Aloe vera, garlic favorites with Australians

Melbourne, October 13: Realizing their benefits, Australians seem to have taken to aloe vera, garlic and green tea in a big way, reports a new study.

The study, one of the first of its kind, was taken up by Charlie Xue of RMIT University, wherein 2526 people residing in Victoria, Australia, were surveyed on the use of 24 commonly used herbal medicines.

The study highlighted that of the total participants, 22.6% had used one of the herbs in the past year. The maximum usage was reported among people in the age bracket of 35 to 54 and among the ones whose annual earnings ranged from 60,000 to 80,000 Australian dollars.

The favorites among the people were found to be aloe vera, garlic and green tea, each used by a significant number of participants, 10 percent to be precise.

Echinacea, ginger, peppermint, ginseng, gingko biloba, evening primrose, dandelion and St John’s wort were the other commonly used herbs.

Garlic, one of the major ingredients of cuisine even today, is known to be beneficial in combating asthma, fever, bronchial congestion and heart problems such as hardening of arteries.

Another such herbal medicine - aloe vera is extremely helpful in maintaining dental health and hygiene. Moreover, it strengthens the immune systemdefine and boosts healthy digestion.

As per ABC report, above 90% people acknowledged the role of herbal medication in improving their overall health and well-being.

Xue said maximum people resorted to herbal treatment for chronic conditions which mostly included skin problems, sleep disorder, cold, flu, fever and anxiety.

Xue also added that less than 50% of the participants were aware of the possible ill-effects of herbal medication. Women are more into using herbal medicines as compared to men. 14.4% of them were taking herbs during pregnancy and 10% while breast feeding.

More than half of the participants had used drugs simultaneously with herbs, for the same health concern.