Both sample adults and respondents for sample children were advised, "People use herbs and other non-vitamin supplements [for their children] for a variety of reasons. By herbal supplement we mean pills, capsules or tablets that have been labeled as a dietary supplement. This does not include drinking herbal or green tea."

Responses to HERMOSOY by sample adults were obtained as follows: While administering the NHIS, interviewers showed respondents a flash card containing a list of herbs and asked, "During the past 12 months, have you taken any herbal supplements listed on this card for yourself?" Respondents who answered affirmatively (i.e., a "Yes" response in HERYR) were asked, "During the past 30 days, did you take any of these herbal supplements?" Sample adults who answered that question affirmatively (i.e., a "Yes" response in HERMO) were instructed, "Please tell me which of these supplements you took in the past 30 days. If you take more than one herb in a single supplement, select 'combination herb pill.'" Interviewers were told to "enter all that apply." The questions to collect this information for sample children were similar, except respondents were asked whether the sample child had taken any herbal supplements listed on a card.

Thus, in the case of both sample adults and sample children, persons with an affirmative response to HERMOSOY took soy supplements or isoflavones as a stand-alone supplement, rather than as part of a combination herb pill. Sample adults, but not sample children, who took one or more combination herb pills in the past month (HERMOCOMBO) were asked which herbs were included in those pills. See HER1COMSOY and HER2COMSOY for sample adults who indicated taking a combination herb pill that included soy supplements or isoflavones.

The other such herbs recognized by the NHIS are:

• Androstenedione (HERMOAND)

• Prebiotics or probiotics (HERMOBIOT)

• Carnitine (HERMOCARN)

• Chasteberry (HERMOCHAS)

• Chondroitin (HERMOCHON)

• Conjugated Linolenic Acid (CLA) (HERMOCLA)

• Coenzyme Q-10 (HERMOCOEN)

• Black cohosh (HERMOCOH)

• Comfrey (HERMOCOMF)

• Cranberry (pills, gelcaps) (HERMOCRA)

• Creatine (HERMOCREA)

• DHEA (HERMODHEA)

• Echinacea (HERMOECH)

• EGCG (pills) (HERMOEGCG)

• Ephedra (HERMOEPH)

• Evening primrose (HERMOEVE)

• Feverfew (HERMOFEV)

• Fiber or psyllium (pills or powder) (HERMOFIB)

• Fish oil, Omega 3, or DHA (HERMOFISH)

• Flaxseed oil or pills (HERMOFLAX)

• Garlic supplements (pills, gelcaps) (HERMOGAR)

• Ginseng (HERMOGIA)

• Ginger pills or gelcaps (HERMOGIG)

• Ginkgo biloba (HERMOGIK)

• Glucosamine (HERMOGLUC)

• Goldenseal (HERMOGOLD)

• Grape seed extract (HERMOGRA)

• Green tea pills (not brewed tea) (HERMOGTEA)

• Guarana (HERMOGUAR)

• Hawthorn (HERMOHAW)

• Horny goat weed (HERMOHORN)

• St. John's wort (HERMOJOH)

• Kava kava (HERMOKAV)

• Lecithin (HERMOLEC)

• Lutein (HERMOLUT)

• Lycopene (HERMOLYCO)

• Melatonin (HERMOMEL)

• Milk thistle (HERMOMIL)

• MSM (HERMOMSM)

• SAM-e (HERMOSAM)

• Saw palmetto (HERMOSAW)

• Senna (HERMOSEN)

• Valerian (HERMOVAL)

• Combination herb pill (HERMOCOMBO)

The summary variables HER1MOST and HER2MOST report the herbal supplements taken most often by sample adults and sample children during the past month. For more information about the full range of variables related to the use of herbal supplements, see HERMO.