Worldwide Preferences for Natural Remedies for “Nervousness” and Common Colds

Abstract

In order to assess the prevalence of use of natural remedies for "nervous" disorders, a global random online survey was conducted in July 2017 using RDITTM sampling methodology. There were 75,101 respondents worldwide. For both nervousness and common colds, the preference was for natural plant remedies over prescription drugs, with at least a 3:2 margin for most of the 50 countries surveyed. The preference for natural products was not restricted to any specific demographic although respondents over age 65 were less likely than younger respondents to endorse this preference. The two countries that were exceptions to this general observation were Japan and Thailand, and the reasons for this are probed in the discussion. Despite known safety hazards of natural remedies, their use has become a universal phenomenon.