A Scoping Review of the Clinical Evidence for the Health Benefits of Culinary Doses of Herbs and Spices for the Prevention and Treatment of Metabolic Syndrome.

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a growing global health problem. Evidence suggests that diets rich in phytochemical-containing herbs and spices can contribute to reducing the risk of chronic diseases. This review assesses the scope of evidence supporting the use of herbs and spices in the diet for the prevention or treatment of MetS and its associated health conditions. A search of the PubMed, Scopus and Google Scholar databases was carried out to assess the available clinical evidence for culinary doses of commonly used herbs and spices. Trials that were measuring health factors related to metabolic disorders in healthy individuals, or the health of individuals with MetS or associated diseases, were included. Out of a total of 1738 papers identified, there were 142 relevant studies on black pepper, chilli, cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, fennel, fenugreek, garlic, ginger, nigella seed, rosemary, sage and turmeric. No relevant research was found for cloves, mint, oregano, parsley or thyme. Cinnamon, fenugreek and ginger were the herbs/spices with the most published trials on them and that showed promise for glycaemic control. Cardamom appears to have potential to reduce inflammatory markers, and cinnamon, ginger and turmeric to reduce blood lipids. Patients with type 2 diabetes were the population most likely to be included in studies, but the preventative benefits of herbs/spices in healthy populations were also investigated, particularly for chilli, ginger and cinnamon. There is evidence for the beneficial effect of culinary doses of many common herbs/spices in the prevention and treatment of MetS and associated disorders.

Narratives of Herbal Medicine Utilisation in the United Kingdom: Scoping Literature Review.

Using thematic analysis of existing literature, this scoping review aims to explore the narratives of people using herbal medicine (HM) in the United Kingdom. Understanding who is using HM and why will enable better ways of facilitating the use of HM, as well as assist in designing future research. Ethnic groups were found to be primary users of HM in the United Kingdom. A sense of heritage continues to be important for these participants as it allows tradition and culture to stay alive within communities, as well as the ritualistic purposes of these plants. For women, another key demographic, concepts surrounding the naturalness of HMs are associated with the idea of femineity and self-healing. A reoccurring theme in the literature focusing on both ethnic groups and women's perceptions is the judgement from healthcare practitioners/professionals (HCPs) when addressing the use of HM. However, studies that investigated the perceptions of HCPs on HM confirmed that they often were supportive of using HM where standard treatments had been unsuccessful, and if a patient had anecdotal evidence of a herb having been effective. Delving deeper into public narratives of HM usage will allow conventional healthcare systems to effectively integrate alternative approaches, as well as ensuring that future research into the benefits of HMs is relevant to how people use them.

Herbal Teas and their Health Benefits: A Scoping Review.

Herbal teas are used as therapeutic vehicles in many forms of traditional medicine and are a popular global beverage. The purpose of this scoping review was to examine the evidence relating to the clinical efficacy and safety of herbal teas, and to identify the main research themes and gaps in knowledge to inform further work. A scoping review methodology was followed that set out the research question and described the sourcing, selection and analysis of studies. Overall, a total of 145 research publications were retrieved from global bibliographic databases, and after applying exclusion criteria, 21 remained. These studies looked at herbal tea use in female health, diabetes, heart disease and weight loss, with plant species including lavender, chamomile, fenugreek, stinging nettle, spearmint, hibiscus, yerba maté, echinacea and combinations of herbs. Observational studies explored associations between herbal tea consumption and cancer risk, liver health, and the risks linked to the consumption of environmental contaminants in the plant material. Despite plant materials being the basis for drug discovery, and the popularity of herbal teas, the number of articles exploring clinical efficacy and safety is small. In this review we discuss how herbal teas may be beneficial in some areas of clinical and preventative health, and what further research is required to understand whether regular consumption can contribute to healthy living more generally.