Personally when I heard this ad I was frightened.  I said to myself, "This is not an herbal supplement, it is a drug. 1000 times stronger isn't better, it's downright dangerous."

Drugs have side effects that must be informed of by law. We have all heard the voice over on a TV drug ad that lists the horrendous litany of side effects while watching a gorgeous couple ride into the sunset. Super potent herbal supplements are not regulated by the FDA and therefore do not have to post side effects, even if they exist.

New Natural Drugs

Even herbs can be
manufactured into drugs.

I assume that a consumer who is aligned with natural and alternative therapies feels that any herb on a health food store shelf is safer than a drug. I wish I could say this is true. In the 1970's the standardized herbal extract was born in Europe in an attempt to concentrate, increase potency, make patentable and mimic the drug like effectiveness of whole herbs.

The Dangers of Herbal Extracts

A standardized extract is a process where one active constituent is extracted from the original herb. This concentrate, which is standardized into one active ingredient, is then "spiked" or "loaded" back into an herbal base of that product. This is a phytopharmaceutical process that is a topic of heated debate among herbalists. Some  extracts are known to act more like drugs, carry toxic residues from the extraction solvents and have significantly more adverse reactions. While they may initially offer increased potency , the body can build up a tolerance to the extract and require higher and higher dosages - much like a drug.  In addition, side effects can ensue, which rarely happens with a "whole herb" product.* 

In certain medical conditions these extracts can be useful only if there is a deep understanding of the herbs, their extracts and the potential interactions with other herbs, drugs or that individual.  Otherwise some  standardized extracts are simply too risky in my opinion.  Here's why!

Messing With Mother Nature

In today's herbal world, common herbs are typically standardized to one active ingredient. Nature only puts a small amount of an active chemical in a plant for a reason and often it is because more would be too dangerous.

More Isn't Better

In one report, a small herbal company ran low on an herb called Cascara sagrada which is commonly found in bowel moving formulas. The company replaced the whole herb Cascara sagrada, which originally made up 25% of the formula, with 25% of the Cascara sagrada extract. The active ingredient in the Cascara sagrada, called cascarols, went from 2% of the formula to 25%, making it 1000 times more potent. Within 3 1/2 weeks the company posted a total product recall because the side effects were so frequent and severe(1).

Is a Better Mood Worth a Toxic Liver?

The people of Oceania have known how to use Kava Kava safely for millenniums.

Kava Kava has been used safely for 1000's of years in Oceania for mood support. Western companies, in search of the next best selling anti-depression herb, extracted the active chemical of Kava Kava called kavalactones. These kavalactones represent only a small part of this herb's blueprint because they are toxic to the liver in high dosages without the other buffering constituents in that plant. Shortly after Kava Kava became the next big selling antidepressant herb, it was tagged by the FDA because of its liver toxicity.  Falsely accused, this incredibly safe herb when taken as a whole herb, has now been given a life sentence.

Remember Ephedra?

The extract of Ephedra, called ephedrine, is very common in many allergy remedies and became a popular weight loss herb because of its stimulating properties. Companies made super potent standardized extracts for maximal weight loss and shortly thereafter the FDA stacked up 1400 complaints of adverse reactions to these standardized extracts.  Ephedra, which is totally safe as a whole herb, was pulled off the market. Interestingly, not one of the 1400 complaints was caused by the whole herb.  They were all caused by the super potent and miss-used extract ephedrine(2).

Whole Herbs are More Healing

No need to stress - just choose whole herbs and you can't go wrong.

The synergy of the whole plant makes it safe, potent, effective and reliable. When you take one active chemical out, this becomes a drug. I use mostly organic whole herbs almost exclusively at LifeSpa because they carry the original intelligence and synergy of the plant. This means the whole plant is dried and ground - that is it. Most of the herbs we use have been harvested as foods or spices and cooked with for 1000's of years. We use herbs that are either organic or ethically wildcrafted, which means they have been harvested in the wild and are replanted, the way nature intended.

Each part of the herb is considered as valuable as the next. I believe that the plants' intelligence and effectiveness cannot be improved on and will likely never be fully understood. 

The Biggest Oops of All

Many of the most powerful plants used in herbal medicine, such as St. Johns Wort, Ashwaganda, Echinacea, Kava Kava and Ginseng, are typically standardized into just one "active constituent." In many of these cases the constituent they have been standardized into turned out to not be the active ingredient.

St Johns Wort for example, is typically standardized to a certain amount of hypericin, but it is now believed that hyperiform is actually the most active constituent in the herb. Oops, we were activating the wrong chemical. This is a common and potentially dangerous occurrence with extracts.

Extracts Are Not Regulated

The other big oops is to know what potency of the standardized extract is safe. Valerian root naturally has a very low concentration of valerenic acid because it can be toxic to the liver at high dosages.  The standardization process can concentrate a formula with any percentage of the valerenic acid because the amount we see in an herbal product is up to the discretion of that company. There is no regulation of this and no real consensus to date on what would be most appropriate and safe. 

Most companies try to standardize an herb or plant so the consumer gets the same dose with each capsule while others standardize to boost potencies. While there are many safe standardized extracts I still believe in using the whole raw herb as if it were a food harvested from your garden. Now when an herb is dried it will lose some of the delicate aromatic constituents where some extracts try to capture those as well. No doubt when standardized extracts are used appropriately the are safe but there still remain plus and minuses on both sides.

Buyer Beware!

Be like a gorilla -
take your herbs whole.

While most natural food store brands are reliable and safe, it is challenging to know for sure. Beware of products that make big claims of a cure. I don't use stimulants, sedatives or laxatives in my practice  because they tend to eradicate symptoms by overruling the body's intelligence. I prefer to understand and treat the cause of the problem without creating a dependency on the herbal product. While this is more challenging it is where the joy of working with herbs resides. Whole herbs work with the body and therefore make it easier to restore balance and normal function without the need of continued herbal support.

What To Avoid:

• Look for products that are whole herb products. These are the medicinal foods of nature and you really cannot go wrong.

• Products that claim a cure.

• Laxatives like senna and Cascara sagrada.  Instead, take a product like Elim I that lubricates and supports your digestion system so you can have naturally healthy bowel movements, rather than forcing a stimulant on the colon*.
  

• If you are sensitive to herbs or medications then consider only taking whole herb products. Standardized extracts will have residue from extraction solvents so beware if you are chemical sensitive.

• Extracts can be extremely safe if they are whole herb or full spectrum concentrates rather than the standardized extracts.
  

• Standardized extracts can also be safe depending on the herb, manufacturing process and percentage of active chemical used.

• For 100% safety use standardized extracts only if you are familiar with the manufacturer, the herb used and its safety history.  Consult your natural food representative for advice about a particular product before buying.

• Example of standardized extract label:

Keep our herbs out of "prison" by using whole herbs. Side effects of standardized extracts can cause consumer complaints lead to a FDA life sentence.

• Turmeric dried extract (root) 
  95% curcuminoids 
  450mg 
  (this means that 450mg of this product is 95% of the one active ingredient called curcuminoids)

• Our Comparison: LifeSpa Turmeric Plus is formulated in a ratio of whole turmeric root mixed with black pepper. Studies have shown that this simple, natural and traditional blend increases the absorption of turmeric by 2000 percent*.

• Turmeric may be one of the herbal extracts that are considered safe but there is a natural way to enhance the effectiveness without altering the intelligence of the whole plant with an extracted product.

• Check labels for Other Ingredients, such as fillers, conditioners and flow agents.

  • Common Other Ingredients: cellulose, maltodetrin, stearic acid, modified cellulose, glycerin and silica. (Health risks from use of these fillers is being investigated.)

  • Our Comparison: LifeSpa products use no fillers, flow agents, conditioners or preservatives.

Vitamin C vs Amalaki

One of my favorite Ayurvedic herbs, Amalaki, is a citrus fruit that has about 3500 mgs of natural full spectrum vitamin C and is heralded as the highest source of vitamin C in the world. It acts completely differently than the extracted or synthetic version of vitamin C*. Most people have experienced the side effect of loose bowel movements from taking too much vitamin C because it acts as a bowel irritant at higher doses*.

Amalaki, along with its full spectrum vitamin C, is actually used to support  loose bowel movements, and helps rejuvenater damaged and irritated intestinal mucosa.*  Even at extremely high doses Amalaki exhibits no known side effects*.

Once the vitamin C is extracted or synthetically copied the potency may be enhanced but it is not tolerated well by the human body.  The body and whole herbs have an innate intelligence.

Nature's Intelligence

Based on what you need, Ashwagandha can give you the strength of 10 horses - or calm your nerves for a good night's sleep.

In one study, Ashwaganda was shown to both increase or decrease cortisol, a stress fighting hormone, based on what the body needed: more or less stress fighting support(3)*.  Ashwaganda is also an herb that is commonly used for boosting energy before a sporting event or a stressful endeavor(4)*. How can this same herb that just boosted one's energy also be taken just before bed to ensure a deep restful sleep*? This is an example of nature's innate intelligence.

Whole herbs have intelligence*.  Standardized extracts overrule it and often destroy this intelligence*.

Learn more about how to choose herbs safely by reading the educational archived newsletter articles on my website at www.LifeSpa.com. My goal is to help you understand the cause of what ails you and provide safe and effective therapeutic support.

References

1,2.  LoR. Caarl (L. Carl) Robinson, Clinical & Formulary Herbalist, Sept. 2007

3.  Kumar A, Kalonia H. Protective effect of Withania somnifer Dunal on the behavioral and biochemical alterations in sleep-disturbed mice (and over water suspended method). Indian J Exp Tiol. 2007;45:524-528.

4.   Sudhir S, Budhiraja R, Migiani G, et al. Pharmacological studies on leaves of Withania somnifera. Planta Med. 1986;52:61-63. 27 Naidu P, Singh A, Kulkami S. Effect of Withania