Herbs & Botanicals
This section is about herbs and plant extracts used for health, not for cooking or gardening. For each one we describe what the plant is, what human research has and has not shown, which forms are sold, and what the risks are, including medicine interactions. Many herbs are strong enough to cause side effects or to change how prescription medicines work.
Each herb has one guide. We link a page only when it is written and sourced, and we show the research the way the National Institutes of Health describes it, including the weak and negative findings. The complete herb database (thousands of records) is in the Research Library.
Explore herbs
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Popular Herbs with Guides
Herbs with the most search interest.
See all herbs with guides -
Calming, Immune & Other Herbs
More herbs with a sourced guide.
See all herbs with guides
Herb Safety & Interactions
- Herbs can interact with prescription medicines. St. John's wort, for example, can weaken many important medicines.
- Tell your pharmacist or clinician about every herbal product, especially before surgery or if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or giving something to a child.
- "Natural" does not mean safe: kava and some green tea extracts have been linked to liver injury.
- Stop and call a clinician about yellow skin or eyes, dark urine, a rash or any new reaction. In the US, Poison Control is 1-800-222-1222; call 911 for collapse, seizure or trouble breathing.
Herbs by Wellness Goal
What the research shows for sleep, mood, digestion, colds, cholesterol, prostate, liver and joints.
Forms & Preparations
Teas, extracts, capsules: why a result for one form does not carry over to another.
Quality, Labels & Product Selection
Botanical names, plant parts, standardization and testing, and what they cannot tell you.
Use & Practical Questions
Studied doses, how long, and what to ask a pharmacist.
Comparisons
Herbs side by side and turmeric versus curcumin. No rankings.
Herb Research & Evidence
How much human research exists and how to judge a claim.
Featured guides
Our first herb guides are being written and reviewed. We publish a guide only when it is sourced and ready.
Frequently asked questions
What is an herbal supplement?
A dietary supplement containing one or more herbs, sold as teas, extracts, tablets, capsules, powders or other forms. [1]
Are herbal supplements safe?
Not automatically. Some interact with prescription medicines, and some have been linked to liver injury. See Safety. [1]
Do herbs work?
It depends on the herb and the goal, and for many the evidence is limited or mixed. See by wellness goal.
Is this section about cooking herbs?
No. It covers herbs used for health. Culinary herb pages are not part of this section.
References
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NIH). Using Dietary Supplements Wisely. Page last updated January 2019.
Content last updated . This section has not been medically reviewed.