Why Extracts Are Better Than Whole Herbs in Ayurvedic Products

When you buy any Ayurveda product, you will come across too many options and it can get tough to choose the right one. Some health products have herbal extracts, while some are naturally-dried whole-herb products. Consuming extract-based products is a better option because they are more concentrated. It means that they are more potent and superior as compared to herb-based products. Let’s have a look at both options and understand why extracts hold the advantage over herbs.

Overview of herbs-based products

Herbs are used for various healthcare treatments ever since their discovery. They are extremely diverse and their benefits are many. Popular herbs like Brahmi, Amla, Ashwagandha, Boswellia, etc. have widespread use and are known to cure many ailments. Herbs help in supporting the immune system, curing inflammation and calming the nervous system.

When it comes to whole herbs, they are usually consumed encapsulated and dried. The herbs are chopped into finer pieces before being transformed into medicine form. It is beneficial in a way as people can consume herbs in their natural and whole form. There are inactive ingredients in herbs as well when they are chopped fine. However, it can become difficult for the human body to assimilate the biologically-active phytochemical if the whole herb is consumed. Also, the effectiveness of Ayurveda products decreases when they have herbs from different parts of the world. Herbs grown and harvested in different parts of the world at different times will show a varying effects on the human body. Some might be less effective than others.

The processing technique is another important factor that affects the quality of the final product. Even though you are taking a natural product, you might not be able to assess its effectiveness. This can lead to variation in the effectiveness of the product even if you buy the same product from the same brand continuously. Due to varying chemical compositions, the product might not have the same effect each time on the human body. Further, Ayurveda products that have encapsulated ground herbs instead of the concentrated extract are found to have no effect on the human body at all.

To conclude, if you prefer consuming the whole herb, you must purchase it from a herbalist or source it manually from a trusted person. You can then consume it with tea. Ground-herb supplements are not recommended as the human body cannot assimilate and extract the useful properties of the herbs.

Overview of extracts-based products

When it comes to extracts, they represent the active ingredients of a particular plant. According to scientific studies, it has been possible to find the exact compounds that make certain herbs very effective. It can be beneficial as they can be isolated in an extract-based product so that the
human body can best assimilate it. Other inconsequential compounds can simply be eliminated from the final product. However, it can be tricky if multiple compounds are not found to show the beneficial effects of herbs. Despite this, extract-based products hold a fair amount of advantage.

A good extract-based product is made after a long process of extractions with numerous quantities of herbs used to generate a small amount of a potent extract. It becomes important to choose the right manufacturer because many companies in the market add steroids to improve
the effectiveness of weak extracts. It is advisable to opt for standardized herbal extracts having the same active ingredient in terms of quantity and quality.

Also, trusted manufacturers often display their certifications and follow the same standard of production. This ensures that you get a consistent product with the same quality of extracts whenever you buy them.

Final thoughts

So, extracts-based products hold a clear advantage over whole herbs-based products due to the reasons mentioned above. We recommend you opt for health products that use standardized herbal extracts and list the main active ingredients clearly on the label. Also, after finalizing a few brands, you must check for the type of main active ingredients used and dosage recommendations. Some manufacturers will ask you to consume a bigger dosage because their extracts will be weaker. These are some of the tips to help you buy extracts-based Ayurveda products.