Compare
This one or that one?
The questions people ask when they are standing at the shelf. Each page puts two options against the same use, with the grade each one earned on human studies, the amounts tested and who should skip which.
- Self-rated stressAshwagandha vs holy basilBoth are Ayurvedic herbs sold as adaptogens for stress. Ashwagandha has a dozen trials and a moderate grade; holy basil has two small trials of branded extracts. Ashwagandha also has more safety cautions.Ashwagandha ModerateHoly basil Limited
- Self-rated sleep qualityChamomile vs valerian for sleepBoth are old sleep herbs, and both come out about the same: people say they sleep a little better, but measured sleep barely changes and neither helps diagnosed insomnia in trials. Chamomile is the gentler choice; valerian has more side effects.Chamomile LimitedValerian Limited
- Shorter, milder coldsElderberry vs echinacea for coldsBoth are sold for colds, and both have thin evidence. Elderberry has a few small positive trials and one careful negative one; echinacea's big Cochrane review found little effect on how long a cold lasts.Elderberry LimitedEchinacea Not supported
- NauseaGinger vs peppermint for nauseaGinger is the better-studied of the two, taken by mouth as dried powder. Peppermint's nausea trials are mostly of the oil inhaled as aromatherapy, and they disagree. Peppermint tea itself has barely been studied.Ginger ModeratePeppermint Limited
- Heart healthGreen tea vs coffeeBoth have limited evidence for heart health: small effects on cholesterol and blood pressure for green tea, and observational links with less heart disease for coffee. The clearest difference is caffeine.Green tea LimitedCoffee Limited
- Children's night coughHoney vs cough medicineA spoonful of honey and an over-the-counter cough syrup did about the same in children's trials, and honey beat no treatment. Age decides most of this: no honey under 12 months, and no OTC cough and cold medicine under 4.
- Digesting lactoseKefir vs yogurtTwo fermented milks with different microbes: yogurt from two defined bacteria, kefir from grains holding bacteria and yeasts. For lactose, both work about equally in the one trial that compared them. For most other claims, the evidence is thin for both.
- Fermented vegetablesKimchi vs sauerkrautBoth are cabbage fermented by lactic acid bacteria. Kimchi has a handful of small trials on blood sugar and blood pressure; sauerkraut has a pilot study in IBS. Neither has enough to grade, so choose by taste, salt and how you will eat it.
- Fermented drinksKombucha vs kefirBoth are fizzy fermented drinks, but they start from different things: kombucha from sweet tea, kefir from milk (or sugar water for water kefir). Kefir has a little human evidence; kombucha has nearly none.
- Chronic constipationPsyllium vs prunes for constipationBoth work. Psyllium has more trials behind it, and prunes matched or beat it in the trials that compared the two directly. The choice comes down to taste, gas and what else you are managing.Psyllium StrongPrunes Moderate
- Knee osteoarthritis painTurmeric vs ginger for joint painBoth have been tested as supplements for osteoarthritis pain. Curcumin has more and larger trials; ginger's effect was small and more people stopped taking it. Neither is a reason to sprinkle more spice on dinner.Turmeric ModerateGinger Limited