Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Dr. Christopher's Mission and Quality Statement


    I’m sure you have been hearing the reports in the news this past week that many store brands of herbs do not contain the herb they profess to be on the label.  I find it pretty sad when you can’t trust a label.  At Herbs First we sell products from reputable companies. This week we give you Dr. Christopher’s Quality Statement about their product line.

Quality Products for You!

Our Mission is to provide natural whole food dietary supplements according to the Dr. John R. Christopher ND, MH philosophy at fair prices with excellent service. Dr. Christopher's Original Formulas are time-tested & have been manufactured since 1945 & trusted by millions of people because they work.

Time & time again, we hear from customers that they tried another brand but did not experience the same results as with Dr. Christopher's Formulas. To this, we reply it's because the quality & experience that is put into every bottle we make. From the fields that harvest our herbs, through the state of art manufacturing processes, down to the finish product that our customers take daily.

Dr. John R. Christopher was a pioneer of natural supplements that are very common today. Far ahead of his time, John began formulating when no one sold wholesale herbs, so he had to find ingredients & create his own formulas. Over the years he created more than 66 formulas that are still used by millions today. Dr. Christopher's fame grew rapidly & In 1953 he set up the School of Natural Healing that is still operating today & many founders of other herbal businesses have studied & learned from his philosophy. He wrote 5 books that continue to be great sellers. He gave more than 120 lectures & seminars internationally & in the United States. Dr. Christopher's legacy continues in the lives he touched & in his herbal formulas will aid through generations to come.

We only use Whole Herb/Plant products, not standardized. Today the process of extracting "leading active ingredients" is common place & is called "Standardization." It's all the rage throughout the chemical & natural food industry. The theory is that if one dose of a "suspected" key ingredient is good, a large dose all at once of that ingredients is better. Not so! Those leading active ingredients are properly placed, by Nature, in proportions mixed with other ingredients to keep the herb in perfect balance synergistically. When taken in whole form, they present to your body a balanced solution.

Dr Christopher strongly demanded his company only manufacture herbal products using the Whole herb, never extracting a single ingredient. He understood the necessity of using herbs the way nature had intended them, in their whole state.

We only accept non-treated or steam treated Organic & Wildcrafted herbs when available (reasons for unavailability: endangered, out of season, failed crops etc.), & all ingredients are listed on our product label. We are 100% Pure. We do not use chemicals or chemical clones, added fillers/flow agents, or genetically modified ingredients that many companies use to cheapen their product for profit. As the saying goes "You get what you pay for". If you start with a cheap raw material, there is nothing you can do in the manufacturing process to improve quality. Sourcing high-quality ingredients for our formulas is key. Often we will receive a sample from a supplier & test results show that it does not contain active constituents in proper ratios so it is rejected & the sourcing process continues until the high quality expectations are met. Unfortunately, there are many that do not share the same high standards in the marketplace today & as is always the case we get what we pay for. We can't expect a cheap car to out perform & have the luxuries of a top-of-the-line vehicle, just as we shouldn't expect a cheaply made herbal product to benefit our body the same way the highest-quality supplements will.

Our vegetarian caps are manufactured with state-of-the-art technology, & made from a vegetable derived raw material. Our hard shell vegetable capsules are produced with Hydroxipropylmethylcellulose (HPMC), derived from wood and cotton fibers, which is certified as Kosher for year round & passover use by the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America & meets all requirements of current USP and FCC (Food Chemical Codex). HPMC. They are considered Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) by FDA, are non-ionic & sulfate free. Finally there now is a real alternative for vegetarians & consumers who are restricted by religion from taking capsules made from beef or pork by products.

Dr Christopher Extracts are a 4:1 ratio (4 part herb to 1 part vegetable glycerin or pure grain alcohol). We use a Cold Percolation Process to ensure that no enzymes are destroyed. This extraction process preserves the natural occuring enzymes in the plant product. Unfortunately it's all too common for other manufacturers to use a heating process which destroys many of the vital nutrients & enzymes in the plant. Our glycerin is tested for DEG contamination and is DEG free, kosher, & derived from palm.

We do not rely on CofA's (Certificates of Analysis) from any source as we validate the identity of each plant & finished product through High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography to ensure their quality. Many competitors use IR (Infrared) to verify the identity of each plant. This method is cheaper, less accurate & does not have the ability to detect contaminates, such as pesiticides in the herb. We do Organoleptic testing & a full spectrum of Microbiological Testing on each plant & those tests include TVC (Total Viable Count), Yeast & Mold Counts, Coliform Counts, E-coli & Salmonella. Other quality assurance tests performed on our Raw Materials include High Performance Liquid Chromatography, Gas Chromatography & Heavy Metal ICP-MS test.

Our raw materials & finished products go through more testing than many of our competitors to ensure our customers all over the world get consistently high-quality products.

We meet & exceed current government GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) quality standards. Our state of the art production & raw materials storage facilities includes a climate-controlled warehouse & cutting-edge laboratory equipment. Our company receives regular in house audits as well as FDA audits.

The Staff at Wholistic Botanicals L.L.C has years of experience of making natural products that yield results. We have & will continue keeping the highest standards set by the late Dr. John R. Christopher in producing his time-tested formulations. We seek the best in nature, produce the very best & strive to build trusting relationships with our customers. Our commitment to quality & control in every aspect of testing along the manufacturing process reflects our commitment, you can be sure you are getting the highest-quality, best-formulated products available. What we do here is important but the way we do it matters most.

Sincerely

Robert Scott
President

    At Herbs First Christopher Products are always 25% off.  Order online, or phone in your order. 801-228-1901.

Have a great month!
Kathryn

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

How to make an Herbal Extract


    I have been waiting for this sale because I was out of just about everything that I add to my morning green drink!! I have found that to be an easy way to take the herbs if they are mild tasting.

    I also like to make an alcohol extract out of many of the herbs that we use, which preserves them pretty much indefinitely if stored correctly.

How to make an Alcohol Extract

    Herbal Preparations and Natural Therapies, Debra Nuzzi St. Claire recommends using 100 proof vodka, which is readily available and is equal to the required solution of 50 percent alcohol and 50 percent water. Use four ounces of herb to one pint of alcohol. The herb should be finely cut or powdered, placed in a clean glass jar. 

    After pouring the alcohol over the herb, the jar is tightly covered. Shake the jar for a minute or two each day. At the end of two weeks, strain the tincture through cheesecloth, a jelly bag, or a coffee filter. If you happen to have a wine press, you could use that. "It is best to put up one's tincture on the new moon and strain it off on the full moon so that the drawing power of the waxing moon will help extract the herbal properties". Store herbal tinctures in dark glass bottles away from heat and light.

    At Herbs First we have bulk herbs from Acai to Yucca root and almost everything in between.  Ordering online is very safe on our secure server, or you can phone in your order. 801-228-1901.

Have a great month!
Kathryn