HerbalGram Celebrates 35 Years of Publication
ABC’s flagship magazine noted internationally for quality,
reliability, and beauty in reporting on medicinal plants
AUSTIN, Texas (August 8, 2018)
— August 2018 marks the 35th anniversary of HerbalGram, the
quarterly journal of the American Botanical Council (ABC). Since its first
issue in 1983, HerbalGram has transformed from a black-and-white newsletter
to a full-color, 82-page journal with the visual appeal of beautiful botanical
photography and intellectual draw of peer-reviewed articles. Though HerbalGram
has evolved significantly, its editorial mission to serve as a reliable herbal
education resource has remained the same.
In the summer of 1983,
ABC Founder and Executive Director Mark Blumenthal produced the first issue of HerbalGram,
which was then titled “Herb News” with the subtitle “Herbalgram.” Blumenthal,
who also was running his former herb distribution business, Sweethardt Herbs,
spent many of his nights and weekends collecting, writing, and editing articles
for the newsletter. It was this focus on disseminating trustworthy and timely
herbal information that would eventually lead Blumenthal to found ABC in 1988.
Originally published
with financial support from the newly formed American Herbal Products
Association (AHPA), of which Blumenthal was a founding board member, the first HerbalGram
was an eight-page, black-and-white newsletter stapled at the spine. It
consisted of “herb blurbs” on herbal miscellanea, a “media watch” section with
herb-related news articles, a handful of paragraph-long “Rob’s Research
Reviews” authored by then-Associate Editor Robert McCaleb (who, at the time,
was also head of research at Celestial Seasonings), listings of herbal
information resources and schools, and more. The editorial staff included just
Blumenthal and McCaleb, who also co-founded the Herb Research Foundation (HRF)
together.
For the second issue,
Blumenthal enlisted two additional part-time assistant editors. The publication
now featured the title “Herbalgram” in larger font. This issue took on a more
defined format, with organized sections on industry news, conferences/meetings,
HRF news, and “potpourri” — a catch-all section featuring various news items of
possible interest to the growing herbal industry and community.
In the following
years, HerbalGram transformed into a modern force in the botanical
medicine community. In 1988, HerbalGram issue 18/19 was the first
color edition with a cover illustration of St. John’s wort (Hypericum
perforatum, Hypericaceae). This 48-page double issue also was the
first published under the auspices of both HRF and ABC, which Blumenthal
founded with the late ethnobotanist James A. Duke, PhD, and the late Professor
Norman Farnsworth, PhD, in order to help transition the publication from
newsletter to journal. In 1992, issue 28 was the first full-glossy, four-color
issue, and featured an image of the Ware Collection of Blaschka Glass Models of
Plants from the Harvard Museum of Natural History on the cover. The journal increased
to its current length of 82 pages in 1999, and, in 2000, issue 50 was the first
to be published by ABC alone.
Eighteen years and
almost 70 issues later, the editorial staff of HerbalGram has
grown to include an art director and three full-time editors, in addition to
Blumenthal, who serves as editor-in-chief, along with many other employees at
ABC who serve in a variety of other important roles. The journal features
articles both from in-house writers and botanical experts from around the
world, and all are peer-reviewed by members of ABC’s distinguished advisory
board or other professionals with relevant expertise. HerbalGram
reaches thousands of readers in more than 81 countries who represent a range of
diverse professions, from research scientists (e.g., pharmacognosists,
ethnobotanists, etc.) and health practitioners (e.g., herbalists, naturopathic
physicians, pharmacists, conventional physicians, etc.) to industry members,
government regulators, and many others.
HerbalGram has been
a leader in presenting extensive literature reviews on specific herbs in an
effort to help establish a scientific basis for their potential health
benefits. In some cases, these reviews can also help clarify erroneous or
inappropriate claims about the uses of the herbs.
“HerbalGram
has served as the go-to source for detailed perspectives on developing
herb-related topics for 35 years,” said Steven Foster, an herbalist,
photographer, author, and ABC Board of Trustees member. “The publication is at
the forefront of covering topics such as herb conservation and the effect of
climate change on herb crops, clear assessments of regulatory and market
developments, as well as emerging science.”
Foster added: “The
depth of coverage, detailed quality of presentation, rigorous peer-review
process, meticulous editorial attention, aesthetic beauty, and broad appeal [of
HerbalGram]
combine to reach a standard of lasting excellence that few science-based
periodicals achieve.”
Recent HerbalGram
issues have featured significant articles such as issue 118’s pictorial on Joseph Banks’ historic
Florilegium of botanical life that was encountered on Captain Cook’s
first South Pacific voyage; issue 116’s beautiful and informative deep-dive
into medicinal trees of North America;
and issue 103’s feature about the effects of climate change on the
quality of tea.
Each year, HerbalGram
also publishes its annual Herb Market Report, which describes the
trends of the botanical dietary supplement market in the United States and
frequently is cited in other publications. Additional in-depth key articles
published in recent issues have included a look into the history and
pharmacology of the emerging Southeast Asian tree
kratom (Mitragyna speciosa,
Rubiaceae); a pet supplement herb market report;
notes from a 17th-century ethnobotanical expedition
to South Africa; and many more.
Loren Israelsen,
president of the United Natural Products Alliance, praised HerbalGram’s
diverse content. “When my HerbalGram arrives in the mail, I know
I will begin another journey into the wonders of the herbal kingdom,” he said.
“While I no longer save other magazines, I treasure and hold tight to my copies
of HerbalGram. I, along with many others, salute ABC and HerbalGram
for its 35 years of service to the advancement of consumer, industry, and
professional education, high level of professionalism, and documenting the rich
history of our remarkable community.”
In November 2011, the
ABC-AHP-NCNPR Botanical Adulterants Prevention Program (BAPP) published its
first feature-length article — “A Brief History of Adulteration of
Herbs, Spices, and Botanical Drugs” — in HerbalGram issue
92. The article, written by Foster, reviewed numerous cases of adulterated,
fraudulent foods, spices, and drugs during the past two millennia. HerbalGram
also has published extensively peer-reviewed BAPP feature articles
on the adulteration of bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus, Ericaceae)
extract, skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora, Lamiaceae)
herb, so-called “grapefruit seed extract,” and black cohosh (Actaea
racemosa, Ranunculaceae) in addition to Foster’s epic 22-page
article, titled “Toward an Understanding of Ginseng
Adulteration: The Tangled Web of Names, History, Trade, and Perception.”
In 2012, ABC
introduced an online “page-flip” version of HerbalGram that is optimized for
viewing on smartphones, tablets, and computers. In 2016, all issues of HerbalGram
became available in PDF format, from 1983’s issue 1 through the current issue,
thanks to a digitizing project overseen by Art Director Matt Magruder in 2016.
Before that, only issues 85 and above were available as PDF files.
HerbalGram is
available as a benefit of ABC membership at the Individual level and up. It
also is sold in some bookstores and natural food stores. |