This past spring, ABC released three “Spotlight on Herbs” profiles for ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba), saw palmetto (Serenoa repens), and St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum), the first of an on-going series. Distributed to electronic and print media (including 10,000 newspapers), these consumer-oriented releases profile individual herbs, herb topics, and controversial items in the media. The releases appear as 400-word articles in newspapers across the U.S., with a possible readership estimated at more than one million for each release. The profiles also offer four-color photographs of the herbs from noted botanical photographer Steven Foster.

Each article concludes with an invitation to readers to visit ABC’s website for free access to a scientific monograph. The monographs include the most current information, including updated safety and herb/drug interaction information. ABC intends to release future “Spotlight on Herbs” profiles on a regular basis.

“Updated, accurate information is the key to this program,” said Mark Blumenthal, ABC’s founder and executive director. “Eventually, ABC will release a different profile every several weeks.”      

—Kim West, ABC