A Guide to Alternative Medicine and the Digestive System is unique in that it provides answers to many practical clinical questions, all in one comprehensive resource.
This single-authored handbook by Dr. Anil Minocha contains content supported by close to a 1,000 scientific citations. A Guide to Alternative Medicine and the Digestive System discusses the supportive evidence, and addresses safety issues, side-effects, and drug interactions.
Dr. Anil Minocha is Board-certified in gastroenterology, internal medicine, nutrition as well as fellowship trained in clinical pharmacology and medical toxicology. This extensive background brings a systematic approach to evaluating, treating, and managing patients with alternative medicine options when treating conditions related to the digestive system.
Readers will find more than 70 chapters of succinct information written in a user-friendly format inside A Guide to Alternative Medicine and the Digestive System.
“Dr. Anil Minocha is well-known for writing useful, practical guides for quality care. His newest text, A Guide to Alternative Medicine and the Digestive System is no disappointment. This is an eloquent and elegant evidence-based approach to a challenging area.”
-Jack A. Di Palma, MD, University of South Alabama, Former President of the American College of Gastroenterology
“Dr. Minocha is to be applauded for his courage in tackling an issue, CAM, that the medical profession has traditionally chosen to ignore in the hope that it would simply go away. That CAM has stubbornly refused to disappear is a testament to its popularity with the general population and demands that we take it seriously, analyze why it is used and by whom and critically assess its efficacy and risks. For providing us with an accessible, fair and comprehensive critique of CAM in the context of modern medical practice, we all owe a debt of gratitude to Dr. Minocha."
-Eamonn Quigley, MD, University College Cork, Ireland , Former President of the American College of Gastroenterology
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Preface
Section I Introduction
Chapter 1 Why Patients Are Frustrated
Chapter 2 Popularity and Status of Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Section II Digestive System and Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Chapter 3 Pivotal Role of the Digestive System in Health
Section III Humans Are Superorganisms
Chapter 4 A Bacterial Universe Within Our Body
Chapter 5 Bacteria May Actually Help: The Science Behind It
Chapter 6 Human Microflora and Chronic Diseases
Chapter 7 Role of Probiotics in Health Maintenance
Chapter 8 Select Probiotics Available on the Market
Chapter 9 Prebiotics and Synbiotics
Section IV Leaky Gut Syndrome
Chapter 10 Leaky Gut: Fact or Fiction?
Chapter 11 Disorders Associated With Leaky Gut
Section V Types of Complementary and Alternative Therapies Used
Chapter 12 Overview of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Therapies
Chapter 13 Acupuncture
Chapter 14 Aquatic Therapy
Chapter 15 Aromatherapy
Chapter 16 Ayurveda
Chapter 17 Biofeedback
Chapter 18 Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Chapter 19 Energy Medicine
Chapter 20 Fasting
Chapter 21 Homeopathy
Chapter 22 Hypnotherapy
Chapter 23 Manipulative and Body-Based Therapies
Chapter 24 Mindfulness and Meditation
Chapter 25 Prayer and Spirituality
Chapter 26 Traditional Chinese Medicine
Chapter 27 Vegetarianism
Chapter 28 Yoga
Section VI Dietary Supplements Are Not Always Safe
Chapter 29 Regulation and Safety Concerns
Chapter 30 Side Effects of Select Supplements
Chapter 31 Potential for Hepatotoxicity
Chapter 32 Herb-Drug Interactions
Chapter 33 Potential for Interactions With Cancer Treatment
Section VII Some Commonly Used Nonherbal Supplements
Chapter 34 Antioxidant-Vitamin Formulations
Chapter 35 Vitamins
Chapter 36 Minerals
Chapter 37 Melatonin is not Just for Sleep
Section VIII Upper Gastrointestinal Disorders
Chapter 38 Esophageal Disorders
Chapter 39 Nausea and Vomiting of Pregnancy
Chapter 40 Peptic Ulcer Disease
Chapter 41 Helicobacter pylori
Chapter 42 Functional Dyspepsia
Chapter 43 Gastroparesis
Section IX Lower Gastrointestinal Disorders
Chapter 44 Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Chapter 45 Ulcerative Colitis
Chapter 46 Crohn’s Disease
Chapter 47 Role of Probiotics in Diarrhea
Chapter 48 Nonprobiotic Management of Diarrhea
Chapter 49 Antibiotic- and Clostridium difficile-Associated Diarrhea
Chapter 50 Constipation
Section X Feeding Disorders
Chapter 51 Anorexia Nervosa
Chapter 52 Bulimia Nervosa
Section XI Cancer
Chapter 53 Diet and Cancer
Chapter 54 Lifestyle Factors and Cancer
Chapter 55 Micronutrients and Cancer
Chapter 56 Complementary and Alternative Therapies for Cancer
Chapter 57 Role of Prebiotics and Probiotics in Cancer
Section XII Liver
Chapter 58 Phytobotanical Treatment of Liver Disorders
Chapter 59 Select Ayurvedic Remedies for Liver Disorders
Chapter 60 Select Chinese Treatments for Liver Disorders
Chapter 61 Nonherbal Treatments for Liver Disorders
Chapter 62 Prebiotics and Probiotics in Liver Health
Section XIII Biliary and Pancreatic Disorders
Chapter 63 Biliary Disorders
Chapter 64 Acute Pancreatitis
Chapter 65 Chronic Pancreatitis
Section XIV Healthy Nutrition Potpourri
Chapter 66 Weight Loss Diet That Reduces Mortality Risk, Too!
Chapter 67 Quinoa: One Complete Vegetarian Food
Chapter 68 All Yogurts May Not Be Probiotic or Equal
Chapter 69 Fish Type and Risk of Mercury Toxicity: All Fish Are Not the Same
Chapter 70 One Must-Have Healthy Spice/Herb in the Kitchen: Turmeric
Index
Biography
Anil Minocha, MD, FACP, FACG, AGAF, CPNSS is a nationally known physician with board certification in gastroenterology, internal medicine, and nutrition. He is also fellowship trained in clinical pharmacology and medical toxicology.
He grew up in India and received his medical school training at PostGraduate Institute of Medical Sciences in Rohtak, India. He underwent further education and training in various medical institutions in the United States, including Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, University of Virginia in Charlottesville, and Michigan State University in Lansing.
Dr. Minocha has served in various capacities at different institutions including Director, Division of Digestive Diseases at 2 different medical schools in the United States. In addition to 6 books, he has authored or co-authored over 100 publications in peer-reviewed journals.
Dr. Minocha believes in the old adage, “We are what we eat” and that our digestive system is intimately involved with the health or sickness of systems throughout the human body. What we put into our gut, which is a micro-universe of trillions of bacteria, and how we live with respect to our surrounding environment goes a long way in determining our healthy state versus sickness.
In addition to lectures to physicians across the United States, Dr. Minocha has been interviewed and/or quoted on a variety of topics in different media on numerous occasions including TV, radio, and magazines such as Ladies Home Journal, GQ, Good Housekeeping, and Natural Health.
Dr. Minocha currently holds the rank of Professor of Medicine at the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center and OBVAMC in Shreveport, Louisiana.
“Dr. Anil Minocha is well-known for writing useful, practical guides for quality care. His newest text, A Guide to Alternative Medicine and the Digestive System is no disappointment. This is an eloquent and elegant evidence-based approach to a challenging area.”
-Jack A. Di Palma, MD, University of South Alabama, Former President of the American College of Gastroenterology“Dr. Minocha is to be applauded for his courage in tackling an issue, CAM, that the medical profession has traditionally chosen to ignore in the hope that it would simply go away. That CAM has stubbornly refused to disappear is a testament to its popularity with the general population and demands that we take it seriously, analyze why it is used and by whom and critically assess its efficacy and risks. For providing us with an accessible, fair and comprehensive critique of CAM in the context of modern medical practice, we all owe a debt of gratitude to Dr. Minocha."
-Eamonn Quigley, MD, University College Cork, Ireland , Former President of the American College of Gastroenterology
