Herbal Medicine: MedlinePlus
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Health Topics
Herbal Medicine
URL of this page: https://medlineplus.gov/herbalmedicine.html
Herbal Medicine
Also called: Botanicals, Phytotherapy
On this page
Basics
Summary
Start Here
Related Issues
Specifics
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Research
Clinical Trials
Journal Articles
Resources
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For You
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Patient Handouts
Summary
An herb is a plant or plant part used for its scent, flavor, or therapeutic properties. Herbal medicines are one type of
dietary supplement
. They are sold as tablets, capsules, powders, teas, extracts, and fresh or dried plants. People use herbal medicines to try to maintain or improve their health.
Many people believe that products labeled "natural" are always safe and good for them. This is not necessarily true. Herbal medicines do not have to go through the testing that drugs do. Some herbs, such as comfrey and ephedra, can cause serious harm. Some herbs can interact with prescription or over-the-counter medicines.
If you are thinking about using an herbal medicine, first get information on it from reliable sources. Make sure to tell your health care provider about any herbal medicines you are taking.
NIH: National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
Start Here
About Herbs, Botanicals and Other Products
(Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center)
Botanical Dietary Supplements Background Information
(National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements)
Also in
Spanish
Dietary and Herbal Supplements
(National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
Dietary Supplement Label Database (DSLD)
(National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements)
Herbal Medicine
(Johns Hopkins Medicine)
Herbs at a Glance
(National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
MedlinePlus: Herbs and Supplements
(National Library of Medicine)
Also in
Spanish
Related Issues
Alerts and Advisories
(National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
Herbal Supplements and Heart Medicines May Not Mix
(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Also in
Spanish
Natural Doesn't Necessarily Mean Safer, or Better
(National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
St. John's Wort and Depression
(National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
Specifics
Acai
(National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
Aloe Vera
(National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
Asian Ginseng
(National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
Astragalus
(National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
Bilberry
(National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
Bitter Orange
(National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
Black Cohosh
(National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
Butterbur
(National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
Cat's Claw
(National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
Chamomile
(National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
Chasteberry
(National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
Cinnamon
(National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
Cranberry
(National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
Dandelion
(National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
Echinacea
(National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
Echinacea: What Should I Know about It?
(American Academy of Family Physicians)
Elderberry
(National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
Ephedra
(National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
European Mistletoe
(National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
Evening Primrose Oil
(National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
Fenugreek
(National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
Feverfew
(National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
Flaxseed and Flaxseed Oil
(National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
Garlic
(National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
Ginger
(National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
Ginkgo
(National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
Goldenseal
(National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
Grape Seed Extract
(National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
Green Tea
(National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
Hawthorn
(National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
Hoodia
(National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
Horse Chestnut
(National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
Kava
(National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
Lavender
(National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
Licorice Root
(National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
Milk Thistle
(National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
Mugwort
(National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
Noni
(National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
Passionflower
(National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
Peppermint Oil
(National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
Red Clover
(National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
Red Yeast Rice
(National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
Sage
(National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
Saw Palmetto
(National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
Soy
(National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
St. John's Wort
(National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
Tea Tree Oil
(National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
Thunder God Vine
(National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
Turmeric
(National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
Valerian
(National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
What Are Chia Seeds?
(Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics)
Yohimbe
(National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
Clinical Trials
ClinicalTrials.gov: Herbal Medicine
(National Institutes of Health)
Journal Articles
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
Article: Safety of Postpartum Herbal Medicine in Primary Care Korean Medicine Clinics:...
Article: Comparative effectiveness of acupuncture, fire needle, and herbal therapies for melasma:...
Article: Medicinal Plants Used by Tanzanians for Human Paediatric Ailments: A PRISMA-Guided...
Herbal Medicine -- see more articles
Find an Expert
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
Women
Herbal Products
(Organization of Teratology Information Specialists)
Menopausal Symptoms: In Depth
(National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
Patient Handouts
A guide to herbal remedies
(Medical Encyclopedia)
Also in
Spanish
Topic Image
MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA
A guide to herbal remedies
Related Health Topics
Cancer Alternative Therapies
Complementary and Integrative Medicine
Dietary Supplements
National Institutes of Health
The primary NIH organization for research on
Herbal Medicine
is the
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
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