While attending Natural Products Expo East 2018 in Baltimore, many botanical products were the hot topics for discussion. With over 29,000 health industry attendees and thousands of exhibitors, Expo East offered a wealth of information. It offered a preview of the natural products industry and access to many experienced experts. My attention was drawn to the buzz around botanical products for beauty, health, and vitality. My Top Ten Trends at Expo East blog identified botanicals from berries, flowers, herbs, greens, mushrooms, roots, seeds, spices, and weeds. as a hot product category to investigate.

TeacupAs more people do their homework looking for natural remedies for their beauty, health and lifestyle issues many are embracing the current health trends and looking for all natural products and solutions like botanicals. I spoke with several representatives at Expo East about botanical natural products to learn more insider tips. Some of the most popular botanical products at the expo were balms, capsules, powders, salves, teas, and tinctures. Several companies and products received honorable mention for their education and support at the conference and warrant further review.

  • Apricot seeds are packed with nutrients that help enhance our health, immune system and nutrition requirements. They are a great source of Vitamin B17 with many benefits. Check out Apricot Power for more great information on the benefits and health support they provide.
  • Botanical teas can contain different bark, berries, flowers, herbs, mushrooms, roots, seeds, and spices. Lone Star Botanicals has some great products.
  • Cacao can be considered a botanical and super food since it provides beneficial health properties and potent nutrition. There was an abundance of products with cacao such as bars, chocolate, drinks, powders, and teas. As soon as I identified a product contained cacao, I wanted to try it … read the ingredients … and did.
  • Chlorella and spirulina are blue-green algae that appeared as ingredients in many superfoods and super greens products. BN Organic Greens deserves an honorable mention as one example that is loaded with great organic ingredients and tastes great.
  • Echinacea is a flower that has been used by people for thousands of years to enhance our immune system and recover from health challenges.
  • Elderberry has a long history of medicinal benefits and uses. I enjoyed the convenience of Elderberry Crystals from Flora Health.
  • Emerald Health Botanicals offers a variety of capsules with various botanicals such as clove, echinacea, ginger, passion flower, peony root, Sichuan pepper, magnolia bark, and others.
  • Ginger is a root that is easy to consume as a garnish, supplement or tea. It is all natural and very low cost with benefits that are over the moon great for you.
  • Ginseng is a root that is cherished for its health benefits. American, Korean and Siberian ginseng are well documented as powerful adaptogen botanicals.
  • Hemp is a modern-day botanical hero and superfood for happiness and health. Hemp is a great source of healthy fat, fiber, and protein. Hemp was possibly the number one talk of the town at Expo East.
  • Medicinal mushrooms are another superfood packed with health and immune enhancing benefits. I am enjoying a medicinal mushroom and turmeric tea from Host Defense. Check out Four Sigmatic and Host Defense Myco Botanical
  • Moringa is another superfood superstar that appeared in many products at Expo East. This is a superfood you must check out and consume.
  • Turmeric is a root which is a main ingredient in curry, a spice used in many parts of the world. It is a potent antioxidant and available in many health products, supplements, and teas. The numerous health and immune boosting benefits of turmeric are well documented and researched. It is probably one of the most promoted health supplements and one that everyone should be considering for a powerful antioxidant and anti-aging support.

Turmeric SpiceAt #expoeast the focus was on natural products and botanicals were definitely in the spotlight. It can be a bit tricky to read the labels and determine how healthy, natural and organic the ingredients are so be sure to do your homework. Not all products are created equal so it is up to you to read and research the ingredients and information before buying. Most of the marketers, suppliers, and vendors promoting the health benefits of their products appear to have high standards and quality sources but remember … it is up to us to make informed decisions and determine what products are best for our families.

Botanicals are the Buzz

Natural plants have been used for energy, food, health and medicine for many thousands of years. Even though botanicals have been regularly consumed for many centuries many US government agencies seem determined to curtail their use and promote pharmaceutical drugs instead. By not educating people enough about the medicinal benefits of botanicals we have changed history for the worse and the result in an epidemic of chronic disease and health issues.

Green DrinksRemember botanicals are natural plant products with minimal or no harmful health side effects when used properly. They have been used successfully for many centuries to maintain vibrant energy, health and well being. The synthetic chemical compounds in pharmaceuticals which are made to replace and replicate them, on the other hand, have hundreds of thousands of adverse events and even deaths reported every year. It seems as if many natural botanicals known for holistic health benefits have been replaced with a long list of harmful synthetic ingredients based on patents and profits for pharmaceuticals.

Synthetic chemical ingredients in pharmaceuticals can cause harmful irritations, side effects, and toxicity to our body. Independent information on the internet can help educate people to know more about natural botanicals vs ingredients that are synthetic chemicals with numerous health hazards and warnings. As you research information on the internet it will soon be apparent that the majority of over-the-counter and prescription medicines contain harmful chemical compounds that can harm our health. Therefore it seems obvious that buying natural botanical products is a smart choice. Remember… read the labels and choose your products wisely.

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