Aloe vera, garlic and green tea are the most popular herbal medicines used by Australians, according to a new study.

Professor Charlie Xue of RMIT University and colleagues report on the first study of its kind in the current issue of the journal Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety.

Previous studies have shown a sharp increase in the use of herbal medicines by Australians, says Xue, who set out to understand more about how people were using them.

The study found that 22.6% of participants had used at least one of the herbs in the past 12 months, with the highest use among 35 to 54 year-olds who were university-trained, and those who earned between A$60,000 and A$80,000 per year.

Aloe vera, garlic and green tea were the most popular herbs, each used by about 10% of participants.

The study found that more than 90% of people felt their herbal medicine had been helpful in enhancing their general health and wellbeing, or providing relief from specific medical conditions.