Austin, TX—Continuing an upward trend apparent since 2003, sales of herbal supplements grew in 2010, according to a report published in the HerbalGram (published by the American Botanical Council). 2010 herb sales were $5.2 billion, marking a 3.3% increase over 2009 figures.

In health food stores, the top five standalone herbs sold were flaxseed ($22,340,631), wheat/barley grass ($14,822,264), aloe ($11,695,785), turmeric ($11,279,651) and stevia ($9,623,772). The herb that had the biggest change from 2009 sales was acai, which dropped nearly 50%. The biggest growth came from wheat/barley grass, with a jump of13.5%.

According to the report, “In sum, the herb market in 2010 maintained the robust growth seen in recent years, reflecting increasing consumer interest in good nutrition and natural lifestyles.”

Published in WholeFoods Magazine, July 2011 (online 5/31/11)