David Hoffmann, FNIMH, AHG, has been a clinical medical herbalist since 1979. A Fellow of Britain’s National Institute of Medical Herbalists, he is one of the founding members of the American Herbalists Guild and the author of 17 books, including Medical Herbalism, The Complete Illustrated Holistic Herbal, and The Herbal Handbook. He teaches herbal medicine throughout the English-speaking world and lives in California.

“Medical statistics clearly show that Americans are the most heavily medicated people in the world. In spite of this (or possibly because of this) we rank far below many other first world countries in life expectancy and far above in cancer rates, levels of obesity, and many other chronic degenerative diseases. As our population ages many more people are realizing that in order to stay healthy into old age we need to become proactive, improving our diets and lifestyle choices, reducing stress, and becoming more knowledgeable about our health and medicine. One way we can help to prevent disease and enhance wellness is the intelligent use of herbs. Because few Americans grew up using plants as medicine, educating oneself as to their safe and rational use is essential. With so many books, websites, and magazines publishing information on herbs and natural health, how does one discern accurate information from the fraudulent? One answer is David Hoffmann’s new book, Herbs for Healthy Aging. Hoffmann is one of the Western world’s most respected clinical herbalists, and he offers the reader safe, effective, and relevant treatments for many of the ills that come with increasing age. If you want to prevent senior moments, menopausal symptoms, prostatic enlargement, and circulatory problems, some of the answers you are seeking can be found within these pages.”

• Foreword by Cheri Quincy, D.O. Introduction Why Now? Holistic Medicine: The Healing Context What Herbal Medicine Can Contribute But Do Herbs Really Work? The “Illness” of Health Care Preventive Care 1 The Digestive System The Healthy Digestive System The Aging Digestive System Herbal Actions Keeping the Digestive System Healthy Gastrointestinal Problems--Common and Serious Problems of the Upper Digestive Tract The Aging Colon and Its Problems The Aging Liver and Its Problems The Aging Gallbladder and Its Problems 2 The Cardiovascular System Herbal Actions Keeping the Cardiovascular System Healthy Factors Contributing to Heart Disease Cardiovascular Problems 3 The Pulmonary System Herbal Actions Pulmonary Problems 4 The Upper Respiratory System Upper Respiratory Problems 5 The Nervous System Herbal Actions Stress and Its Impact on the Nervous System Managing Stress Nervous System Problems 6 The Urinary System Signs of Kidney Disease Herbal Actions Keeping the Kidneys Healthy Urinary Problems 7 The Reproductive System The Female Reproductive System/Female Sexuality Herbal Actions for the Female Reproductive System Problems Specific to Women The Male Reproductive System/Male Sexuality Herbal Actions for the Male Reproductive System Problems Specific to Men 8 The Musculoskeletal System Herbal Actions Musculoskeletal Problems 9 The Skin and Hair Skin and Its Functions Aging Skin Herbal Actions Skin Problems Herbal “First Aid” for the Skin The Hair 10 The Immune System Herbal Actions Immunological Actions Immune System Problems 11 The Endocrine System The Adrenal Glands The Pancreas The Thyroid Gland 12 Herbal Medicine Making Herbal Tea Tincture Dry Herb Preparations Formulations for the Skin 13 Materia Medica Useful Internet Resources Bibliography Index