Focus on research
and development
SHI was originally created as a non-profit research organization and the Swedish Herbal Institute remains today a research and
development focused company. Modern technology in bio-medicine has facilitated the success of our high-quality
products. SHI has grown in a Swedish science environment,
where scientific documentation of safety and efficacy are
mandatory for acceptance by the medical community and the
public. Some of our proprietary products have gained and kept
a leading market position in Sweden for nearly 30 years.
The development of SHI is intimately connected with the
discovery and research of adaptogens. An extensive and
systematic screening of biologically active substances from
plants during the 1960’s, lead by Dr. Brekhman, as well as the
medical study of stress, led to the discovery of a new class of
“anti-stress compounds”– adaptogens. Since the beginning, a
substantial percentage of SHI’s Research and Development
(R&D) activities has been devoted to pharmacological and
clinical studies of adaptogens.
The application of adaptogens is not limited to the cure of
stress-induced disorders, but it also improves patient quality of
life (QOL) during periods of strain and recovery. |
An extensive library on medicinal plants and natural substances.
SHI maintains one of the world’s largest private libraries in the field of phytomedicine and medicinal plants, with more than 3.000 volumes
and thousands of scientific publications, monographs and specialized journals. It covers everything from modern medicinal
plant books to ancient archives of old herbal remedies. SHI has, for example, translated a large
number of scientific publications into English; well over 10.000 pages of medicinal plant research from the original Russian text alone.
“As a scientist, I’ve always been fascinated by the fact that plants and humans share such an interesting history,” says Mr Wikman, who has assembled one of Europe’s largest private libraries of herbal scientific data, books and journals. “Initially, it was my goal to expand the world’s understanding of our most ancient herbal remedies. But my original plan for pure research soon became one of research and development. I had uncovered a great deal of evidence pointing to the fact that these plants, primarily the adaptogens, actually have an effect on humans that is based upon real science.”
SHI Founder Georg Wikman |
