The sales and popularity of herbal medicine continues to grow. But do they offer proven health benefits?
What does this business opportunity look like? A retail market that is loosely regulated and has few barriers to entry. There are no meaningful limits on what you can say about a product, and there is no burden of actually proving that the product does what it says it will. And this market continues to grow year after year, doubling to nearly $8 billion a year since 2004 and registering its largest growth in history at 8.5% in the past year. A recently released report by the American Botanical Council paints an impressive picture of the overwhelming economic success of the natural products industry. Who wouldn’t be impressed by a sales growth graph like this?
We did not become widespread consumers of herbal remedies by accident. Consumption increased due to highly effective marketing based on the invented idea that these products were necessary for health. This idea has been given credibility by regulators who have traditionally been lax about holding manufacturers accountable for selling safe and effective products.of Nutritional Supplement Health Education Act 1994 (DSHEA) was a modification for the United States. Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act Established the American regulatory framework for dietary supplements, including herbal remedies. This effectively exempts manufacturers of these products from virtually all regulations in place for prescription and over-the-counter drugs and places the onus on manufacturers to demonstrate that their products are safe and secure. Instead, it imposes a burden on the FDA to prove harm. effective. The goal was to eliminate barriers to sales, and clearly it paid off dramatically.
Although many people purchase herbal products from retail outlets such as health food stores and pharmacies, the greatest growth in herbal sales has been through direct sales via the Internet and multilevel marketing. Direct sales account for a whopping half ($4 billion) of all herbal sales.
Take a closer look at the top 5
The report provides a detailed breakdown of sales and trends for individual ingredients. The top five selling products at major retailers are:
- horehound (Marbium vulgare) was the best-selling supplement ingredient in 2017 (and the past four years), with sales exceeding $140 million. This ingredient may be unfamiliar to you (I wasn’t), but you’re probably familiar with Ricola cough lozenges. This is one of several herbal ingredients. Horehound has a long history of use and is widely believed to have both expectorant and cough suppressant properties (though how it can do both at the same time seems hard to believe). There is no evidence to suggest that it actually has these properties or any other medicinal benefits, but given its long history of use, regulators have granted permission to horehound. This is a common ingredient in “herbal” cough and cold remedies, which may be responsible for its chart-topping success.
- echinacea In second place is sales of $84 million. echinacea It is promoted as a treatment to both prevent and treat colds and flu. echinacea Studies have been conducted in clinical trials using different varieties of the plant and different parts of the plant, sometimes without standardized ingredients or dosing schedules, which may or may not support efficacy. Some contradictory results were obtained. No effect. Overall, the strongest evidence points to the following conclusions: echinacea It is not thought to be as effective as an equivalent placebo when it comes to preventing or treating colds.
- cranberry Alternative medicine zombies. Cranberries have sales of $68 million and are typically taken to prevent or treat urinary tract infections. Rigorous testing shows that it is neither. Unless you like the taste of cranberry juice or, like me, put cranberry juice in your Thanksgiving turkey, there’s no compelling reason to consume cranberries.
- ivy leaves (hedera helix) with sales of $32 million, ranking fourth. As well as being a ground cover, English ivy is also a popular dietary supplement, thought to be effective against respiratory illnesses and infections. Ivy has been studied as a cough suppressant product for children, but there is no convincing evidence that it actually has any meaningful effects.
- turmeric It rounded out the top five with $32 million in sales and 46% year-over-year growth. Turmeric is hot. We’ve blogged about it several times. It is considered some sort of magical spice, and its growth is driven more by hype than by actual evidence of effectiveness. This may be partially due to the properties of the chemicals themselves. The chemicals are not absorbed well enough to reach meaningful levels in the blood. But don’t think about getting an intravenous injection from a naturopathic doctor. The evidence is even less, and the side effects can be fatal.
I didn’t have the time or patience to go through the entire list. I skimmed through the rest and was able to find a few products that may have reasonable scientific evidence of effectiveness. Senna St. John’s wort as a laxative or as an antidepressant.
The report states that sales of three herbal medicines have decreased by more than 30%:
- raw coffee beans, which I’ve blogged about extensively, was an elaborate scam promoted by credulous people like Dr. Oz. This fact seems to be resonating after Dr. Oz was censured by a Senate subcommittee focused on promoting green coffee beans. Green coffee beans have no useful medicinal properties.
- coconut oil It’s like I lost track of time under the sun. Although it was initially marketed as a panacea of sorts, there appears to be evidence that it is likely one of the worst oils you can ingest. Thankfully, that advice may be resonating with consumers.
- Green Tea It has been a popular herbal remedy for a decade and is a popular drink around the world. Although there is not enough evidence to show that it has any meaningful health benefits, it is considered a safe drink and is probably much healthier than sugary drinks like pop. However, concentrated extracts are less transparent. The reason for the decline in sales is not clear. It may be that consumers have simply moved on to other beverages that are thought to support weight loss.
What’s so spicy about herbs?
A quick look at companies making big moves can give you a hint of what more to expect in the future.
- Cannabidiol (CBD)), non-intoxicating compounds cannabis Seed sales increased by more than 300%. As I’ve blogged before, there seems to be more hype than fact about medical marijuana use at this point. With legalization (in Canada) and increased interest in the actual science, I am optimistic that more evidence will emerge to guide medical professionals and consumers about the medicinal benefits of this chemical. Masu.
- nigella (nigella sativa), also known as black cumin or black seed, has seen sales increase by more than 200%. It is touted as an herbal remedy and is also used in Ayurvedic medicine. It is claimed to be able to treat asthma, diabetes, digestive problems, high blood pressure, and more. There is no evidence to support its use for any of these conditions.
- moringa (moringa oleifera) is another herbal medicine with roots in Ayurvedic medicine. Sales have increased by 30% and it appears to be regularly sold as a powder. The report suggests that consumers may be attracted to: moringa About “General Health and Nutritional Benefits.” As food, moringa Used to support nutrition programs. As a medicine, there is a lack of evidence that it has any specific benefits or effects. /
Marketing trumps evidence.
When it comes to herbal remedies, marketing is everything, and the evidence is usually weak and sometimes non-existent. Would it matter if consumers had access to better information about efficacy and safety? There are signs that clear evidence of harm or ineffectiveness may resonate with consumers, but this Overall trends in the category’s product sales suggest that evidence may not be the primary consideration for consumers. Unfortunately, even though consumers spend billions of dollars annually on herbal remedies, there is little evidence that they are reaping many health benefits.
