GHS Natural Health Blog

Nature’s Sunshine Products (NSP) has stuck to what they know best for over 35 years and has built a brand based on quality, purity and integrity – it’s these principles that NSP are most proud of, that stand this natural health supplement company apart from the rest.

In the beginning

As a boy, Gene Hughes would often come home from school and smell the pungent aroma even before he stepped into the house. He knew immediately his mother was making another one of her garlic sandwiches. “Taking herbs ran in my family”, he says and later as an adult, he found when a nagging stomach condition just wouldn’t go away, that a teaspoon of Cayenne Pepper eased his discomfort. The only problem was swallowing a spoonful of Cayenne Pepper was not an easy task. So when his wife suggested the idea of putting the powder into easy-to-swallow gelatine capsules, a revolutionary idea was born! In 1972 a small family business, Nature’s Sunshine Products was formed. As a pioneer in the natural health supplement industry, NSP were keen to help others to a healthier happier life and this became the cornerstone on which the business was based.

From those time-honoured kitchen table beginnings, NSP has grown and today is an international company at the forefront of the natural health industry. NSP today employs cutting edge technology to create high quality, pure and efficacious products.

Quality is mandatory

NSP strongly believes that uncompromising quality is not an option – it’s an obligation. It’s not a vague goal – it’s standard operating procedure.

Quality begins in the fields, where only the finest herbs and raw materials are selected. The company’s global sourcing of raw materials ensures that the highest quality ingredients are selected from many countries.

 After herbs are harvested they are shipped to the NSP manufacturing faculty where they are subject to a series of in depth quality control tests to ensure purity, potency and cleanliness. All incoming raw materials are thoroughly tested before they are released for use in NSP supplements and those materials that don’t meet the stringent quality levels are rejected and not used.

Because quality is so important, NSP continually test raw materials and products throughout the entire production process. In all, NSP use more than 150 tests and procedures to ensure the quality of the raw materials and the finished products, which includes not only encapsulated herbs but also herbal combination formulas, vitamins, liquids, other natural supplements and skin care products. Before being released products are tested once again to ensure that each batch meets the label claim for potency and additional retention stability testing ensures all products continue to meet the label claims until the expiry date of the product.

Manufacturing

The US corporate head office has recently expanded its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility which of course meets or exceeds the current Australian government regulations and pharmaceutical quality standards. The 250,000+ square-foot facility includes a climate-controlled warehouse and cutting-edge laboratory equipment. High-quality products are manufactured here for distribution all over the world.

 Being able to develop and manufacture their own product is one of NSPs greatest assets. This gives complete control over selecting ingredients, establishing efficacious products and creating stringent manufacturing specifications. Each finished product must meet exacting criteria to ensure quality and consistency.

Research and development

NSP has set up joint collaboration projects with leading research institutes around the world to create innovative new products. For instance NSP teamed with researchers from Ohio State University to study certain constituents of liquorice root and stolons and found that three compounds in particular possessed powerful antioxidant properties.

Vice President of NSP Health Sciences, Dr William Keller says “at Nature’s Sunshine we believe that original, basic science research is vitally important. Data from our research establishes the identity of ingredient actives and provides a correlation of these actives with the health benefit of our products.”

In Australia, herbal medicines are referred to as complementary medicines and are regulated as therapeutic goods by the Therapeutic Goods Administration or TGA. As such they must be manufactured according to pharmaceutical standards of good manufacturing practice (GMP) and be listed or registered on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG). (Further information: tga.gov.au/cm/ cmreg-aust.htm) From its humble beginnings to a major force in international health, NSP remains committed to the principles on which it was founded and believes that by providing the finest quality herbs and nutritional supplements to the world that individuals will take responsibility for their health to look and feel their best.

Whole plant part versus standardised extracts

NSPs signature product is its encapsulated herbs. The only manufacturing process that the encapsulated herb part is subjected to is powdering and insertion into a capsule – there is no need for unnecessary binders or

fillers. NSP uses the most effective part of the herb in its supplements, for example Nature’s Sunshine Echinacea is from the root, traditionally the most effective part. The benefits of taking the whole plant part often outweigh those of the isolated components, given the complex chemical interplay of the whole plant part.

However, standardised herbal extracts do guarantee the potency of the active ingredient which can allow for a more accurate dose. There are instances where the evidence supporting a particular herb for a specific indication is based on a particular daily dose and therefore a concentrated herbal extract may be called for. NSP offers a range of standardised extracts for those herbs that require this type of approach.

Lavender oil is one
of the most popular essential oils. It also frequently used in perfumes,
potpourri and various scents. But there are other more intensive uses for
lavender oil. In fact, this essential oil can also be used for medicinal
purposes. 

Lavender has many health benefits. It can be used
to help individuals relax, get rid of tension, alleviate pain and increase
blood circulation. It also can be used as a disinfectant agent and can help
with respiratory problems. 

Lavender oil can be quite effective in treating
the nervous system. It has a calming effect is great to be used by individuals
who want to relax or calm their nerves. It can also be used to treat migraine
headaches, depression, stress and tension. Lavender oil is also good to help encourage
mental alertness.

For individuals who suffer from insomnia, lavender
oil can also be used to help them relax and go to sleep. It is also highly
effective for relieving pain. Individuals who suffer from achy muscles, back
pain, rheumatism, sore muscles, sprains and joint pain, may find that lavender
oil allows them to treat their pain without the use of costly medication. 

Lavender oil is a very powerful and lovely
smelling, essential oil that has many fantastic uses. It can be used to treat
tired, sore and tense muscles, as well as help one relax. Its’ tension reducing
qualities have long been touted. Individuals that are familiar with essential
oils, count lavender as one their favourites. The oil’s versatility means that
the user can use the oil to treat a wide range of ailments or to prevent them
from ever developing. 

Lavender oil comes in various forms. The most
common ones’ include oil (in its raw form), lotions and gels. You can find it
at various specialty stores or online. An online search will yield you plenty
of affordable lavender oil. 

Individuals that want to use lavender oil can use
it in a number of ways. They can apply it directly to the skin, it can be
inhaled and it can be placed in one’s bath. 

Lavender oil is one of the most popular and widely
used essential oils. It is effective for treating a number of ailments
including depression, stress, back, joint and muscle pains as well headaches.
It is a safe essential oil and can be used and mixed with other essential oils.
This means that you can mix your favourite oils and create a customized scent.
Because the oil comes in different forms, you can choose the one which you feel
most comfortable with.

Reference: George Key

What is Glucosamine?

Glucosamine is made of an amino acid and a sugar molecule and is a raw material for making connective tissue in joint cartilage. In supplement form, it is derived from chitin, the hard material in crustacean shell. It can also be made from plant material such as corn, known as vegetarian glucosamine.

How does it work?

Glucosamine feeds and stimulates cartilage repair. It’s one of cartilage’s key building blocks and also encourages self-repair by stimulating the process that creates moisture-holding molecules.

Uses for Glucosamine

As we age, the body’s ability to produce glucosamine can decrease and this causes joint cartilage to lose it water holding capacity. The cartilage breaks and becomes less effective as a shock absorber, leading to joint stiffness. Supplementing the body’s natural glucosamine production has been shown in clinical trials to repair and rebuild worn or damaged cartilage. As the condition of the joint cartilage improves, pain is reduced and mobility increased.

What are the key benefits?

• Helps repair and rebuild damaged cartilage
• Can improve joint mobility and flexibility
• Symptomatic relief of osteoarthritis
• Helps reduce further cartilage damage
• Temporary relief of joint inflammation
• Temporary relief of joint pain

How does it compare?

Conventional osteoarthritis treatment involves anti-inflammation medicines. While they can be effective in relieving pain, they do not address the cause of the problem. Unlike these medicines, glucosamine has been demonstrated to effectively act on the cause of osteoarthritic pain – cartilage breakdown. By addressing the root the problem, osteoarthritis joint pain can also be relieved.

Where’s the evidence?

Given glucosamine works mainly as a structural compound to maintain cartilage, it’s more sensible to measure changes in joint structure, than pain reduction, to quantify glucosamine’s effectiveness. A review of a number of clinical trials that used X-rays to measure improvement concluded glucosamine can reduce the risk of osteoarthritis progression by 54%.

Glucosamine has also been shown in some clinical trials to work as effectively, if not better than some other commonly used arthritis medicines. Some studies show that it relieves pain and this is more marked in people with moderate to severe symptoms.

Does it really work?

Aside from the functional evidence above, thousands of glucosamine users are benefiting from the effects of glucosamine with about 400m tablets a year being consumed. In fact Choice Magazine found about 75% of their online members who were arthritis sufferers claimed they were experiencing a benefit from using glucosamine.

Essential oils are liquids that are taken from the leaves, flowers, roots or stems of plants or flowers. Essential oils are typically clear and sometimes amber or yellow in appearance. They are highly concentrated and have many great and versatile uses. They can be used to help relieve stress and anxiety, thin out congestion in the lungs and chest and even clean the house.

Essential oils, when they are inhaled, impact the olfactory receptor cells. They then reach the parts of the brain that are known as the limbic system or the part of the brain with controls our emotions. Essential oils can also be placed directly into the skin, however, they should be diluted with a carrier oil before doing so. The limbic system affects blood circulation, memory and even the levels of hormones in the body. Different essential oils have different effects on the body.

Essential oils are categorized into three types. They include Top Note, Middle Note and Base Note essential oils. Top Note oils provide the most stimulation. They are for good for providing a pick me up for users. They are very strong scents and typically last for the shortest amount of time.

Middle Note essential oils last a little longer then top note oils. They are also a little less strong in scent. They can have a metabolic affect on the body. Base Note essential oils usually last for about a week. They are really useful for helping individuals relax.

Essential oils provide physical and mental benefits. They are great for helping individuals relax and also can act as a stimulant. They can also be used to treat depression, anxiety and stress. Inhaling of these oils is also believed to provide benefits to the lungs, and help decrease congestion.

Essential oils may be considered by some individuals to be quite expensive. However, it is important to note that they are extremely concentrated and a little bit goes a long way. If you add a few drops to a carrier oil, you will find that you will be able to make it last.

Certain essential oils not only work well on the body, but also for household tasks. Essential oils can be used to clean and disinfect the home, without the use of dangerous and harsh chemicals.

There are many benefits of using essential oils; the ones’ listed above, are just a few. Essential oils are pure and most do not include chemicals that may have harmful effects. Instead, when used carefully and correctly, they can help remedy a great number of ailments.
Reference: George Key http://www.aromatherapypoint.com

In many cases, it might be best to leave the production of essential oils to the professionals. However, if you are an individual who either is interested in making essential oils or who would just enjoy learning more about the process, then this article will be quite interesting.

Essential oils are generally created through the process of distillation. There are three ways to distil the oils. They include the use of water, direct steam and water and steam. The type of distillation that is used depends on the plant and what condition it arrives in.

Plants or flowers are steamed to create essential oils. The steam suspends the essential oil from the plant. After the steam is allowed to cool, it turns to water and the essential oil sits on top of the water, as oil and water do not mix. The oil is then taken from the water.

Cold pressing is another method used to make essential oils. Cold pressing is most often used to extract the essential oils from citrus fruits such as tangerine, orange and lemon. The peelings are taken from the fruit and then cold pressed so that the essential oils can be collected.

Enfleurage is also a method used to extract essential oils. Flower petals are pressed into wax or warm oils until the essential oils come away from the flower petal and into the warm oils or wax.

Solvent extraction is the most common way to make essential oils. It is also the most expensive way to do so. However, it provides the best results. Solvent extraction involves taking flower petals and mixing them with a solvent such as benzene or petroleum. This process continues until all of the essential oil is taken out of the flower. The extraction solution is filtered so that the plant’s essential oils are separated from the solution.

There are several common ways that are used to make essential oils. They include solvent extraction, enfleurage, cold pressing and distillation. All of these methods are highly effective to extract the essential oils from fruit, flowers and plants. The process does require some expertise, so if you are planning on attempting to create your own essential oils, you will need to look further into the process. A good book on the process may be order. You can likely find ones at your local bookstore, library or online. If you have a plant near where you live that makes essential oils, you may call them up and request a tour.

Reference: George Key http://www.aromatherapypoint.com