Medicinal Herbs
An herbal nutritional supplement is a plant or part of a plant used for its therapeutic properties in promoting, maintaining, or restoring health. Sales in herbal nutritional supplements soared from 1.7 billion dollars in 1996, peaking at 2.6 billion dollars in 1998. The top sellers include ginkgo biloba at $156 million; ginseng $96 million; garlic $85 million; and echinacea at $70 million.
Herbal popularity is in part due to people who have embraced preventive self-care. Today more people realize that herbs, along with diet and exercise can play a vital role in helping to live longer healthier lives. Additionally, people are taking steps to learn more about treatment options for their own health conditions. For centuries herbal medicine has been the heart of medicine around the world and used to treat many health conditions.
Herbal Nutritional Supplement Precautions
Dietary and herbal supplements are not strictly regulated in the U.S. and, as such, manufacturers do not have to guarantee the safety, effectiveness, or even the true content of their products. In July 2002, Consumer Lab evaluated 166 herbal products and 37% did not pass. They either had too little ingredient, a wrong ingredient, or contamination.
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Informational note: The data presented on our health and nutrition website is for educational purposes only. Though we stive to be accurate in all of the information we present, it should not be taken as medical advice. NSC always recommends consulting your physician before beginning or modifying any diet or exercise program.
