What to Keep in Mind When Deciding on A Chinese Herbs Supplier - By: Pacherbs

There is a wide selection of Chinese herbal medicine supplements on the market, so how do you choose which brand to trust? How do you know the products are safe? These are the right questions to ask if you are purchasing herbal supplements, whether you’re an Acupuncturist, Herbalist or a consumer. Here are 3 things you must know about before you make a purchase.

#1. Which factory is manufacturing the products and where are they located (US or abroad)? An herb supplement factory should be a GMP, (Good Manufacturing Practice) compliant facility. In the US, the FDA oversees “dietary supplement " regulations, which require manufacturers of herbal supplements to evaluate their products through testing for identity, purity, strength and composition, along with many other regulations regarding processing and facility sanitation. These regulations ensure consistent safety and quality and are all part of GMP.

GMP standards are absolutely essential. The rules apply for both domestic and foreign manufacturers. Some companies are secretive
about where their Chinese herbs are manufactured and whether they are GMP compliant. If your herbal supplier is not forthcoming with their factory location or GMP rating, how can you trust anything about their products?

2. Where are the herbs from and have they been tested for impurities?
The simple rule is: manufacturers that test their herbs disclose this information. The FDA regulations for dietary supplements, which include Chinese Herb products, are different than those covering "conventional" foods and drug products. At the time of the printing of this article, herb manufacturers are not required to disclose this information on their labels. Some countries have much stricter laws regarding Chinese herbal supplements and the best herb companies willingly disclose this information.

#3. Is a Certificates of Analysis used? This is basically a report card for a batch of raw herbs, which certifies the purity, species and potency on that particular batch. Manufacturers who use Certificates of Analysis are at the forefront of herbal medicine. Food processing laws require all processed foods to have batch numbers, processing dates, ingredient verification, etc. Why shouldn’t herbal products be held to the same standard? We ingest these herbs just like any other food product.

A Certificate of Analysis provides a batch number that can be traced to a finished product. Tests, such as HPLC (high-performance liquid chromatography), test to ensure that active herbal ingredients are at consistent levels and are performed in high tech laboratories. Another test is Gas Chromatography, which determines residues of insecticides and other contaminants. Since many plants and roots look alike, TLC, or Thin Layer Chromatograms, are conducted to make sure that the wrong herb species doesn’t end up in the final formula (TLC tests give a chemical fingerprint unique to each species). Serious ramifications may result if a herb was incorrectly labeled and that herb species has toxic side effects. Among the top herb manufacturers, only when a raw batch of herbs passes all these tests does the batch move on to the next step of processing. These Certificates of Analysis give the consumer the confidence the herbs are safe for consumption.

Unfortunately, not all manufacturers can disclose this pertinent information. Many are not equipped for expensive testing, nor do they have a laboratory in place to provide a report card such as a Certificate of Analysis. If you are to truly know whether your herbal supplements are free from heavy metals, pesticides, bugs, dirt, bacteria, and other contaminants, be sure your herbal supplier uses Certificates of Analysis.

#4. There is more you should know. For example, how much filler (inert product) is added to your supplements? What is the cooking process and the concentration ratios of your products? Why shouldn’t you cook raw herbs yourself? What is the difference between alcohol extracts, capsule products and liquid plastic packets of herbs? These questions and more are all answered in a free report you can download from the PAC Herbs website.

I hope you’ll be an educated consumer when it comes to purchasing your Chinese herbal medicine supplements.

About the Author

Cathy Margolin is a Licensed Acupuncturist and consumer health advocate with a passion for teaching people how to improve their health through the use of Chinese herbal formulas. She enjoys impacting the lives of readers around the world who haven’t yet experienced the phenomenal health benefits from the ancient wisdom of Chinese herbal medicine. She currently maintains an Acupuncture & Chinese herbal medicine practice, writes herbal formulas for her patients and works at PACHerbs.com.

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