The Market Value of Traditionally Used Medicinal Plants

Recently, the consumption of medicinal plants and dietary supplements derived from natural resources has become widespread in many developed societies. This chapter discusses the growing popularity of the consumption of medicinal plants, their products, and dietary supplements in developed societies. With the belief in the lack of side effects, low cost, and antioxidant properties in preventing and treating many diseases, such as cancer, diabetes, overweight, osteoporosis, and hypercholesterolemia, people are increasingly turning to natural products. In fact, the use of medicinal plants is safer and their employment can be carried out in much lower doses than medicine purely based on components of chemical origin. Manufacturers take advantage of this trend on the market and develop marketing strategies, focusing on health-promoting aspects, preventing diseases, and healing properties of herbal plants. It is recommended to use medicinal plants to maintain health and prevent side effects associated with chemical drugs. Also, high healthcare costs contribute to the increased demand for natural products with health benefits. Therefore, the marketing of herbal products focuses mainly on some health-promoting, disease-preventing, or healing properties, which often refer to natural bioactive compounds. However, you should be careful and know about potential side effects or interactions with other drugs, because medicinal plants can also cause adverse reactions. Valuable and reliable information on the properties of medicinal plants is extremely important for consumers to make informed choices.