Standardized Vs. Non-Standardized Herbal Brands

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Standardized herb simply means that a product has a guaranteed quantity of certain botanical constituent although this does not qualify them to be better. Standardized products may turn out to be harmful when injurious supplements are added. Ingredients, recommended dosages and frequency of taking the dosages are the most vital things required to compare the standardized and non-standardized herbs.

As per Nature’s Way Products (2008), Echinacea’s standardized version has 40% phenolic compounds incorporated in it. It is further put in 200mg which is prescribed as 1 to 2 times daily. For the non-standardized Echinacea, it has 400mg which is taken once a day but it had similar price as the standardized one. On the bottle, it was indicated that Echinacea is a natural whole herb and boosts immune system health. Skidmore-Roth (2010), observes that Mosby’s book recommends 500mg a day as the full dosage and that it can only be used for 8 weeks including three weeks break in between.

Saw Palmetto is another herb whose standardized version is openly stated on the front of the bottle with the word “standardized”. According to General Nutrition Centers (2013), Saw Palmetto contains between 85% and 95% fatty acids as well as biologically active sterols and the brand comes with 160mg soft gel with user recommendation of 2 daily for prostate health. However, the non-standardized version has 500mg dosage is taken once daily thus making it different in dosage compared with the standardized version. There is also remarkable difference in prices. 100 standardized is almost over $6 while 50 of the other is $7 although both the labels did not indicate that it should be taken for between 4 to 6 months as per the Mosby’s handbook of herb and natural supplements. Skidmore-Roth (2010), further asserts that the Mosby handbook indicates that 585mg should be the right dosage for Saw palmetto daily.

Also, according to Equinox Botanicals (2012), Cranberry supplements, the standardized version has 250mg dose taken once daily which is also standardized to 30% organic acid with the label indicating that it boosts urinary tract health. The non-standardized version however has 100mg Vitamin C incorporated in it. It also contains 3 IU of vitamin E as well as 140mg of Cranberry concentration. It is worth noting that the standardized version is more costly compared to the non-standardized one. However, both have similar recommended daily dose. As per Skidmore-Roth (2010), the Mosby’s handbook of Herbs and Natural Supplements, 9 to 15 of 400 to 500mg capsules are recommended per day as the sufficient daily dosage thus indicating that it is only best when drunk as juice.

Actually, there is a clear comparison between standardization and non-standardized herbal supplements although the dissimilarity does not interfere with the efficacy of the product. For better efficiency of herbs and supplements, it is important to check on the natural ingredients and largely rely on the professional information before usage. However, According to Skidmore-Roth (2010), standardized herbs may sometimes offer uniformity and deliver a quantified and measurable level of targeted active ingredients which is regarded by science as the chief ingredient responsible for the product’s herb benefits.

References

Equinox Botanicals. (2012).

General Nutrition Centers. (2013).

Nature’s Way Products. (2008).

Skidmore-Roth, L. (2010). Mosby’s handbook of herbs & natural supplements. St. Louis, Mo: Mosby/Elsevier.