Herbal Supplements – New Technology For Better Products

by: Kwan H Lo

Herbal supplements have many health benefits. Many of them are potent antioxidants. Some have antiviral, antifungal, antibacterial, and antitumor properties. Some improve general bodily functions such as digestion, mental clarity, circulation, hormonal balance, etc. Many people also consume herbal supplements to prevent and treat common ailments and improve the overall well beings.

Herbal supplements contain active constituents extracted from dry or fresh herbs. These active constituents can be divided into two main groups based on their chemical properties, hydrophilic (water loving) and lipophilic (oil loving). Traditionally, hydrophilic compounds are extracted in water and ethanol whereas lipophilic compounds are extracted in chemical solvents such as acetone and hexane.

The use of chemical solvents in extracting lipophilic compounds has raised some health, environmental and safety concerns in recently years. First of all, there is a small amount of toxic residues left after the extraction process, which can pose a health threat to the consumers. Secondly, the disposal of organic solvents is detrimental to the environment. And lastly, these chemical solvents are toxic and highly volatile, handling of these chemicals require extreme caution.

Unfortunately, the major active constituents in many herbs such as ginger, St. John’s Wort, valerian, rosemary are lipophilic. In the past, they were extracted by organic solvents such as acetone and hexane. But the advance in new technologies has provided safer alternative to the food industry. Supercritical fluid extraction is one of these new technologies. It allows health food manufacturers to produce cleaner, more potent and stable herbal products.

Supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) using carbon dioxide (CO2) is an improved extraction method. Carbon dioxide is non-toxic, non-explosive and can be readily removed from the finished products and recycled. It does not pose any hazardous problems to the environment. The extraction takes place without high temperature heating and boiling so the extracted products are more stable. In addition, the extraction yields a highly concentrated herbal extract.

In comparison, chemical extraction using organic solvents leaves adsorbed chemical residues in the finished products. The solvents may react with the active compounds and degrade them. To remove the solvents from the extracted products, high temperature heating is required, which may degrade the active constituents. As a result, the quality of the extracted products is generally inferior to that from supercritical fluid extraction.

The commercial application of supercritical fluid technology is still limited to few high valued products due to high investment costs and new operation. New chapter is one premium brand producing herbal and fatty acid supplements using this new technology. With the increasing public demand of purer, cleaner nutritional supplements, one may assume that more companies would be applying this new extraction technology in the near future.

Source : http://www.articlecity.com/articles/health/article_5503.shtml

Herbal Supplement for Energy

Do you need a herbal supplement for energy? The answer depends on your way of life and diet. If you live a fast-paced lifestyle, it may be hard to achieve a balance in your health. Your daily to-do lists, changing meal schedules, and irregular sleep may cause your energy levels go down – especially if your diet does not give you all the nutrients you need. You may need to replenish it with herbal supplement for energy, which many people prefer to other types of vitamins because it is all-natural.

Herbal supplement for energy can be taken as tea, pills, capsules, tablets, or in liquid form. Below is a list of common herbs used to boost energy:

1. Ginseng supplements

This herbal supplement for energy has a long history as a healing herb in China, Japan, and Korea. Centuries of use have proved that ginseng can alleviate certain psychiatric and neurological conditions as well as raise one's stamina and vitality. Several types are available with the common ones being American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius), Asian ginseng (Panax ginseng), and Siberian ginseng (Eleutherococcus chinensis).

2. Maca supplements

Known in the scientific community as Lepidium meyenii, this radish-shaped and root-like vegetable has been used by Peruvians to increase endurance, energy, fertility, sexual virility, and vitality. The maca grows in the Andes mountains of South America.

3. Maitake supplements

Maitake is a herbal supplement for energy sourced from a Japanese mushroom that can help in stress resistance and stamina improvement.

4. Rhodiola supplements

Researched thoroughly by Russian and Chinese scientists, the rhodiola (Rhodiola rosea) can stimulate the nervous system by alleviating depression, improving work capabilities, fighting fatigue, and combating high altitude sickness. These herbs can be found in the Arctic regions inside the eastern part of Siberia.

5. Tongkat ali supplements

Tongkat ali is a herbal supplement for energy from Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia. Natives of the said countries use every part of the tree for medication. The most popular benefits of tongkat ali include being an aphrodisiac as well as a tonic and energy enhancer.

Important reminder

Herbal supplement for energy can possibly make or break your health, so be careful when buying and taking them. Avoid supplements which may be harmful to you because of wrong dosage or production errors. Purchase your supplies only from pharmaceutical GMP-compliant manufacturers to safeguard your health. Such manufacturers have passed the FDA’s stringent manufacturing standards, so you can be sure that they only sell high-quality, potent supplements.

The product we personally use called Total Balance - http://www.health-product-we-use.com is the most natural and effective supplement we have come across. We have been using this product for over 3 years with excellent health results.

We highly recommend you learn more about our best natural nutritional supplement if you are interested in improving your overall health.

Jean Helmet runs a series of health websites, We offer a free health book for subscribers to our websites newsletter. We cover everything you need to know on nutrition and how to improve your general overall health. Check out our nutrition e-book, for more information on nutrition and the products we use.

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