Summer 2002 - Volume Two Number One
By John Wigand
Anyone unfamiliar with or newly introduced to medicinal herbs is often confounded by the selection available to them on healthfood store shelves. When learning about the healing benefits of a particular herb, one is faced with an array of products from various manufacturers. One small healthfood store in Wisconsin, for example, had sixteen different "facings" of the herb Gingko biloba. Even though the consumer may be cognizant of the benefits of Gingko, confusion almost certainly arises when challenged by 16 different brands or trademarks. Making a selection is not easy and is compounded by the rhetoric of marketing and advertising. How is one to assess quality and choose wisely? It is a difficult question because what one soon learns through close examination of the products inside the bottles is that, even though the product labels all claim the same content, what is inside is often very different. Price alone is not a good indicator of content, as many people falsely assume.
Theoretically, all the products of the same plant family considered begin with the same raw materials. For example, Gingko biloba, when grown in Chicago, is the same plant grown as that in Fairfield, Iowa. However, because these two locations and the surrounding environments are so dissimilar, the same species may produce plants which are qualitatively different and therefore medicinally different also. Take this a step further and imagine where the manufacturer out-sources its raw materials. Do they come from Europe, Asia, Mexico or China; or are they locally grown or wild crafted? Does the company grow all its raw materials, most of them, or none? How often is the herb handled, and how long does it wait on the dock of the exporting and importing countries? How is that plant material handled in the meantime? How many hands does it pass through from harvest to production? All of these issues affect ultimate quality and effectiveness.
Organic?
Anyone who has investigated the benefits of eating organic knows that there are significant benefits from doing so. Organic foods are wholesome, more nutritious and better for the environment; medicinal herbs are no different. A logical place to begin assessing herb quality is searching out organic herbs. If, for example, one is attempting to detoxify the liver, the primary filter for the body, one would wish to do so with organic milk thistle so as to not tax the liver further by asking it to cope with the residues found on a non-organic version.
Kirlian photography, which has the unique capability of photographing the vitality of plant materials, clearly demonstrates the difference between organically grown and commercially grown plants. The organic leaves show clearly defined and healthy lines of vitality whereas commercially-grown, pesticide-laden leaves show the plant to be ill and struggling. Even two seeds germinated at the same time and using organic and standard commercial growing techniques show marked differences in vitality and health. How much therapeutic aid can a sick plant provide a sick person taking it?
It is important to note, however, that even if a manufacturer begins with a clean or organic herb, it doesn’t mean that it is processed organically. The herbal preparation may be prepared using ingredients which are not organic. This is commonly the case with tinctures made with grain alcohol (usually made from non-organic corn) or standardized products which use a chemical solvent to isolate a particular constituent, essentially negating the benefits of using organic herb in the first place.
Fashionable Products
Another thing to consider is the desire of the manufacturer to make the product "fashionable." Many product manufacturers are of the opinion that "pretty" sells better. The motivation for dying herbal capsules, for example, is really threefold. First, it looks attractive, thus sales increase. Second, it promotes brand recognition which fosters repeat sales. Third and most significantly, it can mask or camouflage the contents of the capsule itself. This gives the manufacturer an "out" when the capsule content no longer resembles the original plant material or when there is inconsistency from lot to lot, which confuses the consumer.
So look for clear capsules and investigate plant integrity. Does the capsule content resemble the plant itself? Does the St. John’s Wort look nice and yellow like its flowers? Does Nettle Leaf look vibrantly green or faded and washed out, or not green at all? If the capsule contents do not look like you would expect, then choose another brand. If you are not familiar with the plant you are
choosing to heal yourself, this is a prime opportunity to educate yourself beyond which brand costs less.
Eclectic Institute
Thymely Solutions offers its customers a line of exceptionally clean, medicinal herbs manufactured by Eclectic Institute. This is a manufacturer of therapeutic herbs, with its roots in the long-standing tradition of eclectic medicine and a lengthy association with the National College of Naturopathic Medicine. It grows many of the herbs on its own certified organic farm outside Portland, Oregon. Eclectic utilizes an organic solvent to produce its liquid extracts, which begins with certified organic grapes that are converted to pharmaceutical-grade alcohol. It is the only manufacturer to use grape alcohol. The industry has historically used grain alcohol from corn and has only recently begun thinking about producing alcohol from organic corn. Most of the alcohol used today is not organic. Does it make sense to have a clean, organic herb and then extract it in a solution which is not?
Eclectic’s encapsulations are freeze-dried which, contrary to the term, are not dried in a freezer. This process is technically known as lyophilization, a technique which has been used by the medical industry to preserve blood plasma, blood clotting factor and anti-venin. While integrity of these fragile compounds can be preserved by freeze-drying, it also makes a profound difference in the making of herbal preparations. Lyophilization preserves all the color, the enzymes of the fresh plant, all the volatile compounds, and the essential oils, which is noticeable upon examining the dye-free capsule.
Just as our community has announced its "green" commitment with its "Care of the earth...Care of the people" campaign during this month’s Eco-Fair, Eclectic embraces similar values by practicing sustainable agriculture and supporting organizations such as Plant Savers and Seeds for Change. Eclectic’s commitment, like that of Thymely Solutions, not only extends to consumers but to the environment as a whole.
The issues surrounding quality herbal medicines are complex, but there are responsible thinkers out there. Eclectic Institute is one of them and Thymely Solutions is another. This partnership represents one of those rare "win-win" situations. Eclectic benefits, Thymely Solutions benefits, the planet benefits and so, too, do our loyal customers.