Shahid Akbar – författare

Health means the existence of harmony and synergy among physical, mental, and spiritual aspects of life, and not simply an absence of disease. Our body is a complete unit, a microcosm, but also a tiny part of the universe surrounding it, the macrocosm. Its vitality, functions, movements, and survival are dependent and affected by the environment we live in. The topic of mind, body, and health has been a subject of discussion and the motivation behind a number of books written in the past few decades. The origin of this philosophy can be traced to thousands of years in many ancient cultures. Knowing how different components of a computer work or how a combustion engine makes the car move forward are not necessary to use a computer or drive a car. However, having basic knowledge about them makes it easier to understand and use these devices effectively. Similarly, knowing about the basic functioning of ones body, both in light of ancient philosophies and in context of modern science, can help better understand the concepts of causes of ill health and the means for protection. In light of the rising health care cost and the scourge of modern diseasessuch as anxiety, depression, obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, etc.it is imperative to be aware as much about body, health, mind, and our lifestyles as possible. Knowledge about how ancient cultures protected health from ravages of life and how some cultures can still enjoy healthy, happy, and long lives without spending enormous amounts on health care could be beneficial to all of us. This book is an attempt to bridge the ancient philosophies with the current concepts and offer some simple and practical solutions to stay healthy.

The book deals with the subject of depression and its causes and answers a number of questions that should be of interest to any and every patient regarding the health-care system and the society in general. Why has the diagnosis of depression increased over the past two decades? Are treatments offered to patients by their primary care physicians and psychiatrists justified and evidence based? Why do patients use nutritional and herbal supplements and are attracted to other complementary therapies? How do pharmaceutical companies exploit the health-care system and influence physicians to prescribe not the most effective but most expensive medicines? What is St. Johns wort, and who has been using this unassuming weed for health benefits? The effectiveness of antidepressant drugs, both typical and newer drug classes, like SSRIs and SNRIs, and their adverse effects have been presented. The author has made head-to-head comparisons of scientific studies of St. Johns wort with SSRIs, such as Prozac, Paxil, and Zoloft, for their effectiveness, adverse effects, and potentials for drug interactions in cogent and easily understood manner. The author leaves the reader with a take-home message as he concludes this book.

This book is designed to provide pharmacologists and researchers of natural products a comprehensive review of 200 medicinal plants, their vernacular names in various languages and their medicinal uses around the world, and in some cases, a historical perspective. Chemical constituents of each plant with the putative active constituent, and available up to date pharmacological studies (until 2017 on PubMed) with each medical activity explored and its relationship with traditional uses, are described for each plant. Any variations in chemical constituents and their effects on pharmacological studies outcome have been highlighted.  All clinical trials conducted, with sufficient details, have been included. Nationalities and racial identities of participants of clinical trials are identified to impress upon the social, cultural and dietary influences on the clinical outcomes. Toxicity studies and potential interactions with prescribed drugs, and full spectrum of references are included.