ABC Celebrates HerbalGram's 30th Anniversary

AUSTIN, TexasThe American Botanical Council (ABC) celebrated the 30th anniversary of its publication HerbalGram, a peer-reviewed journal/magazine hybrid focused on medicinal and beneficial plants.

ABC's founder and executive director Mark Blumenthal produced the first HerbalGram, which was then titled Herb News." Blumenthal spent his nights and weekends writing and editing articles for the HerbalGram newsletter, which later evolved into the well-researched publication it is today.

One of the herb communitys biggest challenges, especially back in the early 1980s, was credibility," Blumenthal said. People considered herbs to be simply folk medicines, and they were unawareand, unfortunately, many still are unawareof the growing body of scientific and clinical research that supports many traditional uses, as well as modern applications."

The first HerbalGram was an eight-page, black-and-white newsletter consisting of herbal scientific happenings, news articles, research reviews and listings of herbal information resources. Five years later, in 1988, the publication was 48 colored pages. By 1999, it became a bound issue with 82 pages and a 32-page ABC book catalog.

Today, Blumenthal is editor-in-chief of HerbalGram, and the staff includes an art director and three other full-time editors. The publication also has a monthly electronic version read by people in more than 81 countries.

HerbalGram is a unique hybrid periodical blending popular interpretation of scientific studies on medicinal plants with original peer-reviewed research," said Steven Foster, president, ABC board of trustees. "From history to new clinical studies, reporting on new regulatory and market developments to comprehensive reviews, and covering the worlds herbs and the world of herbs, no publication has provided more to all interested stakeholders in every aspect of herbal medicine."

Herbalist Rosemary Gladstar said she has an entire shelf in her library devoted to issues of HerbalGram, and the large number of articles, research papers and conference announcements has benefitted her during the past 30 years.

"I simply love this magazine," Gladstar said. "I love the way it challenged me to think, presented cutting edge articles on a huge variety of topics, provided an amazing number of resources and balanced scientific research with traditional and empirical wisdom."

In 2012, ABC also introduced a digital flip-page version of HerbalGram for smartphones, tablets and computers.