Herbs: What They Are and What the Evidence Shows
These herbs are plants taken mostly as supplements, in powders, capsules, extracts or teas. Most have only a few small human trials behind them, and safety and drug interactions matter as much as the claims.
List of Herbs
Each card names the herb and links to what is known about it: the human evidence, how strong it is, and the safety notes from NCCIH.
Daily Amounts and Top Food Sources
| Nutrient | Daily Amount | Top Food per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Ashwagandha | No set daily amount | - |
| Turmeric | No set daily amount | - |
| Rhodiola | No set daily amount | - |
| Ginseng | No set daily amount | - |
| Bacopa | No set daily amount | - |
| Valerian | No set daily amount | - |
| Pycnogenol | No set daily amount | - |
Questions About Herbs
For most herbs here, it is limited: a few small, short human trials with mixed results, and much of the rest in cells or animals. NCCIH describes the evidence for many of them as not strong enough to draw firm conclusions.
Mostly not. Turmeric is a common spice and ginseng appears in some teas and drinks, but the amounts studied in trials come from supplements, which are the main source for every herb on this page.
No. Herbal supplements can cause side effects and interact with medicines. NCCIH notes rare reports of liver injury linked to both ashwagandha and turmeric supplements.
Not in the US. The FDA does not approve herbal supplements for safety or effectiveness before sale, and tests have found products that contain less, more or other plants than the label says.
Because extracts differ in plant part, solvent and the compounds they are standardized to, so a result from a trial of one extract does not carry over to another. Each herb page covers its common extracts in one place.
Ask a health care provider first. Most of these herbs have not been studied for safety in pregnancy or breastfeeding, and NCCIH advises telling your providers about any herb you take, since some interact with prescription drugs.
Not yet. Caltide does not total herbs; each page here explains what the herb is, what the human studies found and the safety notes.
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