These are the top 8 best-selling botanicals in the U.S. and Europe at present 2022. Click on a botanical to learn how it is used, possible risks and adverse effects, and references.
According to the Huikangpin Biotech Export experence, the top 8 best selling herbs in 2022, in rank order:
Gingko Ginkgo Biloba Extract
Side effects, toxicity, and interactions Ginkgo Biloba Extract:
In rare cases, ginkgo biloba may cause side effects. These include upset stomach, headaches, and allergic skin reactions. Ginkgo biloba seeds can cause neurologic issues and allergic reactions. These can cause death. For this reason, the seeds aren’t used for medical reasons.
Talk with your healthcare provider before taking ginkgo if you take any other medicines. It may change the effects of other medicines, especially blood thinners (anticoagulants).
Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should talk with their healthcare providers before taking any herbal medicines.
Recent data has showed that ginkgo biloba may be linked to cancer (potential carcinogen). More studies are needed to figure out the risk of cancer in people who take ginkgo biloba.
Echinacea Extract
Echinacea, originally a Native American remedy, has gained popularity for treating the symptoms of colds, flu, and respiratory infections. Some research indicates that echinacea has the potential to boost immune cell response, but only certain preparations of echinacea are able to do so, such as fresh pressed juice or isolated polysaccharides (Linde et al., 2006). A meta-analysis of 14 clinical studies on the effects of echinacea on the duration and severity of the common cold (Shah et al., 2007) indicated that pre-treatment with echinacea reduced the odds of developing a cold by 58 percent and reduced the average duration of the infection by 1.4 days. These and other results support the use of echinacea for prevention and treatment of the common cold.
Additional studies are taking place to explore the use of echinacea as a cancer treatment or preventive medicine. Results of a 2005 study (Miller, 2005) with mice found that daily consumption of echinacea was preventive; it extended the life span of aging mice, significantly lessened the effects of leukemia, and it extended the life span of the mice with leukemia. While the results of this mouse study are promising, it is important to keep in mind that animal studies cannot always be assumed to demonstrate clinical efficacy in humans.
Contraindications:
People who are allergic to the chemical components of Echinacea should avoid using it, so as not to cause allergic symptoms such as skin itching and rash.
Quercetin
Quercetin is found in a variety of foods, including vegetables such as onions, broccoli, asparagus, shallots, green peppers, tomatoes, and red lettuce, and fruits such as apples, strawberries, grapes, blueberries, cranberries, and blackcurrants .
Quercetin has the effects of relieving cough and asthma, reducing swelling and diuresis, clearing away heat and detoxification, and enhancing immunity. It can be used to treat insomnia, forgetfulness, chest tightness, shortness of breath, palpitations, dreaminess, memory loss, backache, weakness of limbs, dry mouth, bitter mouth, chronic bronchitis, etc. It can lower blood pressure, blood fat and cholesterol, enhance capillary resistance, and reduce garbage and toxins in capillaries. It can prevent coronary arteriosclerosis, coronary heart disease, angina pectoris, myocardial ischemia and arrhythmia.
Quercetin effect on Covid-19
A randomized, controlled, open-label study (30 days in 152 outpatients with COVID-19) showed that quercetin (1000 mg daily) in combination with standard treatment in the early stages of viral infection To improve clinical outcomes, including: reducing the need and duration of hospitalization, the need for non-invasive oxygen therapy, ICU progression and death.
Side effect of Quercetin:
Moderate use (less than 1000 mg daily for 12 weeks) of quercetin is safe for most adults in good health, but possible side effects or adverse reactions have been reported including: nausea, headache, stomach pain or Tingling in the extremities.
Contradications:
1. Do not use in patients with poor liver and kidney function (related safety is unknown)
2. Pregnant women and lactating women should not use it (related safety is unknown)
3. Do not use it together with quinolone antibiotics, which may reduce the efficacy of the drug.
Milk Thistle
Milk thistle, or known by the botanical name- Silybum marianum is a vibrant flowering plant that is predominant in liver health. Native to many coastal parts of the world, this vibrant purple plant is cultivated for production of raw material for the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industry in China.
Milk thistle is bitter in taste, cool in nature, and returns to the liver and gallbladder meridians, and has the effects of clearing heat and detoxifying, soothing the liver and promoting gallbladder. Milk thistle can stabilize the liver cell membrane, protect the enzyme system of the liver cell, remove active oxygen free radicals in the liver cell, thereby improving the detoxification ability of the liver, so it is often used to treat diseases such as liver and gallbladder damp heat, hypochondriac pain, and jaundice.
Side effect of milk thistle
The side effects are gastrointestinal reactions, including nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, indigestion and loss of appetite, etc. Some patients may also have adverse reactions such as chest tightness and headache, and a very small number of patients may also have allergic reactions, mainly manifested as rash, itching, etc. .
Contradications:
Long-term use of milk thistle will increase the frequency and degree of adverse reactions, so patients should take the medicine under the guidance of a doctor and not take it for a long time without authorization.
Ginseng
Ginseng extract is extracted and refined from the roots, stems and leaves of Araliaceae plant ginseng. It is rich in 18 kinds of ginseng monomer saponins, soluble in water at 80°C, and easily soluble in ethanol.
The side effects of ginseng
1. Unreasonable and frequent excessive consumption of ginseng will lead to stagnation of qi and blood. Petechiae and petechiae can develop on the tongue, resulting in hot or painful palms and soles.
2. Ginseng can increase the number of red blood cells in the human body. Unreasonable use will increase blood viscosity, lead to increased blood pressure, and cause diseases such as high blood pressure and headaches.
3. Ginseng has an excitatory effect on the central nervous system, which will cause the imbalance between the excitation and inhibition of the cerebral cortex. Excessive consumption will cause insomnia, dreaminess, dizziness, etc., and even slow response, top-heavy, and sudden weight gain.
Contradications:
1. Ginseng has an anti-diuretic effect. Patients with renal insufficiency or edema need to take it under the guidance of a doctor. Not suitable for consumption.
2. Ginseng should not be taken at the same time with anticoagulants, cardiotonic agents, sedatives, steroids and other drugs. It is easy to produce antagonistic or synergistic effects with these drugs, and it is necessary to follow the doctor’s instructions to make the condition worse.
3. Ginseng should not be used in combination with acidic drugs such as vitamins, niacin, glutamic acid, gastric enzyme mixture, etc., which can decompose the above drugs and reduce their efficacy.
4. Patients with insomnia, neurasthenia, miasma, mania, and schizophrenia should not take ginseng and should use it under the guidance of a doctor. The saponins in ginseng can inhibit the central nervous system.
Maca Root
Maca extract is yellow-brown powder extracted from the underground part of the cruciferous plant Maca solitaire. Maca contains nutrients such as protein, polysaccharides, macaene, and macamide. Maca Root has good effect for Benefits Energy, Mood & Sexual Health.
Maca side effects:
1. Cause goiter: There is a compound in Maca called glucosinolate, which can react with the iodine we usually take in the human body. Excessive consumption of Maca will lead to a decrease in iodine in the body, which will stimulate the thyroid gland and cause thyroid gland growth. swelling.
2. Cause excessive hormone secretion: The sterols and saponins contained in maca are the precursors of hormones, and these ingredients will stimulate the synthesis of hormones in the body. Excessive consumption will lead to excessive secretion of hormones, resulting in excessive desire and damage to kidney organs.
3. Allergies: Maca is an allergen for some people. Allergic reactions may occur after eating Maca, especially if you eat too much at one time, you are prone to allergic symptoms such as body itching.
Maca contraindications:
1. Patients with thyroid disease should not eat maca. There is a compound called glucosinolate in maca. Since there is more or less iodine intake in the diet, glucosinolate combined with iodine may cause thyroid swelling. This has a number of implications for people with thyroid disease.
2. Minors are prohibited from eating Maca. Minors are in the development stage and need a balanced supplement of various nutrients. If maca is consumed, it will lead to excessive secretion of hormones in the body and excessive secretion of sex hormones, which will cause symptoms such as precocious puberty and skeletal growth retardation.
Grape Seed
Grape seed extract is a pure natural substance, and it is one of the most efficient antioxidants found in plant sources so far. Tests show that its antioxidant effect is 30-50 times that of vitamin C and vitamin E.
Grape seeds have no side effects, but you need to pay attention when using them. It is not recommended for pregnant women or breastfeeding, and children should not eat them
Saw Palmetto
Saw Palmetto Berry is a small, palm-like plant native to North America. Native Americans and early American settlers used the berries to treat problems associated with the genitals, urinary tract and reproductive system.
Saw palmetto is a natural plant that grows in North America. Saw palmetto is cultivated to treat male prostate and urinary tract inflammation. It is also used to prevent the generation of DHT, which is the cause of male hair loss. Saw palmetto fruit extract is rich in fat (lauric acid, oil acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid), polysaccharides and phytosterols.
Adverse reactions of Saw Palmetto Extract
Adverse reactions are rare and occasionally cause stomach upset and headache.
Several cases of hepatopancreatic injury have been reported, but whether it is actually related to saw palmetto is inconclusive.
Contraindications:
Pregnant or breastfeeding, children under 12 years old, hepatopancreatic problems.
