May 15, 1998 – The total value of herbal medicines sold in the US market reached $ 441,502,560 according to US marketing firm SPINS. In the UK, the value of herbal medicines sold without a prescription reached £ 72 million, or around US $ 116 million.
Among the main sellers are the following herbs:
|
Gingko biloba |
$ 90,197,288 |
|
Ginseng |
$ 86,048,080 |
|
Garlic |
$ 71,474,288 |
|
Echinacea |
$ 49,189,576 |
|
St. John’s Wort |
$ 47,774,792 |
|
Saw palmetto berry |
$ 18,381,592 |
|
Grape seeds |
$ 9,965,772 |
|
Evening primrose oil |
$ 7,299,353 |
|
Cranberry |
$ 6,182,210 |
|
Valerian |
$ 6,104,450 |
|
Kava kava |
$ 2,950,132 |
As impressive as they are, these numbers still represent a tiny fraction of the total value of designer drugs prescribed in the United States during the same period. However, the situation varies considerably from country to country, notably in Australia where the population is estimated to spend twice as much on herbal medicines as on non-prescription drugs.
HealthPassport.net
According to Herbal Gram, spring 1998
