Consumers in search of natural remedies, herbal supplement sales up 7.7%

AUSTIN, Texas — Consumers in the United States spent an estimated 7.7% more on herbal dietary supplements in 2016 than in the previous year, according to the recently published HerbalGram Herb Market Report for 2016.

The report, which appears in the American Botanical Council’s quarterly, peer-reviewed journal HerbalGram, shows strong, continued growth for these products, with total U.S. retail sales surpassing $7 billion for the first time, reaching a total of almost $7.5 billion in 2016.



“This report documents the consistent growth of consumer demand for natural remedies, as evidenced by the increased sales of herbal dietary supplements,” stated Mark Blumenthal, executive director of ABC. “This is indicative of a well-demonstrated, long-term trend toward natural medicine and consumers’ interest in taking responsibility for their own health via the responsible use of herbal medicine as an integral part of self-care.”



Herbal supplement sales in mainstream U.S. retail outlets in 2016 totaled approximately $943.9 million, according to SPINS and IRI. Nutrition Business Journal, which includes different sources in its dataset, determined a higher total of $1.3 billion in mainstream sales for 2016.



Horehound, an herb commonly found in natural cough drops and lozenges, ranked first in total mainstream U.S. retail sales for the fourth consecutive year. Wheatgrass and barley in combination experienced the strongest mainstream sales growth in 2016, with a 131.9% increase in sales from the previous year.



ABC’s annual market report for herbal supplement sales is based on U.S. retail sales data from market research firms SPINS and IRI, as well as Nutrition Business Journal. The report covers only retail sales of herbal dietary supplements and does not reflect the sales of most herbal teas, botanical ingredients used in cosmetics, or government-approved herbal drug ingredients in over-the-counter medicines.