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Here are some commonly asked questions about our organic herbal supplements. If your question or concern is not addressed here, email us.

Taking Medicinal Herbs

How much should I take?

The dose indicated on the bottle is intended for an adult of average weight (which is estimated at 150 pounds). Doses will vary for each individual, therefore adjustments may need to be made depending on your age, weight, the ailment, and the strength of the herb.

The recommended dose is a guideline based on clinical and/or historical evidence. In general, most medicinal herbs take time to take effect, therefore effective use involves consistency and patience. Generally, it is best not to take medicinal herbal supplements continuously for a long period of time without a 'rest' period. Intake can be resumed after an adequate 'rest' period unless the label indicates that the product is "not intended for long-term use". We have not provided a specific time period here, because each herb is different and must be considered on an individual basis.

Caution must be exercised when herbs are going to be taken by children or the elderly. For older people, one-half to two-thirds of the recommended dose is usually adequate. For children, follow Clark's rule described below.

How much should I take if I do not weigh 150 lbs?

Clark's Rule is used to estimate smaller doses for children and adults, whose body weight is more or less than 150 pounds. The dose can be adjusted according to the person's weight as a ratio to the average adult weight of 150 pounds. In order to calculate the child's dose, take the child's weight (number of pounds) and divide it by 150 pounds, then multiply it by the adult dose described on the bottle.

Vegetarian Capsule Example:
For a 50-pound child, divide 50 by 150, which gives you 0.33 (or 1/3rd) of the adult dose. If the adult dose is three capsules, multiply 3 capsules by 0.33 to arrive at the adjusted dose of one capsule for the child.

Herbal Extract Example:
If the adult dose is 30 drops or one teaspoon, then the child's dose (for a 50 pound child) would be 50 divided by 150, then multiply 0.33 by 30 drops to arrive at the child's dose of 10 drops.
How may times per day?

Herbs are best taken throughout the day to maintain a steady level of the medicinal herb circulating in the body. A person who drinks four cups of coffee daily normally does not drink those four cups in a five-minute period, but finds it more beneficial to spread those four cups throughout the day. If it is inconvenient to take an herb three times daily, try twice daily. For acute conditions such as a cold, it is usually helpful to increase the number of times that the herb is taken per day for an optimum effect.

Most herbs do not have an immediate effect in the same way as, for example, aspirin acts on a headache; therefore it is important to take herbs consistently for approximately four to eight weeks before the beneficial effects are seen.

Can I take medicinal herbs with food?

For optimum benefit, the general guideline is to take herbs about an hour after eating. You will still have some food in your stomach, but not so much that the herb will have to compete with the food for absorption. Since the liquid herbal extracts do not require as much digestion, liquid herbal extract products are recommended for people who have impaired or sluggish digestion. In fact, the taste of the herb may stimulate the digestive system, especially if it is one of the many herbs known as a bitter.

What if I have never taken this herb before?

We recommend cutting the dose in half for the first two or three days. Individuals who have multiple allergies and sensitivities it is a good idea to start with a quarter of the dose, and gradually increase to the recommended dose by doubling the amount each time the herb is taken.

Gluten-Free

What does Gluten-Free mean?

Once considered a rare childhood disease, Celiac Disease is now recognized as a disorder that affects many adults. As many as 1 in 133 Americans have Celiac Disease, making it the most common inherited disease. Unfortunately, Celiac Disease is also the most under-diagnosed common disease today.

Celiac Disease is an auto-immune disorder in which damage occurs to the villi lining the small intestine when exposed to the protein gluten. Symptoms can include frequent bloating and abdominal pain, stomach cramps, chronic diarrhea, fatigue, behavioral changes, and (in children) delayed growth. Long-term damage can interfere with the body's ability to absorb nutrients, which can in turn cause malnutrition and other related conditions, such as osteoporosis and anemia. Unless they follow a gluten-free diet, those with Celiac Disease are more prone to developing certain cancers, including intestinal lymphoma.

Gluten and gluten-like proteins are found in wheat and other grains, including oats, rye, barley, bulgar, durum, kamut and spelt, and foods made from those grains. Gluten is also found in food starches, semolina, couscous, malt, some vinegars, soy sauce, flavorings, artificial colors, and hydrolyzed vegetable proteins.

Current treatment for Celiac Disease is a strict gluten-free diet in which Celiacs must not eat any product or bi-product containing gluten, and must always be careful of cross-contamination of their food.

In addition to being the cause of trouble for Celiacs, gluten is thought to be partially responsible for certain autism behaviors. Gluten and casein are receiving a lot of attention in the autism community and from doctors in the "Defeat Autism Now!" biomedical movement. Some parents, doctors, and researchers say that children with autism have shown mild to dramatic improvements in speech and/or behavior after these substances were removed from their diet. Some also report that their autistic children have experienced fewer bouts of diarrhea and loose stools since starting a gluten-free, casein-free (GFCF) diet.
Casein is a protein found in milk and foods containing milk, such as cheese, butter, yogurt, ice cream, whey and even some brands of margarine. It also may be added to non-milk products such as soy cheese and hot dogs in the form of caseinate.

The theory is that some people with autism and PDD (Pervasive Developmental Disorder) cannot properly digest gluten and casein, which form substances that act like opiates in their bodies. According to this theory, the improperly digested gluten that becomes a "drug-like (opiate)" substance in the body alters the person's behavior, perceptions, and responses to his environment. Research in the U.S. and Europe has found substances with opiate activity in the urine of a significant number of children with autism. A doctor can order a urinary peptide test that can tell if proteins are not being digested properly.

For these reasons and others (a mere sensitivity to gluten, as well as wheat allergies), gluten-free living is receiving more attention, and becoming a niche that we are more than happy to help fill.

Organic Farming

What is the difference between Organic and Certified Organic?

In the market place today, organic can mean almost anything, as long as the material is of a natural source. Certified Organic guarantees that the plant material was grown without the use of herbicides, pesticides, and other harmful chemicals. In order to call a product "Certified Organic," very specific guidelines must be followed, such as testing the soil for the presence of chlorinated pesticides and other harmful residues. To be a certified organic farm, the farm and production facilities must be inspected by a recognized third party certifier.

Why is organic farming important?

Organic farming protects us, farm workers, our children, and our environment. Organic farming uses no pesticides or harmful chemicals, such as those that have been linked to illness in adults and children. Organic farming also nurtures more of a plant's healthy properties and compounds. Just as nature intended.

Standardized Herbs

Some standardized herbs have been added to our whole herbs mainly to help with point-of-sale. Two important things to understand are:

• All of the current scientific studies on herbal medicines have been done on standardized herbs. You are not allowed to put a structure function statement on your label, unless you have scientific clinical trials to back up the claims.
• Some standardized herb extracts have been added because many times the consumer will read an article or hear about a specific active constituent listed on a particular herb, and will come to the store looking for this specified level. This level would not be listed, if only whole herb was used in the formula. Although we know the best way to use herbs is in a whole form, once again, there are very few scientific studies to back that up.

Organic labeling rules apply, as specified by the Oregon Tilth. If the product is less than 70% organic, then you are not allowed to list "organic" on the front panel of the label. Each organic ingredient may be listed on the side panel as organic, though. With all encapsulated herbs, the capsule is considered part of the weight, and that weight is 100 mg of the finished capsule. So, it is very hard to hit 70%, even with 100% organic plant material.

Non-GMO Vegetarian Capsules

What are polysaccharides, and what is the importance of this material in the manufacturing of our vegetarian capsules?

Polysaccharides are complex carbohydrates of high molecular weight, and are found in many plants. Polysaccharides can be dietary fibers - soluble fibers composed of starch, and insoluble fibers composed of cellulose.

The vegetarian capsules on this site are made of polysaccharides in the form of starch, which helps to bind and form the capsule, giving it structure and strength. This polysaccharide is known as pullulan, which is natural and water soluble. It is produced from GMO-Free corn, a source of soluble fiber.

How do you know the corn is GMO-Free?

Every batch of corn used is tested to insure that the corn is free of all Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO's), or GMO-Free.

It is ok for consumers to ingest, if they are allergic to corn?

After the corn has been processed into a water soluble polysaccharide, it is then tested for the DNA that identifies the corn. Absence of the corn DNA assures the absence of the allergens present in the finished product.

We have been assured by the manufacturer that people who are allergic to corn, or any of the by-products of corn, can use this product.

Is it gluten-free?

Yes, this is guaranteed by the manufacturer.

Organic Alcohol Herbal Extracts

How much alcohol is used in each herbal extract?

The amount of organic alcohol used in each herbal extract varies (from 22-85%) depending upon the specific herb being extracted. Each product has an optimum alcohol-extraction level due to the herb's properties, which are determined by its balance of alcohol-soluble to water-soluble constituents.

The average serving of 30 drops of herbal extract (with an alcohol content of 45-50%) equates to 1/65 of a 12 ounce beer, or 1/85 of an 8 ounce glass of wine.

Why use organic alcohol (ethanol)?

Organic alcohol (ethanol) is a traditional solvent for herbal extraction and is the safest solvent available for extraction purposes.

What is the organic ethanol made from?

This premium organic alcohol is derived from corn, under strict National Organic Program (NOP) guidelines. Any proteins that may cause allergic reactions from the corn are removed in the distillation phase of the production process, making this organic alcohol both gluten-free and allergen-free.

How many drops are in 1ml?

To keep up-to-date with recent label laws, we are in the process of updating our extract labels. Recently, we began changing all the labels to be displayed as "supplement facts." This requires the serving size to be expressed as milliliters (ml). Each extract has a slightly different number of drops per ml, but it is in the range of 30-40 drops, which is equivalent to 1 full dropper per ml.

Glycerites

What is the "ring" around the dropper?

Several of the alcohol free herbal extracts on this site produce a residue in the dropper that results from the presence of high levels of beneficial chlorophylls. Chlorophyll, the green pigment found in plants, is one of the main chemicals responsible for the conversion of light energy into nutrient energy. Research has shown chlorophyll to be of nutritional benefit in detoxifying and supporting blood health.

Some fresh plant constituents, including chlorophyll, do not dissolve well in glycerin but gather on the surface, resulting in the characteristic residue around the bottle neck and dropper. This is a sign of a high quality, highly bioactive, fresh plant herbal extract. When shaken, these oils will temporarily disperse throughout the bottle.