Ancient Medicine: How Will it Affect the Future?
Consumers continue to increase their use of herbal supplements to improve health and manage a broad range of conditions. The American Botanical Council (ABC) estimates that Americans spent $7.5 billion on supplements in 2016, making it the 13th year in a row for which there was an increase in sales.1 These supplements include herbs thought to have medicinal benefits, such as horehound (Marrubium vulgare), which has been used since ancient times to treat respiratory conditions, to “wheatgrass” (Triticum aestivum) and barley shoots (Hordeum vulgare) because of the supposed nutritional benefits of these plants at an early growth stage. Other examples include use of botanicals for cosmetic benefits, Yerba mate tea (Ilex paraguariensis) to fight fatique, and ayahuasca (Banisteriopsis caapi) as part of a personal spiritual discovery.2, 3 In its 2016 Market Report, the ABC listed 40 herbal supplements that each exceeded $2 million in sales in the U.S.