Standardized Herbal Extracts

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Latest Edit: Hector 2014-03-13 (EDT)

See Also Naturopathic Therapies
See Also Botanical Medicine (Herbalism)


A standardized extract is a product in which a specific concentration of a particular constituent or group of constituents is guaranteed. While all the original constituents may still be present, they are often not in the proportions found in the original herb. While this approach is attractive to the conventional medical model, it depends on the existence, extraction, and identification of a discrete single active constituent or group of constituents. The effect of this approach on the synergy reputed by herbalists to exist between components has yet to be clarified.[1]

Advantages

Article Botanical Extraction: An Insider's Look, Vital Link; 2011 Summer
  • Able to deliver a known dose of specific constituents
  • Greater ease to conduct clinical trials
  • Consistency between the different batches of herbs
  • More control over the extraction process

Disadvantages

  • Standardization does not encompass the full list of active ingredients in a plant
  • The natural ratio of constituents is lost
  • Not available for all botanical medicines


Check out further information on botanical medicine and therapeutic forms of herbs.

References

  1. Boon Heather, Smith Michael (2009) 55 Most Common Medicinal Herbs, Second Edition Institute of Naturopathic Medical Education and Research, CCNM.