Questions & Answers
WHAT ARE HERBAL EXTRACTS?
Herbal extracts are the "essence" of bulk herbs. Through a long and sophisticated process, the active components in bulk herbs are removed and condensed into herbal extracts. As finished products, herbal extracts are at a 5:1 concentration ratio, which means 5 pounds of raw herbs yields 1 pound of concentrate.
HOW ARE HERBAL EXTRACTS MANUFACTURED?
The manufacturing process of our herbal extracts follows the standard Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), which ensures safety and potency of the herbs. It starts with the selection of the finest raw herbs, followed by the most stringent manufacturing procedures, and finishes with numerous quality assurance tests.
ARE HERBAL EXTRACTS AS EFFECTIVE AS HERBAL DECOCTIONS?
Yes, herbal extracts are as effective as herbal decoctions. All herbal extracts from our clinic are prepared according to the traditional methods as stated in the classic CHINESE? texts. The clinical effects of herbal extracts mirror those of herbal decoctions. However, many patients experience much better results because herbal extracts are more "patient friendly" -- more patients follow through on taking the recommended doses.
ARE THERE ANY SIDE-EFFECTS?
All herbal extracts from our clinic are 100% natural. They do not contain any harsh chemicals or preservatives and are very gentle to your system. Nonetheless, sensitive patients may experience reactions such as minor stomach discomfort. If such reactions occur, reduce the dosage, take with food, or modify the herbal formula.
CAN I TAKE THE HERBAL SUPPLEMENTS WITH MY PRESCRIPTION DRUGS?
Most herbal supplements may be taken by individuals who are also using prescription drugs, without problems. However, it is recommended that herbal extracts be taken on an empty stomach at least two hours apart from the prescription drugs.
ARE THERE HERBAL ALTERNATIVES TO MY PRESCRIPTION DRUGS?
There are many conditions, which can be treated by either drugs or herbs with comparable effectiveness. Patients who do not wish to take prescription drugs, or cannot tolerate drugs due to side effects or adverse reactions, do have alternatives with herbal remedies. Just ask us.
CAN CHILDREN AND ELDERLY PATIENTS TAKE HERBAL SUPPLEMENTS?
Yes, children and elderly patients may take herbal extracts. In fact, they get excellent clinical results. The dosages, however, must be adjusted for each patient depending on age, body weight, specific illness and overall condition.
WHAT ABOUT PREGNANT WOMEN?
In general, we are more careful on the use of herbs during pregnancy. However, should the benefits of using herbs outweigh the risks, use of herbs may be initiated at a low levels with professional supervision.
WHAT ABOUT NURSING?
We specialize in the use of herbs during nursing. Herbs are secreted in breast milk and passed on to infants. Therefore, infants can be affected if the nursing mother is taking herbs. DO YOU RECOMMEND NURSING?
HOW SHOULD I STORE THE HERBAL SUPPLEMENTS?
Herbal supplements should be stored in cool, dry places away from sunlight and moisture. The UV radiation in sunlight may change the properties of the products. Storage of herbal extracts in a damp or humid environment, such as the kitchen or the bathroom, may lead to "caking" of the powder due to excess moisture.
WHY DO YOU SELECT THE STANDARDIZED FULL-SPECTRUM EXTRACTS IN THE PRACTICE?
All herbal products have their advantages and disadvantages. There are various modes of herbal preparations and types of delivery systems. In our clinic, we carefully select the standardized full-spectrum extracts, which we think is most effective and appropriate type of herbs for our patients. Let us compare the pros and cons of each preparation and its delivery system:
HERBAL DECOCTIONS: Although effective, there are several potential disadvantages to prescribing herbal decoctions. Patients find them time-consuming to prepare and sometimes unpleasant in taste and/or smell. Thus, patient compliance with decoction may often be poor. If there are herbs in the formula that require special handling, patients may find the complicated cooking process difficult to follow. Less than optimal cooking processes lead to incomplete extraction of active ingredients and compromise the overall effectiveness of the formula.
RAW HERB CAPSULES: Raw herb capsules may often contain high levels of fiber, bacteria, fungus, mold and sulfur from fumigation. Furthermore, bulk fiber requires digestion and may not be suitable for patients with weak constitutions or compromised digestive systems. Raw herb capsules are prevalent in the market but are not the best choice for practitioners who prescribe herbs for therapeutic purposes.
RAW HERB TABLETS: Raw herb powders are compressed into tablets using chemical binding agents that may be harmful to your body. All the disadvantages of raw herb capsules are also present in the raw herb tablets. Some manufacturers include an excess amount of fillers that dilute the potency of the final products. Others claim to sell concentrated herbal tablets that in fact contain mostly raw herb powder, evident from the visible fibers. Due to the slow onset of action and low concentration of active constituents, raw herb tablets are not ideal for therapeutic purposes.
FREEZE DRIED HERBS: With freeze dried herbs, the moisture is removed while the herbs are still frozen to prevent hydrolysis. Herbal products made from this process are highly unstable due to their hydroscopic nature (tendency to absorb moisture in the air). Their shelf life is short because they rapidly degrade biochemically.
STANDARDIZED EXTRACT: Herbal extraction processes for standardized extracts often use toxic solvents (i.e., acetones and hexanes) and high heat to yield a high content of one active ingredient. Though this process provides standardization based on one ingredient, it ignores the rest of the active constituents and their therapeutic actions. This delivery system is most commonly-seen in health food stores. Products of this nature are comparable to pharmaceuticals and not suitable for practitioners of herbal medicine who utilize the full-spectrum of therapeutic properties in each herb.
STANDARDIZED FULL-SPECTRUM EXTRACTS
Standardized full-spectrum extracts are highly concentrated using a low-temperature vacuum evaporation process, which preserves the integrity of all the active compounds present. Quality control includes both qualitative and quantitative analysis of the active ingredients utilizing the latest laboratory techniques such as High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC), and Liquid Column Chromatography (LCC). Through extraction, the full spectrum of active constituents is retained and the overall affect mimics that of decoctions because the extracts contain the full range of constituents naturally found in fresh herbs. It is the most effective delivery system available in the market today. This is the best choose for our patient.