Ten plant species most commonly used in the form of tea and plant food supplements in Bulgaria

Abstract

The use of plants to maintain health is one of the most ancient methods in the world and in our country. A large number of plant species are used based on their traditional use. Literature data show that people use plant products to maintain their health in the form of teas, juices, plant medicinal products, plant food supplements, etc.

The purpose of this publication is to study the plant species most commonly used in 2016 in the form of plant products (PP) - (PFS[1], teas[2])[3] which are intended to be purchased without medical prescription and observation by participants in a cross-sectional survey study (2017), which is the first of its kind in Bulgaria. The cross-sectional survey study has been conducted with 400 individuals (N=400) aged 18-80 years who have expressed willingness and consent to complete a worked out questionnaire with anonymity guaranteed.

The methods used are: a sociological method - direct individual paper survey cards, a documentary method. The statistical analysis of the data from survey cards has been performed using SPSS 20.0 statistical package.

The results of the study performed show that the ten plant species most commonly used by the respondents in a descending order in the form of tea are: valerian (Valeriana officinalis L.), camomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.), linden (Tilia), ginkgo biloba (Ginkgo biloba L), black elder (Sambucus nigra L.), peppermint (Mentha piperita L.), thyme (Thymus serpyllum L.), rosehip (Rosa canina L.), senna (Cassia angustifolia Vahl.), and in the form of plant food supplements are: valerian (Valeriana officinalis L.), camomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.), ginkgo biloba (Ginkgo biloba L), linden (Tilia), St. John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum L.), black elder (Sambucus nigra L.), thyme (Thymus serpyllum L.), bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi L.), rosehip (Rosa canina L.), lavender (Lavandula angustifolia Mill.). Valerian (Valeriana officinalis L.) is the plant species most commonly used by the respondents both in the form of tea and PFS.

Keywords: ten most commonly used plants, tea, plant food supplement, Bulgarian consumers

[1] Plant Food Supplements – foods that aim to complement the normal diet, which contain plants, parts and extracts of plants. PFS are offered in the form of capsules, tablets, pills and others such as powder sachets, ampoules of liquids, drops and other similar forms, intended for taking in small unit quantities, intended for use without doctor’s prescription and observation (Garcia-Alvares, A. et al, 2014)

[2] Tea – water extract obtained by boiling or steaming of dried parts of plants or whole plants

[3] Within the meaning of this study