| Most Popular Herbs and Supplements in the United States |
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The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in the United States continues to expand. This growth can easily be seen in the current use of herbs and supplements -- sales of glucosamine and chondroitin, supplements used commonly for osteoarthritis, were $288 million dollars last year, and sales of ginkgo, a herb taken to improve blood flow to the brain in conditions where blood flow is insufficient, reached $147 million dollars.
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What are these herbs and supplements being used for? Chronic conditions that are difficult to treat or manage with conventional medicine, such as mood disorders, heart disease, arthritis, women's health conditions, and digestive disorders.
It would be interesting to know how many of these products were self-prescribed and how many were recommended by a health practitioner. Consultation with a health practitioner before taking herbs and supplements is always recommended in order to avoid adverse side effects and drug interactions.
Top Herbs in the United States
| Herb | $Millions | Condition Commonly Used In |
| Ginkgo biloba | 147 | Increase brain blood flow, prevent dementia, improve memory, antioxidant |
| St. John's Wort | 104 | Mild to moderate depression |
| Ginseng | 84 | Fatigue and weakness |
| Garlic | 77 | High cholesterol |
| Echinacea | 72 | Colds and respiratory infection |
| Saw palmetto | 45 | Prostate conditions |
| Kava kava | 18 | Anxiety and stress |
| Soy | 18 | Menopause |
| Valerian | 10 | Anxiety |
| Evening primrose | 9 | Inflammation, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), menopause, immune disorders |
| Grape seed | 8 | Allergies, antioxidant |
| Milk thistle | 8 | Liver disease, protects the liver |
| Bilberry | 6 | Eye disorders |
| Black cohosh | 6 | Menopause, PMS, menstrual disorders |
| Pycnogenol | 5 | Antioxidant |
| Ginger | 2 | Nausea, poor digestion |
Top Supplements in the United States
| Supplement | $Millions | Condition Commonly Used In |
| Glucosamine / chondroitin | 288 | Osteoarthritis |
| CoQ-10 | 41 | Heart disease, muscle disorders, antioxidant |
| Melatonin | 31 | Insomnia, antioxidant |
| Amino Acids | 21 | To increase muscle mass |
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Fish Oil / Omega fatty acid |
14 | High blood pressure, high cholesterol, inflammatory disease |
| DHEA | 11 | To slow conditions associated with aging |
| Acidophilus | 11 | Poor digestion, prevent bacterial overgrowth in the intestines |
| Lecithin | 10 | High cholesterol |
| Gelatin | 8 | Food supplement |
| Glucose | 7 | Food supplement, form of sugar |
| Shark cartilage | 6 | Arthritis, cancer |
Note: The above are conditions for which these herbs and supplements are commonly used and do not necessarily reflect all possible uses or those supported by research.
SOURCE: Drug Store News, May 2000
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