About HerbsList
HerbsList is a plain-language guide to medicinal herbs: what they are, how they’ve been used in traditional systems like Ayurveda and Chinese medicine, what modern research says about them, and what to watch out for before you try one.
The site first went online in 2011 as a list of herbs and their uses. We’ve rebuilt it from the ground up with updated, fully sourced profiles, and we’ll keep adding to it.
Who Writes HerbsList
Hi, I’m Matthew Atkins. I studied biology in Texas and received a Bachelor of Science degree there. I’ve also worked in conservation, at a private park, where I spent a lot of time in the field around native and prairie plants. That work taught me how much variety there is in the plant world, and how many of the plants people rely on for medicine are under pressure in the wild.
I’ve been interested in herbs for many years, both in how different cultures have used them and in whether the claims hold up. I believe they do, but you’ve got to be careful about how you source your information and who you trust.
Too much of what’s online about herbs is either hype or copied without verification from somewhere else. I use HerbsList to give people a straight answer: what an herb is traditionally used for, what the evidence actually shows, and how to employ it safely. If I have personal experience with an herb, I’ll tell you that too.
How We Write Our Herb Profiles
Every profile follows the same approach:
- Separate tradition from evidence. We say clearly whether a use comes from traditional practice, early lab or animal studies, or human clinical trials.
- Cite our sources. We rely on peer-reviewed research, government health resources like the NIH’s National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, and established herbal references, and we link to them.
- Put safety up front. Each herb page covers side effects, drug interactions, and who should avoid it, such as people who are pregnant, nursing, or taking certain medications.
- Keep pages up to date. We revisit profiles as new research comes out and show the date each page was last updated.
A Note on Safety
HerbsList is for general information and education. It isn’t medical advice and isn’t a substitute for talking with a doctor, pharmacist, or other qualified professional. Herbs can be powerful and can interact with medications, so please check with your healthcare provider before starting any herb or supplement. See our terms and conditions for the full disclaimer.
If you’re at all unsure (and even if you’re not): check with your doctor. It will never hurt and can always help.
How This Site Is Funded
HerbsList is free to read. To cover the costs of running it, some pages include affiliate links to retailers like Amazon. If you buy something through one of those links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Affiliate relationships never decide what we say about an herb, and we’ll tell you when the evidence for something is weak, even if it’s a popular product.
Get in Touch
Spotted an error, have a question, or want to suggest an herb we haven’t covered yet? Reach us through our contact page. We read every message. We can’t give personal medical advice, though.