The Power of

Full Spectrum Herbal Remedies

By Bill Crimi

      The term ‘full spectrum’ with regard to herbs is used to describe an herbal product that retains all of its naturally occurring components. The benefit of full spectrum herbs is commonly believed to be better suited for purposes intended by purists and many alternative medicine practitioners. Their belief is that Mother Nature knows best with respect to developing a natural remedy, and they may be right.

     To extract a single component of an herb which has been identified as the primary beneficial substance, possibly may hinder absorption and utilization when administered alone. Whether standardized or not, such an extract lacks potentially needed co-components such as enzymes, trace elements etc. which may act as a catalyst in mechanism of action. In effect, using a non full-spectrum herbal product, may render it ineffective, or in the least…less effective.

     As an example, we certainly know of vitamins and minerals which have been shown to work in the system better (synergistically) when combined, especially when related, as in the B-vitamin family. The term ‘complex’ is usually used to describe such supplements. Vitamin C-Complex is for instance a combination of ascorbic-acid and bio-flavanoids. Also, we know of the many muscle building benefits when combining certain amino acids for optimal results. For this reason, taking a full-spectrum herbal remedy may be best.

     Though well-meaning herbalists attempt to formulate their compounds to match the balance found in nature, a slight deviation might occur. Being out of kilt in a small degree should normally not matter. As long as ‘all’ the components are present, the preparation should work as intended.

     So, if you have had little success with an herbal remedy in the past, you might want to try one that has not been overly processed in order to extract a single component, standardized or not…Don’t confuse standardization with full-spectrum, because there is a great difference. Standardized simply means that the product has a measured dose of a particular saponin. Products like these may only contain one element of the botanical which has been deemed the active component. A standardized herbal product is often touted as best, but this may not always be true…full-spectrum might be a better way to go.