NIH Record - National Institutes of Health

New App Puts Herbal Information at Your Fingertips

HerbList app on a smartphone.
The HerbList mobile app.

NCCIH has released its first mobile app, HerbList, a free resource of research-based information on the safety and effectiveness of dozens of popular herbs and herbal products. Curious about echinacea, acai, ginkgo or turmeric? Reliable information is available on them and on more than 50 other herbs marketed for health purposes. Don’t have an internet connection? No problem—HerbList works offline.

“HerbList is part of NCCIH’s effort to inform consumers and health care providers within the complementary and integrative health space,” said NCCIH acting director Dr. David Shurtleff. “People are considering herbs and herbal supplements for self-care and other reasons. It’s important that they are aware of what the science says about safety and effectiveness.”

The app’s source information is NCCIH’s Herbs At a Glance series of fact sheets.

HerbList is available free for both iOS and Android devices through links at https://nccih.nih.gov/Health/HerbListApp.

The NIH Record

The NIH Record, founded in 1949, is the biweekly newsletter for employees of the National Institutes of Health.

Published 25 times each year, it comes out on payday Fridays.

Assistant Editor: Eric Bock
Eric.Bock@nih.gov (link sends e-mail)

Staff Writer: Amber Snyder
Amber.Snyder@nih.gov (link sends e-mail)