes and over 300 articles. She teaches nutrition to pharmacists at both undergraduate and postgraduate level and gives conference presentations about supplements both in the UK and abroad.
Contents
Aloe vera 1
Alpha-lipoic acid 4
Antioxidants 8
Bee pollen 19
Betaine 21
Biotin 23
Boron 25
Branched-chain amino acids 28
Brewer’s yeast 31
Bromelain 33
Calcium 36
Carnitine 47
Carotenoids 51
Chitosan 61
Chlorella 63
Choline 65
Chondroitin 68
Chromium 71
Coenzyme Q 76
Conjugated linoleic acid 81
Copper 85
Creatine 89
Dehydroepiandrosterone 94
Evening primrose oil 99
Fish oils 103
Flavonoids 118
Flaxseed oil 124
Fluoride 127
Folic acid 129
Gamma-oryzanol 139
Garlic 141
Ginkgo biloba 146
Ginseng 152
Glucosamine 159
Grape seed extract 166
Green-lipped mussel 169
Green tea extract 171
Guarana 176
Iodine 177
Iron 180
Isoflavones 184
Kelp 195
Lecithin 196
Magnesium 199
Manganese 206
Melatonin 208
Methylsulfonylmethane 215
Molybdenum 217
N-acetyl cysteine 219
Niacin 223
Nickel 227
Octacosanol 229
Pangamic acid 235
Pantothenic acid 236
Para-amino benzoic acid 239
Phosphatidylserine 240
Phytosterols 243
Potassium 248
Probiotics and prebiotics 251
Psyllium 263
Pycnogenol 268
Quercetin 272
Resveratrol 276
Riboflavin 279
Royal jelly 283
S -adenosyl methionine 285
Selenium 288
Shark cartilage 294
Silicon 296
Spirulina 298
Superoxide dismutase 300
Thiamine 301
Tin 307
Vanadium 309
Vitamin A 312
Vitamin B6 318
Vitamin B12 324
Vitamin C 330
Vitamin D 339
Vitamin E 346
Vitamin K 355
Zinc 359
Appendix 1
Guidance on safe upper levels of
vitamins and minerals 366
Appendix 2
Drug and supplement
interactions 367
Appendix 3
Additional resources 370
Index 373
Book Details
- Hardcover: 387 pages
- Publisher: Pharmaceutical Pr; 3 edition (May 5, 2007)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0853696535
- ISBN-13: 978-0853696537
- Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 7.6 x 1.1 inches