The Hidden Threat in Your Herbal Toolkit: Botanical Adulteration

The Hidden Threat in Your Herbal Toolkit: Botanical Adulteration

When you recommend a natural health product, you place your trust in the label and that what’s contained within is exactly what your patient expects.

But what if it’s not?

Botanical adulteration, which is the substitution, dilution, or enhancement of plant ingredients with either undeclared or inferior materials, is a growing concern in the world of natural health. It not only threatens clinical outcome and patient safety, but the integrity of the work being done in natural health care.

Global Problem. Local Consequences.

One of the key reasons lies in the economic allure of supplement sales, which are expected to grow from around USD 233.08 billion in 2024 to 437 billion by 2032, per a Fortune Business Insights report.1  Rising consumer demand can outpace sustainable harvesting and ethical sourcing, which creates the perfect storm for a form of ‘economic adulteration’, especially among high-demand plants including ginkgo, echinacea, and turmeric.

The American Botanical Council (ABC) has even created a Botanical Adulterants Prevention Program (BAPP) to combat this. They’ve shown that through the US supply chain, more than 56.7% of ginkgo samples, 42.2% of black cohosh, and 28.5% of echinacea products that they tested were adulterated with cheaper, less effective species. Even elder berry came in at 17.1% across 695 different products tested.2 

Some other key points from the authors:

  • The overall authenticity of the microscopically examined commercial products was 59% (n = 300).3
  •  Of the 5957 commercial herbal products analyzed by genetic methods, 1611 or 27% were reportedly adulterated.4
  • Similarly, when chromatographic or spectrometric/spectroscopic techniques were used, 652 (27%) of the 2386 commercial herbal products were found to be adulterated.5

As a tip, the BAPP is free and we would highly recommend enrolling!

Why it Matters to Your Patients

While some adulterants are relatively inert, others will actively diminish therapeutic efficacy or even introduce toxic contaminants. The studies we’ve discussed so far paint a damming picture:

  • Ginkgo: Laced with cheap flavonoids from unrelated plants that mimic the chemical fingerprint without the same nootropic benefit.
  • Echinacea: Included substitution with other species that have minimal immunomodulatory action compared to E.purpurea.
  • Turmeric: Tainted with lead chromate to enhance the colour. Some consumers falsely associate the brightness of turmeric with its potency, but lead chromate is linked to neurotoxicity reports.6

Deceptive Techniques and Evolving Challenges

Suppliers who are looking to make a quick return may spike ingredients with various synthetic additives. Others will try to blend materials that pass chemical, or even just visual inspection.

A study from 2023 discussed adulterants that were designed to mimic botanical compounds, to the point of fooling common assays including high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with UV/vis spectrophotometry (UV/vis), and DNA barcoding. An example was elderberry that had been bulked with black rice extract to manipulate the anthocyanin readings.7

What Can Clinicians Do?

As a healthcare professional, you help safeguard patients through informed product recommendations.

  • Use BAPP resources: This includes bulletins on 29 botanicals, lab guidance documents on the various testing methods, and dozens of publications. As mentioned earlier, it is free to register for their newsletter and bulletins.
  • Prioritize licensed NHPs: Products registered as herbal medicines have stricter quality oversight than the piecemeal regulatory landscape that defines other countries.
  • Ask suppliers about their testing: Look for transparency on chromatographic, spectrometric, and DNA authentication methods.

Quick take-home: Supplements marketed for weight loss or energy top the list when it comes to adulteration, frequently spiked with banned substances or even undeclared pharmaceuticals. It's a sobering reminder to scrutinize the source before you trust the label. 

References:

  1. Herbal Medicine Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Form (Powder, Liquid & Gel, and Tablets & Capsules), By Application (Pharmaceutical & Nutraceutical, Food & Beverages, and Personal Care & Beauty Products), and Regional Forecast, 2025-2032. Fortune Business Insights. Updated March 31, 2025. https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/herbal-medicine-market-106320.
  2. Orhan, Nilüfer, Stefan Gafner, and Mark Blumenthal. "Estimating the extent of adulteration of the popular herbs black cohosh, echinacea, elder berry, ginkgo, and turmeric–its challenges and limitations." Natural Product Reports (2024).
  3. Ichim, Mihael Cristin, Annette Häser, and Peter Nick. "Microscopic authentication of commercial herbal products in the globalized market: Potential and limitations." Frontiers in Pharmacology 11 (2020): 876.
  4. Ichim, Mihael Cristin. "The DNA-based authentication of commercial herbal products reveals their globally widespread adulteration." Frontiers in pharmacology 10 (2019): 1227.
  5. Ichim, Mihael Cristin, and Anthony Booker. "Chemical authentication of botanical ingredients: a review of commercial herbal products." Frontiers in Pharmacology 12 (2021): 666850.
  6. Forsyth, Jenna E., et al. "Evidence of turmeric adulteration with lead chromate across South Asia." Science of the Total Environment 949 (2024): 175003.
  7. Gafner, Stefan, et al. "Botanical ingredient forensics: detection of attempts to deceive commonly used analytical methods for authenticating herbal dietary and food ingredients and supplements." Journal of Natural Products 86.2 (2023): 460-472.
  8. Jagim, Andrew R., et al. "Prevalence of adulteration in dietary supplements and recommendations for safe supplement practices in sport." Frontiers in Sports and Active Living 5 (2023): 1239121. 

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