Just Ask NaturPro

How To Call B.S. On Your Supplement: What Questions to Ask

We’ve all heard that we should do more research and look at the science on our food and health supplements before we buy them. Sure, we recommend to look at available science, search PubMed and Google Scholar, and look for seals of approval. But this is just the tip of the iceberg. In this episode, we share what you need to know to dig deep on your supplement brand, including the top 6 questions whose response will tell you whether your supplement brand walks the walk.

How to Know if a Cannabis or CBD Product is Good

As industry insiders, we uncover one of the most impactful but unspoken indicators of value for cannabis and hemp products and businesses. Whether you’re an investor, a consumer or a cannabis or hemp business owner, the value to your business is something that most people overlook.

Distinguishing Marijuana Versus Hemp: History, Science and Controversies

One of the biggest issues facing the US hemp crop in 2019 was the higher levels of THC, making it marijuana in the eyes of the law.  But a limit of 0.3% is unfounded in science or fact, going back at least 150 years or more.

Still today, there's a lot of confusion around cannabis -- including the basic definitions of 'marijuana' versus 'industrial hemp', and how to distinguish the two.

We break down some of the history and facts behind these issues. 

On this episode of Just Ask NaturPro we are going to talk about some of the history, science and controversy behind the plant, including where 0.3% came from, an essential illustration that nature does not obey the laws of man. 

 

 

 

Preparing Herbs? Forget Facebook, and Read This 350 Year Old Text

There’s a lot of advice out there on how to prepare herbs for tinctures, powders and capsules. A lot of it is conflicting, inadequate, or just plain incorrect.

As scientists dealing in herbal and natural products, we try to evaluate multiple sources of information. As much as possible, we consider both the modern evidence, based on science, in addition to the old, old texts that have withstood the test of time.   

In this episode, we share 350-year-old guidance on drying herbs that we like ot refer to.  This is for drying leaves, of plants or trees, for medicinal use. It was written by one of the most revered herbalists, Nicholas Culpeper.

Enjoy!

Why Adaptogen Science is Elusive

Adaptogens are an idea whose time has come, and their story has been developing for millions of years. Life on Earth has always required organisms to adapt to their environments to survive and reproduce. 

In a world where every nutrition and health idea draws controversy, most agree that foods can reduce stress. Not many Twitter or Facebook arguments contend that chocolate and wine don’t relieve stress.

Yet, the term “adaptogenic” is not widely accepted in the medical or scientific lexicon.  Let's find out why...

A Journey of Ingredient Traceability

Traceability is an industry buzzword, quality issue and regulatory requirement for products intended for human consumption, with the latest focus fueled by adulteration of baby formula with melamine in 2008 and the subsequent signing of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).

Quality issues that can be solved by traceability systems date back at least 2,000 years ago, when Dioscorides developed methods to differentiate Balsamodendron (balsam), Commiphora (myrrh) and Boswellia (frankincense) gum resins.

The story gets more interesting from there... 

How To Pick A Consultant: Look Closely at Core Values

As scientific consultants to the natural products industry, we’ve seen the good and the bad. So we list here (in three minutes) a few core values that we think are critical to have, and which may be a little different than typical consultants.

Basic Requirements for Ethical Sourcing

NaturPro has seen a lot, and learned a lot, about ethical sourcing. The system is rigged to leave the farmers with the least profit, which contributes to poor quality and traceability, in a vicious cycle

Co-ops and industry initiatives, education and support are the only ways to address the inequity of value gained from agricultural and wild-harvested plants. 

In this episode, we list the primary categories of evaluation in our Ethical Sourcing protocol that are derived from multiple global standards, yet also customized for the particular needs of the people who are growing and harvesting and processing the raw materials. 

Are Your GMP's Excellent?

Everyone who sells or makes a supplement or food, or an ingredient, is subject to FDA requirements. 

By now, most folks in the FDA-regulated world know the minimum level of cGMPs (current Good Manufacturing Practices). It includes things like raw material testing, specifications, batch records and finished product testing.

But how do you know when your manufacturer has gone from meeting the minimum basic GMPs to the next level—what we can call Excellent Manufacturing Practices, or EMPs? 

Key Elements of Supplement Labels

Product labels are the face of your brand, so you have to make every inch count.

Meanwhile there's a lot of FDA restrictions for supplement and food labels, even down to the hairline between ingredients that's required - that's 21 CFR 101.36(e) for the real nerds. 

We share the most critical items you need to check off when developing your own supplement label.

Happy labeling!