Complementary Alternative Cardiovascular Medicine

18 Alternative Cardiovascular Medicine
extract to equal 1 g of the herb, and 1 dropperful of a 2/1 extract is equal
to 2 g of herb.
To extract an herb with high levels of nonpolar compounds which are
not water soluble, manufacturers use more alcohol, up to 80%. Approximately
25% alcohol is necessary to prevent an extract from spoiling, but
the alcohol content in extracts will vary from 25% to 80% alcohol,
depending on the requirements of the herb being extracted. The flavor
components and pungent principles in ginger are all soluble in alcohol,
so ginger extracts may contain 80% alcohol. In other cases, such as green
tea extract, the beneficial components are soluble in water, and only
enough alcohol is used to preserve the extract. Some extract makers use
other solvents, including acetone and hexane, and, in these cases, it is
important for the manufacturer to test for solvent residues.
GUIDELINES FOR CHOOSING PRODUCTS
Choosing herbal products is one of the major challenges to using these
supplements. Dozens of brands are available, and each claims to be the
best. Frequent stories in the media proclaim that the herb industry is
“unregulated” and warn that products may not contain the ingredients
they claim. Actually, the FDA does have the power to regulate, but to
date, its enforcement of the regulations has been weak. The resulting
confusion leaves the pharmacist, the physician, and the general public
wondering how to select the highest quality product. The herb industry,
like other businesses, includes companies committed to quality with
high ethical standards and also opportunists with only profit in mind.
The Importance of Quality, Testing,
and Good Manufacturing Practices
Three things are essential to any product used for health purposes,
whether it is a drug, a vitamin, or an herbal product: safety, effectiveness,
and quality.
Good manufacturing practices (GMPs) refer to the steps a company
takes to ensure quality in manufacturing its products. GMPs include
guidelines for proper sanitation, good record keeping, laboratory testing,
and the use of appropriate raw materials and processing equipment.
When GMPs are followed, the risk of a critical failure in quality, safety,
or effectiveness is reduced.
Laboratory testing is an important part of the manufacture of herbal
products, especially for the more sophisticated extracts. An overwhelming
failure of GMPs and laboratory testing occurred only a few years
ago, when at least seven companies sold products that were labeled as