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Question:
What is the best way to take herbs. In teas, capsules, or liquid extracts?
Answer:
The
bottom line in determining the effectiveness with any herbal product
is its ability to deliver an effective dosage of active compounds.
That being the case, I prefer to use herbal preparations that have
been standardized to contain a specific level of key compounds.
These products are commonly referred to as "standardized" extracts
(also referred to as guaranteed potency extracts) refer to an extract
guaranteed to contain a "standardized" level of active compounds.
Stating the content of active compounds rather than the concentration
ratio allows for more accurate dosages to be made. Most often, these
products are in capsule or tablet form.
Standardized extracts are different than
simply crude herbal products in capsules or tablets, or teas because
they have been specially processed. One of the major developments
in the herb industry involves improvements in extraction and concentration
processes. An extract is defined as a concentrated form of the herb
obtained by mixing the crude herb with an appropriate solvent (such
as alcohol and/or water).
When an herbal tea bag is steeped in hot
water, it is actually a type of herbal extract known as an infusion.
The water is serving as a solvent in removing some of the medicinal
properties from the herb. Teas often are better sources of bioavailable
compounds than the powdered herb, but are relatively weak in action
compared to tinctures, fluid extracts, and solid extracts. These
forms are commonly used by herbal practitioners for medicinal effects.
Tinctures are typically made using an alcohol
and water mixture as the solvent. The herb is soaked in the solvent
for a specified amount of time, depending on the herb. This soaking
is usually from several hours to days, however some herbs may be
soaked for much longer periods of time. The solution is then pressed
out, yielding the tincture.
Fluid extracts are more concentrated than
tinctures. Although they are most often made from hydroalcoholic
mixtures, other solvents may be used (vinegar, glycerin, propylene
glycol, etc.). Commercial fluid extracts usually are made by distilling
off some of the alcohol, typically by using methods that do not
require elevated temperatures, such as vacuum distillation and counter-current
filtration. However, some small manufacturers produce fluid extracts
in a similar manner to tinctures via a "cold percolation" process.
A solid extract is produced by further
concentration of the extract by the mechanisms described above for
fluid extracts as well as by other techniques such as thin layer
evaporation. The solvent is completely removed leaving a viscous
extract (soft solid extract) or a dry solid extract depending upon
the plant, portion of the plant, or solvent used or if a drying
process was used. The dry solid extract, if not already in powdered
form, can be ground into course granules or a fine powder. A solid
extract also can be diluted with alcohol and water to form a fluid
extract or tincture.
Any form of herbal product can be effective
if it delivers an effective dosage of key compounds. Therefore,
determining the level of active components or key biological markers
is essential. My opinion is that regardless of the form the herb
is in, it should be analyzed to ensure that it contains these components
at an acceptable standardized level. More accurate dosages can then
be given. This form of standardization is generally accepted in
Europe and is beginning to be used in the United States as well.
Although referred to in terms of active
constituents, it must be kept in mind these are still crude extracts
and not isolated constituents. For example, the St. John's wort
extract that has been shown to exert significant antidepressant
effects in over 25 double-blind clinical trials is standardized
to contain 0.3% hypericin but still is composed of a wide range
of compounds constituting the remaining 99.7%.
The effectiveness of any herb or herbal
product from a pharmacological perspective is dependent upon providing
an effective dosage of active compounds. Regardless of the form
of the herbal preparation, clinical effectiveness requires delivery
of an active dosage. Standardization for the level of active components
or key biological markers is the only real assurance to the delivery
of an effective dosage. Therefore, the best form of herbal product
is one that contains a guaranteed potency or level of these key
compounds.
The tremendous growth noted in the United
States over the past decade is, in my opinion, the result of the
influx of high quality standardized extracts into the marketplace.
For years herbal medicine in the United States labored and struggled
because of the insistence of herbal practitioners to hold on to
outdated and unsubstantiated views. Now, more people than ever are
getting results with herbal medicines because they are using more
effective products. Unfortunately there is still a great deal of
confusion among health professionals and consumers. For example,
when I write an article on the benefits of saw palmetto extract
in the treatment of BPH even though I stress the importance of using
the extract standardized to contain 85-95% fatty acid and sterols
at the proper dosage of 160 mg twice daily my friends who own health
food stores or mail order companies tell me that for every one bottle
of the extract is sold, ten bottles of crude saw palmetto berries
or saw palmetto berry tincture are sold.
Consumers, health food store personnel,
and health care practitioners have simply not gotten the message.
While it is possible to achieve a dosage of active compounds in
crude saw palmetto berries as well as a tincture, it is not cost
effective nor would there be much compliance. To achieve the dosage
of fatty acid and sterols from tablets containing ground-up, dried
saw palmetto berries would require a minimum intake of twenty-four
500 mg tablets twice daily. To achieve the dosage requirement from
an alcohol-based tincture of saw palmetto berries would require
an intake of almost one ounce of alcohol per day.
While the future looks extremely promising
for herbal medicine in the United States, ultimately what will determine
the degree of success will be the acceptance of more reliable herbal
products, i.e., standardized extracts, by health care providers
and consumers.
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