Chinese herbal medicine has an extensive history that spans several thousand years. The art and sophistication found in the traditional herbal practice is quite remarkable. The practitioner of herbal medicine strives to balance the formula's ingredients, the formula's overall actions, and the anticipated patient response. This historically-rooted system can be used to help find relief from the varied and unique complaints of modern life.

 

There are thousands of herbs in the full Chinese materia medica, and about 300 which are very commonly used. Included in the pharmacopeia, are familiar substances such as green tea, black tea, cinnamon, citrus peels, hawthorn fruit, peppermint leaves, fennel seeds, chrysanthemum flowers, and goji berries.  Although some of the flavors of the medicinals can seem pungent at first sip, patients generally  acquire an appreciation for the unique brew.

 

Formulas may be consumed in a variety of ways. Whether prepared as a tea, dried tea powder, tincture, or tea-pill, the formula often contains an average of 5-25 medicinal herbs.

 

 

In Regard to Quality and Safety 

Quality ingredients are our passion at Longevity. The herbs used in making our custom formula powders are extracted in sealed, temperature-controlled, sterile rooms. The only water that is used in the extraction processes has been softened and purified to high standards. The medicinals are not subjected to heavy metals from tap water, or to industrial solvents such as acetone or hexane, which can be used by some manufacturers to extract specific standardized active ingredients.

 

After ensuring authenticity and active ingredients, the herbs are tested for safety. The standard of quality control for safety held by our supplier is testing against EACH heavy metal (arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury) - rather than just the total heavy metal amount. Our medicinals are safe from pollutants, insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, and pesticides. Our supplier uses an on-site lab as well as independent labs  to test at-risk herbs for a total of over 100 different types of organochlorine and organophosphorus compounds.

 

The high-pressure system used maximizes extraction of active ingredients, and the low-temperature approach ensures that phyto-nutrients and active compounds are not destroyed by heat. This method yields a more potent finished product. This principle is much like cooking vegetables. The right temperature and time must be used to retain vital nutrients. If cooked for too long, or over heat that is too high, some of the vitamins or nutrients can be destroyed.

 

The highly concentrated liquid carrying the extracted ingredients becomes thick in consistency. It is then turned into the final individual granular product under vacuum-dry evaporation and granulation in a totally enclosed chamber to protect against cross contamination from other herbs or from any other potential contaminant. The tracking process that began in the fields with the selection of herbs, continues throughout the many processes, as each batch of granules is sealed and labeled, including lot number tracking information, prior to leaving the manufacturing process. 

 

This “Seed to Shelf” commitment ensures purity, safety, and potency in our herbal extracts by following and exceeding standards and guidelines set forth by the World Health Organization (WHO) and Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) of the United States, Japan and Taiwan.

 

Moxibustion is a method used to warm, invigorate circulation, or harmonize the function of the body. A blend of dried mugwort is burned over specific acupuncture points or areas of the body. 

Gua Sha is a traditional East Asian method which involves applying friction to the surface of the skin to produce intentional, temporary, reddening or ecchymoses.  The technique has been used to improve circulation, regulate temperature, alleviate pain, as well as to improve various respiratory, gastrointestinal, and hepatic conditions.