4.44

5

Dec 07, 2013

With the health care paradigm shifts and my deductible doubling to $6000.00, I decided that I needed to come up with a preventive health care maintenance program. The purchase of Drug Muggers is one of the best book investments I've made in a long time. The author got my attention right away by telling the reader to rearrange the letters in diet to spell edit. I always thought that I ate fairly healthy but my last grocery cart looked completely different from my previous trips.
I currently do not With the health care paradigm shifts and my deductible doubling to $6000.00, I decided that I needed to come up with a preventive health care maintenance program. The purchase of Drug Muggers is one of the best book investments I've made in a long time. The author got my attention right away by telling the reader to rearrange the letters in diet to spell edit. I always thought that I ate fairly healthy but my last grocery cart looked completely different from my previous trips.
I currently do not take any medications but found the information on how drugs can rob the body of vital nutrients very interesting along with valuable information on the purchase and use of top quality supplements. The author known as The Angel in the White Lab Jacket loves what she is doing, very witty, making her book fun to read. Enjoyment doesn't stop with her book, she has a very informative web page, e-mail news letter, and many you tube video's.

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5

Jun 21, 2012

If you take any medications, you need this book. It tells you what nutrients most medications deplete from your body while also giving you a thorough explanation of what those nutrients do, and how much you need based on your body and any "drug mugger" meds you may take. I consider this a must read, even for anyone who isn't taking meds. Does your spouse, your parents, your children? Then get this book. Written by a well regarded practicing pharmacist who actually knows what these meds can do to If you take any medications, you need this book. It tells you what nutrients most medications deplete from your body while also giving you a thorough explanation of what those nutrients do, and how much you need based on your body and any "drug mugger" meds you may take. I consider this a must read, even for anyone who isn't taking meds. Does your spouse, your parents, your children? Then get this book. Written by a well regarded practicing pharmacist who actually knows what these meds can do to you. Often a med that is treating one thing can cause other problems and negatively impact your health, your energy levels and your sleep. ...more

5

Mar 06, 2011

This is a really good book for nutrition information. Even if you aren't on medications, read this book to find out what kinds of supplements to buy and where. I bought this book because there were too many pages of good information to copy.

5

Dec 30, 2016

This is a must read for those who want to understand in layman terms how various drugs and vitamins affect you!!! She is awesome!

3

May 27, 2014

The idea for this book is excellent. Cutting down the number of drugs you take is the best idea, but minimising some of the harm of the drugs you do still take just makes sense.

The book starts off by explaining that synthetic chemicals cure nothing and can leave you sicker as they deplete nutrients or make certain nutrients unusable by the body.

There are sections on most of the B vitamins as well as some of the minerals and other vitamins. They were quite detailed and made for interesting The idea for this book is excellent. Cutting down the number of drugs you take is the best idea, but minimising some of the harm of the drugs you do still take just makes sense.

The book starts off by explaining that synthetic chemicals cure nothing and can leave you sicker as they deplete nutrients or make certain nutrients unusable by the body.

There are sections on most of the B vitamins as well as some of the minerals and other vitamins. They were quite detailed and made for interesting reading. A bit of information was included about the best forms of each nutrient which was good, and some brand recommendations were given for each nutrient. More sections including all the B vitamins and the minerals would have made the book a lot better and more complete. The dosages given seemed reasonable for most things and weren’t those silly and out of date ‘2 mg of thiamine’ type ones you still get in some recent books.

Newer concepts like the need for activated folate if you have an MTHFR polymorphism were included but in some parts they could have been a bit clearer. The information about how to test for MTHFR seemed out of date as the test is not expensive anymore. Synthetic folic acid is also recommended throughout the book which is no good if you have MTHFR and considering that many have MTHFR issues and do not know it is not ideal. Some good information about the benefits of activated folate was included however, even if it was quite basic.

Some sections were a bit unclear on the details. In the CoQ10 section the benefits of ubiquinol (reduced CoQ10) over ubiquinone (CoQ10) were mentioned but then the dosage recommendations given didn’t specify which type was being discussed. Later on the author mentions that 50 mg ubiquinol is the equivalent of 100 mg of ubiquinone which is helpful, although the 2x figure is quite different to others I have read (e.g. between 3 and 4x by cardiologist Dr Sinatra.) But even knowing that it’s still not clear which form was referred to in the given dosages.

The term folic acid is used interchangeably with 5-MTHF at times and this is incorrect. To say that vitamin C causes kidney stones is also incorrect. Tofu is listed as a source of vitamin B12 but actually B12 experts say that plant foods such as tofu in fact contain B12 analogues which do not give the body any of the B12 it needs and also block the absorption of B12 from other sources. They mimic B12 in some ways but the body can’t use them as B12. These foods should actually be avoided if B12 is low.

There is a bit of vegetarian bias in the book which was disappointing. Soy is listed as a food that significantly lowers thyroid hormone levels yet the recommendation is not to avoid soy, but to just take more thyroid hormone. That’s pretty bad advice. Soy is not a health food! (See ‘The Whole Soy Story’ book.) Beta carotene is listed as far better and safer to take than preformed vitamin A form animal foods, despite the fact many of us convert beta carotene to vitamin A very poorly. Getting some real vitamin A in foods such as liver is not dangerous and is in fact an extremely healthy choice. Liver is the real superfood.

Agave nectar is mentioned as a safer sweetener (?) and grape seed oil is mentioned as an oil to cook with and protein powders are listed as healthy foods. The nutritional information in this book is not great and the book would have been better if it were all omitted as this seems to be not the authors speciality. Some outdated and wrong information is included.

Probably the worst part is when the author talks about how stupid and mad you’d have to be to eat a high fat diet and so get your arteries ‘all clogged up’ dangerously. The author really needs to do some more recent reading on this topic and why the saturated fat = heart disease hypothesis is junk science. Plus on why low carb or ketogenic diets can be very healthy as well and are in no way ‘as bad for you’ as low fat diets as the author claims. Books like Primal Body, Primal Mind and The Great Cholesterol Con and Know Your Fats and many others explain these facts well.

I most liked the bits of the book where the author talked about the more cutting edge information on the superiority of activated forms of B2, B6 and B12 as well as folate. I took lots of notes. Almost nobody discusses who needs the active forms of each nutrient and why. Few experts even recommend coenzymated vitamins – especially B2. But if you have low thyroid levels, poor digestion, low stomach acid or gut flora issues then taking your B2 in the activated form is actually a very good idea as you may convert the standard form to the active form very poorly. The Thorne products which contain activated forms of the B vitamins were listed too, which is great. More people need to know about those high quality products.

Some of the general information about why drugs wont cure you was also very good, as were the sections on why the RDI of nutrients has nothing to do with the optimum level for each person, how much nutrient needs vary per person and stage of life, and why what is important is the optimum level of a nutrient – not merely the RDI. The RDIs for most nutrients are ridiculously low.

Overall this book is an essential read for anyone taking prescription medications. Hopefully it will help people cut down on drugs a lot and also make it safer to take those few that may remain. The information is not quite comprehensive enough to be a sole source of information about supplements and nutrients but it’s a very good start. Recommended reading for anyone taking prescription or OTC drugs daily. 3.5 stars.

Jodi Bassett, The Hummingbirds' Foundation for M.E. (HFME) and Health, Healing & Hummingbirds (HHH)
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2

Dec 10, 2019

Badly needs an update with more concise info & less storytelling.

5

May 12, 2019

The nursing geek in me—-I thought this was a great resource/book if someone wants to know about medications and contraindications.

3

Aug 13, 2011

This is a decent, well-written books about medications we take and how we can take natural things to help react, proactive solutions for certain conditions, but not necessarily have to stop taking our diabetes pills, etc.

I will look at aloe vera juice for constipation. Depending zinc doses for women can cause testosterone in the system and reading on acid reflux and non-aspirins. May have to get a copy to keep on the shelf in future.

Sleeping pills, sometimes I suffer from insomnia, suggests This is a decent, well-written books about medications we take and how we can take natural things to help react, proactive solutions for certain conditions, but not necessarily have to stop taking our diabetes pills, etc.

I will look at aloe vera juice for constipation. Depending zinc doses for women can cause testosterone in the system and reading on acid reflux and non-aspirins. May have to get a copy to keep on the shelf in future.

Sleeping pills, sometimes I suffer from insomnia, suggests sedating herbs like catnip, ginseng, hops, kava, lemon balm, sage, St. John's war (USE TO TAKE THIS), skullcap, valerian root, yerba mansa, passionflower, and sassafras.

Will see where I can find horsetail tea. Not into caffeine drinks but will see what is up with these green drinks and spirulina supplements. I agree with in place of sugar, tried agave nectar (tastes pretty good), honey, blackstrap molasses, coconut nectar, or brown rice syrup.

Overall, drugs take out nutrients in our bodies and need to replenish and find natural ways vs. taking pills all the time. I notice when I take certain pills, popping, and does nothing! We are so use to taking medications here in U.S. but other places will use herbs or natural means to feel better. (p.85 had some good pointers too, DIET scramble words to say EDIT). ...more

5

Dec 30, 2015

I wish I'd had this book years ago because my nutrition has definitely been mugged by prescription and OTC drugs. This is an excellent resource book that I think should be on everybody's bookshelf. For instance, something as simple as Tums could be robbing you of quite a few important vitamins and minerals your body needs. The author isn't saying don't take the antacid or what your doctor prescribes. She is helping you know the foods and/or supplements you can use to replace what the drug has I wish I'd had this book years ago because my nutrition has definitely been mugged by prescription and OTC drugs. This is an excellent resource book that I think should be on everybody's bookshelf. For instance, something as simple as Tums could be robbing you of quite a few important vitamins and minerals your body needs. The author isn't saying don't take the antacid or what your doctor prescribes. She is helping you know the foods and/or supplements you can use to replace what the drug has depleted while helping you with what ails you.

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1

Nov 14, 2016

Hated it. Sponsored af most definitely. As a pharmacist myself I find so many errors and false&crude statements in this book and she doesn't even have proof to back up her theories. Especially i couldnt believe that this book was famous when i read dead probiotics are no use at all and probiotics are very sensitive, watch out for noise like rap music. SERIOUSLY????

4

Jul 29, 2014

An interesting book to have on hand if nothing else, for reference.

4

Jun 05, 2016

Great reference concerning medication interactions and dangerous combinations.

5

Gave this as a gift. Was told that they use it often and that it was very useful.Full Review

4

Product excellent. It was shipped on time by overstock however it took 3 weeks to arrive.Full Review