Overview
At the Natural Healing and Acupuncture clinic herbs are dispensed as custom-made formulas in granulated extracted powders, capsules, tablets and raw herbs.
Why Take Herbs?
Herbs are a powerful way to rebalance and nourish the body with very few side-effects. Herbs can be used to fight infection, improve immunity, help digestion, enhance liver function, relieve anxiety, help depression, and improve sleep to name a few. We take into account drug-herb interactions when prescribing.
What is Chinese Herbal Medicine?
Chinese herbal medicine is one of the most sophisticated professional systems. There are more than 10,000 medicinal substances published by the Chinese Ministry of Health. Most herbs come from plant sources and have been found through hundreds of generations of experimentation to be effective for a wide variety of conditions.
Why is Chinese Herbal Medicine So Powerful?
The diagnostic system recognizes patterns of imbalance – groups of signs and symptoms categorized into patterns, not just diseases. Because of this specificity to the individual, two patients that may have the same condition in conventional medicine may have different patterns in Chinese Medicine and receive their own herbal formulas.
Why Do We Combine Herbs into Formulas?
The synergy of herb combinations is a key component of Chinese herbal medicine. Just like a meal contains a combination of flavors to create a taste greater than the sum of the individual parts, the same is true for herbal formulas. A typical formula will contain 4 to 20 herbs.
What Are Tonic Herbs?
Tonics are a special category of Chinese herbs that have been used for centuries to rebuild the body’s vital energy. They can be used to:
• Strengthen the immune system
• Increase energy
• Balance hormones
• Improve athletic performance
• Strengthen libido
Some of the best known and researched herbs in the Chinese pharmacopeia are tonic herbs such as ginseng, reishi mushroom, cordyceps and dang gui.
What About Herb Quality?
We only use herbs from reputable suppliers that have been manufactured to GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) standards, tested for heavy metals, adulterants and toxins.
•Granulated Extracts: Granulated extracts are herbs that have been cooked down. The cellulose plant material is removed and then dried. The extract that remains contains the whole herb and are generally rated anywhere from 5:1 to 10:1 extracts. This means that 5 to 10lbs of raw herb are concentrated to make 1lb of granulated extract. These can then be encapsulated or taken as powder mixed with water.