Most Common Medicinal Herbs

For a growing number of the population, herbal medicine is becoming a viable alternative to drugs from the pharmaceutical industry. According to a CDC study published in "Advanced Data" in 2004, 62 percent of adults in America were using complementary and alternative medicine. While the use of natural medicine is becoming more widespread, science is also supporting the use of some of the most popularly consumed medicinal herbs.

Echinacea

• Echinacea strengthens the immune system.

  Echinacea is a native plant to North America and has been used in Native American traditional medicine for poison, snake bites and infections. Today, echinacea is one of the most widely used herbal remedies in Western culture due to the natural chemicals found in the roots of the plant that stimulate the immune system. In a study published in the scientific journal "The Lancet" in 2007, researcher Sachin A. Shah, PharmD, and colleagues discovered echinacea significantly reduced the risk of catching the common cold and the duration of time spent sick.

Ginkgo

• Ginkgo leaves support memory and cognition.

  Ginkgo is a traditional Chinese remedy with antioxidant, circulatory stimulating, anti-inflammatory and memory enhancing actions in humans. The leaves are rich in chemicals called ginkgolides and flavonoids, and these are considered to be the major active ingredients in ginkgo. In a review published in the "Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews" in 2007, researchers J. Birks and J. Grimley Evans concluded that ginkgo was effective in supporting mood balance, cognition and memory with few side effects. Ginkgo leaves should not be used by people taking prescribed anticoagulant or antiplatelet medications.

Ginseng

• Ginseng plants are tonics for energy and the immune system.

  Ginseng is a name given to a group of plants around the world that share common active ingredients called ginsenosides. These plants include Korean ginseng, Siberian ginseng, Tienchi ginseng and North American ginseng. According to author Kerry Bone in his book "The Clinical Guide to Blending Liquid Herbs," all these herbs are used as tonics for increasing energy, boosting the immune system, improving libido and improving adaptation to stress. According to a study published in "Drugs Under Experimental and Clinical Research" in 1990, researcher F. Scaglione found Korean ginseng was effective in significantly increasing a broad range of immune activity in human subjects.

St John's Wort

• St John's Wort fights depression and anxiety.

  St John's Wort is a herb native to North Africa, Western Asia and Europe and is often regarded as a common weed. The leaves and flowers of St John's Wort are rich in chemicals such as hypericin, hyperforin and pseudohypericin that have demonstrated anti-anxiety, antidepressent and antiviral activity in humans. In a meta-analysis study published in the "British Journal of Psychiatry" in 2005, researcher Klaus Linde and colleagues found St John's Wort was comparable in effect to standard antidepressant medications in a variety of studies.

Ginger

• Ginger is a warming herb that reduces inflammation and nausea.

  Ginger is a native plant to tropical Asia and used widely around the world as a culinary spice. According to author Gilian Painter in her book "Materia Medica of Western Herbs for the Southern Hemisphere," ginger is an herbal medicine used for treating bronchitis, flatulence, poor circulation, arthritis, stomach cramps and nausea. Ginger is also a good source of vitamin A, vitamin B-complex, vitamin C, calcium, iron, phosphorous, sodium, potassium, magnesium and essential oils.