Dr. Michael Murray The IMMUNE FA CTOR - Natural MediFAQS

T H E I M M U N E F A C T O R
upon consistently delivering an effective dosage of
active compounds, it is likely that an insufficient dosage
of active compounds was used in many of the studies.
Chemical analysis of commercial echinacea
preparations has demonstrated tremendous variation in
the levels of key compounds even within the same
product from batch to batch. For example, when Dr.
Bauer analyzed various commercial echinacea products
he found that there was tremendous variation in the
level of cichoric acid with most products containing
either none or very little.
Why are Echinacea Products so Different from One to Another?
Most manufacturers do not employ the necessary
quality control tests required to ensure that their
echinacea is properly planted, harvested at the exact
time for maximal levels of all active compounds and
processed for maximum protection of key active
ingredients.
It is imperative that the echinacea be treated
properly after harvesting. First of all, it is absolutely
essential to use fresh plant material versus the dried
plant or roots that most manufacturers use. Studies
indicate that a significant amount of the active
ingredients are destroyed in the drying process. 2-5
Processing time is also very important. If the fresh plant
material is not processed immediately, the content of
several key components—especially cichoric acid and
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