Trends

The global trends and interests in alternative herbal medicine focus on anti-aging, weight control, joint and bone health, digestion/ immunity, cardiovascular health/ diabetes, cognition/memory, female/ male health and the growing wellness and beauty trends. Another trend benefiting the herbs and botanicals market is the 'natural and exotic ingredients' trend' in medicinal products. With the hectic and sedentary lifestyle of industrialized world and the increase of the senior segment of the world population, the herb industry expects these trends to grow, and even infringe upon the profits of synthetic competitors.

China

China and its strong history of naturopathic medicine hold a 10% share of the global supplement market. China's sales in the nutrition industry noted a double-digit growth, reaching over $8 billion in sales in 2007. Estimated sales of herbal medicines as commercial products reached about $3.5 billion. Complementing the strong history in herbal and botanical products, the major market drivers in China include the aging population and female customers. The sought for products consist of women’s supplements, supplements for cholesterol, blood glucose, improving sleeping quality and mental clarity.

United States

Usage of herbal supplements in the US has grown from approximately 1/3 of the US population in 2001, to nearly 1/2 in 2007. In 2006, US sales of herbals grew to $4.6 billion, and in 2008 were about $4.8 billion, and expect a continuous growth. Raw material supply to the U.S. is increasingly dominated by imports from China and India. These countries herbal exports reached about 50% of global imports in 2002 and shift further. Top-selling herbs and botanicals in the U.S. include non-ephedra herb blends, growing 51% from 2003 ($958 million) to $1.4 billion in 2004; followed by noni juice (4% growth to $203 million in 2004) and green tea (45% growth to $160 million in 2004). Other imports include garlic, echinacea, saw palmetto, ginkgo, ginseng, soy and mangosteen juice. Other top-selling herbs and botanicals are milk thistle, black cohosh root, psyllium, St. John’s Wort, horny goat weed, cranberry, valerian, aloe, maca and evening primrose.