Tag

Herbals

Garlic bulbs and loose pink-skinned cloves spilling from a hessian sack onto a wooden surface

Garlic lowered average blood sugar by half a point across 27 trials, but fasting glucose barely moved

27 randomized trials and 1,619 people. Garlic supplements lowered long-term average blood sugar by about half a percentage point, a shift comparable to some drugs. Fasting glucose barely moved, which is hard to square.

Aug 25, 2026

A yellow St Johns wort flower with long radiating stamens

verdict

St Johns wort: uses, evidence, dosing and safety

The one herbal with real antidepressant evidence, and the one with the most dangerous interaction profile. It can make prescription medicines stop working, including contraceptives and transplant drugs.

Aug 5, 2026

Softgel and capsule supplements scattered across a marble surface beside small bowls

News

US supplement use hit 60% as multivitamins fell and ashwagandha rose, across 25 years of data

A JAMA Network Open analysis of 63,442 adults across 25 years of national survey data found supplement use rose from 51% to 60%, with multivitamins falling and ashwagandha, collagen and elderberry rising.

Jul 25, 2026