James F. Balch - Prescription for Natural Cures: A Self-Care Guide for Treating Health Problems with Natural Remedies Including Diet, Nutrition, Supplements, and Other Holistic Methods

Prescription for
Natural Cures

REVISED 3rd EDITION

A Self-Care Guide for Treating Health Problems with Natural Remedies Including Diet, Nutrition, Supplements, and Other Holistic Methods

MARK STENGLER, N.M.D.

JAMES F. BALCH, M.D.

ROBIN YOUNG BALCH, N.D.

Turner Publishing Company 424 Church Street Suite 2240 Nashville, Tennessee 37219 445 Park Avenue 9th Floor New York, New York 10022 www.turnerpublishing.com

All rights reserved. This book or any part thereof may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While the publisher and the author have used their best efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives or written sales materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a professional where appropriate. Neither the publisher nor the author shall be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.

Copyright 2004, 2011, and 2016 by J&R Balch, Inc., and Stenglervision, Inc. All rights reserved

The Library of Congress has cataloged the earlier edition as follows:

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Balch, James F., date.

Prescription for natural cures : a self-care guide for treating diseases and health problems with natural remedies including diet and nutrition, herbal medicine, nutritional supplements, bodywork, and more / James F. Balch, Mark Stengler.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 0-471-49088-1 (paper : alk. paper)

1. NaturopathyPopular works. 2. Alternative medicinePopular works. 3. Self-care, Health. I. Stengler, Mark. II. Title.

RZ440.B285 2004

615.535dc22

2004005669

Project Credits

Cover Design: Maddie Cothren

Interior Design: Mallory Collins

9781630260903

Manufactured in the United States of America

9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Third Edition 10 11 12 13 14 15

It has been twelve years since the original version of Prescription for Natural Cures was published. The response has been overwhelming, with more than 500,000 copies sold. Many readers and patients have told us that this resource has helped to guide them and their loved ones to better health.

In this 3rd revised edition, we have added the newest research on natural medicine. The field of natural and integrative medicine continues to explode, with scientific discoveries and validation occurring at a rapid rate.

Once again we have also greatly expanded the number of conditions covered so that more people can benefit from this book. We have included emerging conditions such as Lyme disease and genetic mutations such as MTHFR. We have added nineteen new conditions to this edition to better help you and your loved ones. In addition, the nutrition section has been updated to include important information on artificial sweeteners, GMO foods, and the new USDA alternative to the Food Pyramid.

God has designed the human body to interact most precisely, efficiently, and safely with live foods, nutrients, and healing agents found in nature. Today an increasing number of conventional doctors are embracing holistic medicine due to its efficacy, scientific basis, cost-effectiveness, and patient demand.

Prescription for Natural Cures combines almost ninety years of clinical experience among the three authors and draws on hundreds of scientific studies to bring our readers the best in holistic medicine.

Our goal is to provide safe, easy-to-use, clinically proven recommendations to prevent and recover from disease. We have empowered the reader and the practitioner to address the root causes of illness instead of merely suppressing the symptoms.

First, I must thank my Lord Jesus Christ, who thirty years ago transformed my mind about healing and wellness. In addition, I thank my wife, Robin Young Balch, a talented naturopathic doctor, whose research and encouragement spurred us toward publication of this book. We pray that the multitudes will benefit from the information contained herein.

James F. Balch, M.D.

Special thanks to my wife, Angela, and to my kids for all their support. Also to my hard-working clinic staff at the Stengler Center for Integrative Medicine. A special acknowledgment to my mother, Mary. And to our Creator, Jesus Christ, the One referred to in the following passages: Genesis 1:1, Genesis 3:15, Isaiah 9:6, Isaiah 53, Daniel 9:2526, Matthew 2:1, John 14:6, 1 Corinthians 15:35, John 14:6, and John 20:28.

Mark Stengler, N.M.D.

I would like to thank my Lord Jesus Christ for the knowledge about healing. He has imparted it to my heart in order to guide our readers on a path to good health. It was a joyful blessing to collaborate with my husband, Dr. James Balch, and Dr. Mark Stengler to bring forth a compilation of natural cures for all who seek them.

Robin Young Balch, N.D.

Our thanks to Jeff Herman for representing this book as our agent and to the staff at Turner Publishing for their enthusiasm in publishing the third edition of Prescription for Natural Cures.

From all the authors

This book focuses on providing you with results. We have incorporated the best of what science and nature have to offer in the field of natural medicine.

The largest component of the book, , includes entries for health conditions. They are listed in alphabetical order. For easy reference, the exact page number of the condition you are looking for is located both in the table of contents and in the index at the back of this book. For most conditions, we include the following information. Note that a few conditions dont include all six parts, and the parts dont necessarily appear in this order.

The important features of each condition are described in a thorough yet easy-to-understand manner. We provide details on how conventional, as well as holistic, doctors understand and approach these conditions. We mention why researchers believe the disease process is occurring. In many cases, we give our own explanation of why an imbalance or an illness may occur.

A summary of the symptoms helps you to determine whether you have a specific condition. Of course, you should consult a health professional to obtain an accurate diagnosis.

This section provides a summary of the root causes for a condition and its initiating factor(s). This will help you focus on what is causing your health problem.

We list the most important tests to help determine the root cause of your illness. This section will help you choose the best type of health care. The tests are commonly available through your local medical doctor or naturalhealth care provider. Please note: not every type of standard conventional test is listed for each condition, because we assume that these are part of your doctors investigative procedure.