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Standardized Profile Botanical Extracts
Whole Herbs
Whole herbs contain all of the constituents of the plant and have been used for thousands of years by many cultures. The medicinal properties of herbs have been learned through empirical observation and the information has been passed down through successive generations of healers. Although the effects of herbs have not always been formally and scientifically researched, whole herbs have a long track record validating their safety and efficacy.
Every Plant is Different
The chemical makeup of an herb can vary dramatically depending on a variety of factors. First, the environment in which the plant has been grown has an effect on the constituents of the herb. The time of year it is harvested, the soil or growth medium in which it is grown, nutrients it is provided, and the weather or watering, lighting and temperature schedules all influence the overall quality of the final product. Second, methodology plays a role. For example, the age of the plant at harvest, the exact part of the plant being used, and curing and processing techniques can all make a difference. Finally, each plant or population of plants has its own individual genetics, thus adding another source of end-product variation.
Isolation of Active Ingredients
An isolated herbal extract is an herb extract that has one or more components present in a specific, guaranteed amount, usually expressed as a percentage. The intention behind this is to guarantee that the consumer is getting a product in which the chemistry is consistent from batch to batch. This practice has developed out of the drug model of herbal medicine, in which modern scientists have attempted to identify the components of a plant that have definite pharmacological activity in the body. Unfortunately, while scientists can isolate many constituents from an herb and discover how particular chemicals may act in the body, they inadvertently remove or overlook components that may contribute to the activity of the whole herb. Consequently, this may concentrate one constituent at the expense of other potentially important ones, while changing the natural balance of the herb’s components.
Naturally Synergistic Phytochemistry
Isolated herbal extractions are based on the idea that isolated compounds are responsible for the action of an herb. Almost no medicinal herbs, however, are known for just a single function. In fact, plants contain a complex blend of phytochemicals and, as naturally concentrated foods, have the unique ability to address a multiplicity of problems simultaneously. The full medicinal value of herbs is most likely due to their internal complexity and to the interactions of the different components within the body rather than to one of its specific components. Furthermore, many of the constituents within an herb are as yet unknown, and internal chemical interactions within and among herbs are even more poorly understood. Therefore, it is doubtful that this type of isolated herbal extract can exhibit the same full spectrum of use as the whole herb. Science has proven the efficacy of some of these concentrated extracts regarding specific biological actions and they can be very useful, but they don’t work like the whole herbs.
Standardized Profile Botanical Extracts
Re-Medical products start with broad spectrum extracts that are obtained from herbs grown and processed in a controlled manner and have markers of key components rigorously tested against standardized profiles. This allow us to select an herbal cultivar for its specific activity, and then consistently produce an extract that maintains the same potency and full spectrum of components as the originally selected whole herb. We perform spectral analysis on each extracted batch to confirm that it meets the requirements of our standardized profile for that original whole herb. This not only assures that no major component has been removed in the extraction process, but also guarantees that the extract will have a consistent and standardized potency every time without sacrificing any components.
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