• A 2024 meta-analysis found that echinacea reduced respiratory infections by around a third and cut antibiotic use.
• Elderberry shortened colds and eased their severity across the pooled trials.
• St John’s wort performed comparably to SSRI antidepressants for mild to moderate low mood.
• Whole plants contain dozens of compounds working together, which is harder for bacteria to resist.
• The WHO’s 2025 strategy backs the evidence-based integration of herbal medicine into healthcare.

If you have ever wondered about whether herbal remedies work, the short answer is yes. Not just the documented traditional use of medicinal plants, going back centuries. But, there is a growing body of clinical research behind many herbal medicines. Some now have trial evidence that rivals conventional treatments.

That doesn’t mean herbs work in the same way for every person. And, not all herbal products are the same. But, the idea that herbal medicine is unproven is well out of date.

That changed with the discovery of antibiotics. The new medicines were seen as miracle cures, and interest in plant medicines dropped sharply.

But, antibiotics have their limits. They treat bacterial infections, not viral ones. And, over decades of overuse, bacteria have developed resistance to many of them.

Antibiotic resistance is now one of the biggest threats to global health. Scientists are struggling to develop more and more powerful replacements that work. And, respiratory infections remain the leading reason antibiotics are prescribed, even when the cause is viral.

This is one of the reasons herbal medicine is attracting renewed research attention.

Echinacea is one of the most studied herbal medicines for respiratory health. A 2024 meta-analysis of 30 trials involving over 5,600 people found that it reduced respiratory infections by around a third. It also cut the risk of complications by more than half.

Most usefully, it reduced the need for antibiotics by 40 per cent. And, total antibiotic therapy days fell by 70 per cent.

An earlier systematic review put the risk reduction for prevention at 22 per cent. The safety profile across both reviews was comparable to placebo.

Elderberry has a long history of use for colds and flu. A 2019 meta-analysis of clinical trials confirmed that it reduced both the duration and severity of upper respiratory signs.

One trial involving air travellers found that the elderberry group had roughly half the cold days. And, their signs were less severe.

The researchers noted that elderberry may offer a useful alternative to routine antibiotic use for viral infections, where antibiotics have no benefit.

Despite the criticism that St John’s wort often receives, some of the strongest trial results in herbal medicine come from this plant remedy. A 2023 meta-analysis comparing it with SSRIs found comparable results for mild to moderate low mood, with fewer reported side effects when using the herbal remedy.

A large review of 35 trials involving nearly 7,000 people reached a similar conclusion. More people responded to St John’s wort than to placebo.

St John’s wort does interact with several prescribed medications. A medical herbalist can advise on whether it’s suitable alongside anything else you’re taking.

One of the most important differences between herbal medicine and conventional drugs is the number of active compounds involved.

A pharmaceutical drug is usually one molecule, acting on one target. A plant contains dozens of compounds that act together. Some address the main concern. Others help to improve the absorption of those compounds, or support the tissues involved. This is called synergy. There is another layer: how gut bacteria change what a herb does.

A review in the Malaria Journal found that whole plant extracts often had greater activity than the same isolated compound given on its own. The review noted several mechanisms, including improved absorption and the presence of compounds that overcome drug resistance.

This is also why bacteria haven’t developed resistance to herbs the way they have to antibiotics. A single antibiotic gives bacteria one thing to overcome. A plant extract presents dozens of compounds at once, and that is far harder to resist.

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Myrrh is a good example of a herb that has stood the test of time. It has been used for infection, wound care and oral health for millennia. And, the modern research supports those traditional uses.

A 2023 pharmacological review confirmed its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. A 2025 laboratory study showed that myrrh resin extract inhibited biofilm formation in several pathogenic bacteria, including resistant strains.

Myrrh is still widely used in commercial mouthwashes, throat sprays and skincare. And, herbalists still prescribe it in clinical practice.

Clinical trials measure herbs the same way they measure drugs. They give one fixed preparation at one fixed dose to a group of people who share a label.

That is a reasonable way to test a drug. But, it removes the thing that makes herbal medicine effective: matching the remedy to the person.

A herbalist considers the whole picture, not just the label. She looks at what else is going on, at your constitution, at what will suit you. That matching is how herbal medicine works. It’s the part the trials can’t capture.

This doesn’t mean the trials are unhelpful. It means they probably understate what’s possible when the herb is well chosen.

The World Health Organization adopted its Global Traditional Medicine Strategy for 2025 to 2034 at the 78th World Health Assembly. It calls for the evidence-based integration of herbal and traditional medicine into healthcare systems worldwide.

That kind of recognition reflects decades of growing clinical research. The findings now span immunity, mood, digestion, inflammation and hormonal health.

Herbal medicine isn’t a substitute for conventional care. The two work alongside each other. But, the research behind what herbs can do continues to grow. For many women over 40, they are a practical and effective part of looking after your health.