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Chinese Herb Formulas for Optimal Health and Wellness!
The statements made have not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration. Herbal formulas, natural remedies, and aromatherapy products related to alternative health products on this site have not been evaluated by the U.S. FDA. Our products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.  The statements on this website are based principally on traditional knowledge accumulated over thousands of years of Chinese medical practices. The content provided is for educational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your health care professional. You should not use the information on this site to diagnose or treat any health issues. As always, you should consult with a healthcare professional before starting any diet, beginning an exercise program, using herbs or other supplementation programs, before taking any pharmaceutical medication, or if you have or suspect you might have a health problem. Unless specifically mentioned in the product label or recommended by your professional health care provider, our herbal supplements, natural remedies, and alternative health products are not intended for children under the age of 18, pregnant women, or nursing mothers. Ingredients and dosage recommendations may change - see product label for current information. Please refer to our policy/FAQ’s page before making a purchase.
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Are Liquid Herbs Better Than Tablet or Capsules?
What is the Best Form of Herbal Medicine to Take?
By: Catherine Browne, L.Ac., MH, Dipl.Ac.

This is one of the more common questions asked about the effectiveness of herbs. As a clinical acupuncturist and herbalist, it is important that the most effective herbal treatments are used for real patient results. It is understandable that people want the most effective herbs, so here are some things to consider:

1st - There is a misunderstanding about the absorption rates of liquid herbs versus tablets. It is true that herbs that are decocted or tinctured are rendered in to a liquid state and the body does not have to break down the cellulose of the plant material; however, those with a normal digestive system break down plant material every day to render nutrients available from vegetables. If this were not so, you would quickly perish. I have even read where whole herbs taken will be rendered useless after passing through the digestive system and stomach acids. Again, we would perish if plant nutrients were unable to traverse our digestive tracts.

2nd - In Chinese medicine, decoctions are traditionally used more often than tinctures (which would likely be a medicinal wine); tinctures are more widely used in Western herbalism. Doses of medicinal tinctures are misleading; when tinctures were introduced to the market place, the public was used to homeopathic dosing from ounce bottles. Tincture manufacturers followed suit producing 1 ounce bottles with low dosages. A true dose of therapeutic quantities of 1:6 tincture is 2.5 teaspoons per day, not 20-60 drops. If I were to prescribe tinctures at TRUE therapeutic dosages in clinic my patients would be spending over $500 per month for their herbal therapy, and this is just unrealistic. Tinctures might make sense for acute conditions such as a cold or flu that are treated for only a week or two, but for chronic conditions that take many months to treat, they become prohibitively expensive.

3rd - Traditional methods tend to prove more clinically efficacious than the "latest fad" practices in herbal medicine and natural healing, so I tend to respect a decoction of whole herbs over isolated herb compounds and high potency pharm-herbs. Our herb industry is being influenced by the same science babble that the food industry marketers have been feeding us over the last 40 years leading us away from real, whole foods. The problem with decoctions is that my patients won't use them; they don't have time to brew up decoctions 3 times per day, and they don't like the taste. Patient compliance far out-ways any slight benefit of liquid herbs. If my patients are not taking their herbs, than they are getting 0% effectiveness from their treatment.

There are actually more important questions that people should be asking themselves about their herbs: Are these fresh herbs of high quality, or are they made from the brown lifeless remnants of herb medicines that are old or stored improperly? Am I taking the correct formulas for my specific health imbalances? Do I understand how herbs work with the body to bring about positive change and are my expectations realistic? Are there binders in my tablets or herbs that may make them less absorbable or make them an allergen?

It is very important that you trust your herb supplier as quality of herbs vary dramatically. While it is important that you have realistic goals when utilizing natural medicines, you can have high expectations for healing. It is possible to be well ,and to reverse chronic health conditions, it just takes time; it does not pay to rush the healing process.

In a clinical setting, all that matters are end results. After prescribing tablets and teapills in clinic for over 10 years, I know that they work well. Others can go on and on splitting hairs over the absolutely best way to consume herbs; meanwhile, I have patients who need real health solutions for their suffering today.