How we grade evidence in this library

Behind every ingredient page in this library is a single editorial field describing the strength of the evidence for that plant. We do not print it as a badge, because a badge invites the reader to skip the sentence that explains it. Instead, the wording of each page reflects it.

Traditional means a documented history of use with little modern research. Preclinical means laboratory or animal work exists but human studies do not, or are negligible. Emerging human evidence means controlled trials exist but are limited in number, size or consistency. Established human evidence means the human record is substantial and broadly consistent, often supported by regulatory monographs.

When an ingredient page reads cautiously, that is deliberate. It is what the record supports.