Herbal food supplements usage awareness of university students: Example of Echinacea and St. John's Wort

Year 2023, , 792 - 797, 29.12.2023

Tuğba İduğ

https://doi.org/10.31015/jaefs.2023.4.9

Abstract

In recent years, usage of food supplements (Fs) has increased in order to maintain healthy living, have well-being, and be protected from the diseases. There are many medicinal plants used as herbal food supplements (HFs). Within the scope of this study, Echinacea and St. John’s Wort were selected among the plants that are frequently encountered. This descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted through completing a self-administered online questionnaire by health students. The questionnaire was filled out by 211 students studying at the faculties of Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy and Health Sciences at Istanbul Medipol University. The greatest participation was achieved with Pharmacy students (47.4%), whereas the lowest participation was reached with Dentistry students (5.7%). The most commonly used products as Fs were vitamin D (21.3%) and multivitamins (16.1%), while the use of HFs was 8.5%. St. John’s Wort is commonly preferred for wound and burn treatment and Echinacea is used to boost immunity. In parallel with this use, St. John’s Wort is preferred as olive oil maceration and Echinacea as herbal infusion. While the use of HFs was 58.3%, that of the Fs were 44.5%. Echinacea use was found to be 14.4% and St. John’s Wort was 31.3%. The relationship between the presence of chronic disease and the use of Fs or HFs was not statistically significant. This study is significant to detect the opinions and knowledge levels of health students about Fs, especially HFs, St. John’s Wort and Echinacea, which are available in the market.

Keywords

Herbal food supplements, Food supplements, pharmacy students, Echinacea, St. John’s Wort

Üniversite Öğrencilerinin Bitkisel Gıda Takviyeleri Kullanım Farkındalıkları: Ekinezya ve Sarı Kantaron Örneği

Abstract

Son yıllarda sağlıklı yaşam, zinde olmak ve hastalıklardan korunmak için gıda takviyelerinin (Fs) kullanımı artmıştır. Bitkisel gıda takviyesi (HFs) olarak kullanılan birçok tıbbi bitki vardır. Bu çalışma kapsamında sık rastlanan bitkiler arasından Ekinezya ve Sarı kantaron seçilmiştir. Bu tanımlayıcı, kesitsel çalışma, sağlık öğrencileri tarafından kendi kendine uygulanan çevrimiçi bir anketin doldurulmasıyla gerçekleştirilmiştir. Anket İstanbul Medipol Üniversitesi Tıp, Diş Hekimliği, Eczacılık ve Sağlık Bilimleri Fakültelerinde öğrenim gören 211 öğrenci tarafından doldurulmuştur. En fazla katılım Eczacılık (%47,4) öğrencilerinde gerçekleşirken, en düşük katılım Diş Hekimliği (%5,7) öğrencilerinde gerçekleşmiştir. Fs olarak en sık kullanılan ürünler D vitamini (%21,3) ve multivitaminler (%16,1) olurken, HFs kullanımı %8,5 bulunmuştur. Sarı kantaron genellikle yara ve yanık tedavisinde tercih edilirken, Ekinezya bağışıklığı güçlendirmek için kullanılmaktadır. Bu kullanıma paralel olarak Sarı kantaron zeytinyağı maserasyonu, Ekinezya ise infüzyon olarak tercih edilmektedir. HFs kullanımı %58,3 iken, Fs kullanımı %44,5 olarak bulunmuştur. Ekinezya kullanımı %14,4, Sarı kantaron kullanımı %31,3 olarak bulunmuştur. Kronik hastalık varlığı ile Fs veya HFs kullanımı arasındaki ilişki istatistiksel olarak anlamlı bulunmamıştır. Bu çalışma, Sağlık ile ilişikli fakültelerde okuyan öğrencilerin piyasada bulunan gıda takviyeleri, bitkisel gıda takviyeleri, Sarı kantaron ve Ekinezya hakkındaki görüş ve bilgi düzeylerinin belirlenmesi açısından önemlidir.

Keywords

Bitkisel gıda takviyeleri, Gıda takviyeleri, Eczacılık öğrencileri, Ekinezya, St. John’s Wort

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