Where Does Lavender Have the Strongest Evidence?

Lavender has been investigated in many areas, but its strongest modern clinical evidence concerns anxiety, stress-related symptoms and sleep, particularly when lavender essential oil is used. One of the best-studied preparations is Silexan, a standardized lavender oil...

What Gives Lavender Its Power?

Lavender contains two quite different groups of natural compounds, depending on whether we look at its extracts or its essential oil. Alcoholic and hydroalcoholic extracts of Lavandula angustifolia are rich in polyphenols. One of the most important is rosmarinic acid,...

Nettle: What Do We Really Know?

Nettle is a good example of why saying simply that “a herb has been scientifically proven” can be misleading. The clearest clinical evidence concerns nettle root extracts and urinary symptoms associated with benign prostate enlargement. This does not mean that nettle...

Where Does Nettle Have the Strongest Evidence?

The strongest clinical evidence for nettle concerns urinary symptoms associated with benign enlargement of the prostate, or benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Importantly, these studies mainly involve nettle root extracts. Clinical research has reported improvements...

What Gives Nettle Its Power?

Stinging nettle contains a surprisingly diverse mixture of natural compounds, and different parts of the plant have different chemical profiles. Extracts made from nettle leaves are particularly rich in polyphenols. Important compounds include chlorogenic,...