There are many venerable brands of botanical supplements that consumers have and are beginning to rely upon to steward their health and well-being.
In 2015, there was a wave of fear and distrust emanating from the New York State Attorney General’s (NY AG) findings of testing herb products, which concluded that many were adulterated in some form. This may result in customers expressing some doubt. But, our sources explain the foundations of how their botanical brands have safety, ethics and quality built in.
Rafael Avila, director of research and development of New York-based Nature’s Plus, maker of Herbal Actives, explained that 20 years ago, when there was little oversight for standards of quality, potency and activity of botanical supplements, Nature’s Plus launched Herbal Actives, which was “the first complete line of standardized botanical extracts. For the first time, consumers were guaranteed specific potencies based on naturally occurring actives and marker compounds. This was the birth of standardization in the botanical supplement market.”
Herbal Actives has grown to become a widely diverse range of formulations including capsules, extended release tablets, combination formulas, liquid suspensions and others. “The Nature’s Plus Herbal Actives family now exceeds 90 choice products, and is still growing,” Avila stated.
New Jersey-based Herbalist & Alchemist, Inc. offers more than 250 products, primarily liquid tinctures; the company launched in 1982 founded by David Winston RH (AHG), who originally made simple tinctures and formulated for each individual with whom he worked as a clinical herbalist, recounted Beth Lambert, CEO. “Over the years as David observed groups of people with similar needs he focused development of additional formulas to meet those needs. As research evolved, we added new simple extracts that David uses to reformulate his existing blends to increase efficacy or to use in his new formulas. Reformulations have also occurred due to scarcity of quality, sustainably-harvested raw materials,” she said.
Original Enzymatic Therapy founder Terry Lemerond founded EuroPharma in Wisconsin. According to Cheryl Myers, chief of scientific affairs and education, Lemerond introduced milk thistle to the U.S. retail market in 1982, and standardized Ginkgo biloba later that same year. “He is also responsible for introducing the concept of botanical standardization to the American market. He sold Enzymatic Therapy in 2000, and founded the Terry Naturally line in 2008, which now has more than 120 SKUs, approximately 80 percent of which have at least one botanical ingredient. So while our company is about seven years old, in fact, the collected botanical medicine experience reaches much further back because of the history with Terry Lemerond,” she explained.
According to Rick Sharpee, PhD, director of science & nutrition, NOW, based in Illinois, NOW has been selling herbal dietary supplements for 30 years and currently has more than 200 herbal supplements that include single herbs and herbal formulations. Some of NOW’s recent additions (within the last five years) of herbal singles are rhodiola and maca. A couple of NOW’s newest herbal combinations are Aloe Vera 10,000 & Soothing Herbs, which supports digestive health, and Kidney Cleanse, which maintains kidney cleansing function as well as urinary tract support.
Todd King, vice president of marketing for North Carolina-based Gaia Herb Inc. noted that the company’s CEO and founder Ric Scalzo started Gaia in 1987 with a line of liquid extracts made from fresh herbs, “something that was completely new in the industry,” said King. By 1990, he added, Gaia had pioneered whole plant standardization, which remains one of the company’s core strengths.
Gaia, he said, has grown to produce herbal products that are vertically integrated from seed to shelf. In 2000, it launched its patented Liquid Phyto-Caps, 100 percent vegan capsules containing high-potency liquid herbal extracts. “As the market for supplements shifted and expanded, so did our products,” King described. “We have a line specifically for health care professionals, and we also have a line of products for kids formulated by our medical educator, naturopathic physician Mary Bove. Gaia also launched a line of herbal teas and expanded its liquid herbal extracts to encompass capsules, powders and syrups.
Colorado-based OHCO/Oriental Herb Company is a small, family-owned and operated company that was founded in 1994 by Donn Hayes, one of the first American acupuncturists and Chinese herbalists. “Our formulas go against the grain of traditional Chinese herbalism, which is usually focused on providing a unique, custom formula, and provide formulas that most can benefit from,” asserted Jennifer Pillari, president of OHCO.
Cold Snap, a restorative and strengthening immune formula, is OHCO’s flagship product. That, said Pillari, “has enjoyed considerable market success and is the top-rated cold and flu relief medicine on Amazon.com.” In addition to Cold Snap, OHCO offers Stomach Chi, all-compassing digestive formula; Chi’ll Out, a non-sedative approach to sleep and anxiety; Eye Ching, for eye and sinus irritation; OHCO-Motion and OHCO-Flow, for lower and upper body pain and tension and Wan Ton, for low or inconsistent mood and low sexual energy. “The formulas that followed Cold Snap were added to our line because they filled a gap in the availability of effective formulations in the retail market,” she said. “They were driven by customer demand and ultimately everything we’ve brought to the market has gone through rigorous beta-testing for effectiveness and safety in a wide-range of people.”
