nuherbs Co.

Happy Lunar New Year. Wishing you and your family a healthy and prosperous year of the Dragon.

The Federal Trade Commission warned approximately 670 companies of the penalties they could face if they mislead consumers with unsubstantiated product claims, part of a continuing effort to re-establish the agency’s authority to penalize brands that engage in deceptive marketing practices.

The warnings follow a December update to the FTC’s guidance on advertising health-related products that emphasized the need for concrete substantiation for claims.

The new warnings aren’t limited to health claims and could apply to any marketers’ statements about the performance of their products, the agency said.

Marketers, brands, and manufacturers will likely review their practices to avoid risking penalties that could stretch into the hundreds of millions of dollar.

Sources:

The Wall St. Journal: https://buff.ly/3MVD3wS
Read the FTC Warning Letter: https://buff.ly/3KJudzQ
FTC Health Products Compliance Guidance Practices: https://buff.ly/3WcDowc

FTC Alerts Nearly 700 Companies About Potential Penalties for Misleading Claims Marketers will likely review their practices to avoid risking penalties that could stretch into the hundreds of millions of dollars

Since 2014, there’s been a 40% increase in launches of foods, beverages, and wellness products that contain floral flavors, as dietary trends that include eating sustainable, clean food use more herbs and botanicals for flavor.

The flowers that hold consumers’ interest are hibiscus, jasmine, rose, lavender, and elderflower, among others.

Consumers are looking to embrace flavorful, functional botanicals in novel ways, opening up an opportunity for wellness-focused practitioners to encourage this exploration.

Offering simple recipes that include interesting herbs, spices, roots, and bark gives consumers easy ways to enhance their meals and experience the health benefits of botanicals.

See how consumer interest in botanicals can be used in your practice or business.

It’s Not Just a Trend, Botanicals Are In | Nuherbs In the last 10 years, interest in botanicals has boomed when it comes to consumers. Many consumers have gravitated toward functional food and beverages...

A change in seasons brings a change in our body’s immune response to allergens blooming in our environment that can cause disharmony within the body.

Seasonal allergies often manifest with symptoms such as runny nose, congestion, sneezing, hives, and itchy skin.

In this article, we look at the Lungs, Kidneys, and Spleen as systems most affected by seasonal allergies and highlight their close, interconnected relationship.

With each system, we take a closer look into which botanicals can provide the best relief and support for seasonal discomfort.

Here’s a look at herbs and botanicals that support spring and summer allergies:

Seasonal Allergy Support: TCM Herbs + Botanicals For Spring and Summer | Nuherbs Spring and summer ares seasons of renewal and growth; however, it also means “allergy season” for millions worldwide. Fortunately, there are time-tested, safe, and effective botanicals that can offer support. Let’s explore the manifestation of seasonal allergies from a traditional Chinese medi...

Ben of Five Flavors is back at it! Febraury 22, 2023 will be the last webinar in our herbalist and practitioner series.

Ben will be discussing Flexible Herbalism: Delivery Systems, Botanical Analogues, Sources, and Access. Feel free to join other herbalists in an open, practice building discussion.

You can register for those here.https://buff.ly/3kn1MON

Participants will receive our 2023 Practitioner TCM Herbs and Botanical Kit, filled with some of our favorite single ingredients and formulas.

If you create an account, we’ll also give you 20% off your first practitioner order (up to $500). https://buff.ly/3QXH6c7

Up next in our practitioner education series is: "Modifying TCM formulas for Men’s Health with Western Herbs:
https://buff.ly/3kn1MON

If you haven't reserved your space, do so now. Participation is 100% free.

In this episode, Wilson speaks to Dr. Holly Johnson, the Chief Science Officer of the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA).

Last season, Holly and Wilson discussed the importance of AHPA’s Tonnage Study.

They are back to discuss the conversations that happened around sustainability at AHPA’s 10th Botanical Congress.

In this episode:

0:52: Climate Change is Real – And It’s Affecting Your Herbal Supply Chain
2:10: How Gen Z and Younger Generations are Combating Climate Change
3:43: The Future - It’s Here Now
4:20: How to Conduct an Environmental Audit of Your Organization
5:48: Looking at Sustainability Through Socioeconomic Lens
9:26: Energy Consumption, Emissions and Examples
11:42: Going Beyond Good Intentions - Finding the Right Partners
14:14: Question: How Do We Really Measure Our Impact?
16:06: From Growth to Cultivations- The Many Factors that Affect Sustainability

Part 1: How The Herbal Industry Can Start to Address Climate Change & Sustainability | Nuherbs In this episode, Wilson speaks to Dr. Holly Johnson, the Chief Science Officer of the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA). Last season, Holly and...

February kicks off our free weekly "lunch and learn" webinar for herbalists to discuss herbal formulation strategies with Five Flavors Herbs.

In classic form, Ben will be melding his background in traditional Chinese herbalism with his passion for local West coast botanicals.

Bring your questions, your cases (de-identified, of course), and a hot lunch or cup of tea!

Register Here: https://buff.ly/3kn1MON

Did you know that the Chinese calendar goes in a cycle of 12 years?

Each year is symbolized by a different animal. In fact, 2023 is the year of the Rabbit!

This year, Chinese New Year starts on January 22. Chinese New Year isn’t only celebrated on one day.

Traditionally it is celebrated across 15 days and ends when there is a full moon!

The first three days are a public holiday in China and is when the main celebrations take place.

As China was a largely agrarian society, Chinese New Year was traditionally a time when people prayed to the harvest gods to ensure that their next year's harvest would be fruitful.

Today, this has changed but praying still plays a role as remembering your ancestors as a family is one of the more important activities during Chinese New Year.

It ends with the Lantern Festival, where people will release flying lanterns into the sky.

The Lantern Festival is all about reconciliation, peace, and forgiveness.

Chinese people do not traditionally make New Year’s Resolutions like we do in the west, however the beginning of any new year is a great time to reflect openly on the goals you’ve set.

How can you apply the ideas of reconciliation, peace, and forgiveness to your life in 2023?

This year, Nuherbs is partnering with the influencers and people doing innovative things in TCM, sustainability, and the herbal industry.

To start the new year off, we’re partnering with Five Flavors to help facilitate conversations with TCM and holistic health practitioners on using herbs and botanicals to help their patients in new ways.

For the next two months, Five Flavors will host a free lunch and learn series on herbal formulations to assist practitioners with their most challenging patient questions throughout the month of February.

🌿 January 18 & 25: Modifying TCMformulas with Culinary Herbs

🌿 February 1: Western herbal modifications for Cardiology for T.C.M. formulas

🌿 February 8: Modifying TCM formulas for Men’s health with Western herbs

🌿 February 22: Flexible herbalism: Delivery systems, botanical analogues, sources, and access

🌿 March 1 & 15: Dui Yao with Western herbs

🌿 March 22 & 29: Ad Hoc topical formulas for first aid and direct medicine

Register for one, or all of the conversations, in the series: https://buff.ly/3kn1MON

nuherbs will be closed for the following holidays.

-*Christmas - Friday Dec 23rd and Monday Dec 26th *
-*New Year's Celebration - Friday Dec 30th Monday January 2nd*

Have Safe and Wonderful Holiday Season!

Want to know how Hibiscus is used in Western herbalism and TCM? We've created an in-depth profile on this versatile botanical. https://buff.ly/3V26wpZ

Season 2 of Herbal Explorations: The Business of Herbs & Botanicals is on the way!

Hosted by Wilson Lau, the podcast features a series of meaningful conversations with other herbal (Traditional Chinese Medicine/agricultural/nutraceutical/wellness) professionals.

The topics covered everything from ingredient availability and product formulation to supply chain management and Federal regulations.

If you haven’t subscribed, you can find it wherever you get your podcasts. You can also simply ask Alexa to play it for you :)

iHeart Radio: https://buff.ly/3JV0cfD

iTunes: ihttps://buff.ly/3Gqqc2G

Spotify: https://buff.ly/3SS7tkq

Audible: https://buff.ly/3po1S7U

Amazon: https://buff.ly/3QOgY22

A member of the daisy (Asteraceae) family, Echinacea purpurea is among the best-known herbs in the United States.

While not a foundational herb in Traditional Chinese Medicine, globalization and a rise in popularity have brought it into modern and, especially, Western TCM clinical practices.

Learn about the the history of echinacea, and how its use is naturopathic medicine is expanding: https://buff.ly/3TKK7MR

In 2023, we're expanding our relationships with growers in Mexico. We've provided high-quality hibiscus from around the world, and are excited to have another resource for our customers.

Nuherbs to launch organic Mexican hibiscus growing partnership Traditional Chinese medicine ingredient supplier Nuherbs is launching a new partnership with Mexican hibiscus growers designed to minimize supply chain issues and carbon footprint.

Depending on your mindset, the pace of change in today’s world can be either a source of never-ending excitement, or a cause for constant anxiety. And to a growing number of American adults, it appears that modern life’s vagaries sure do feel more like the latter.

In its “Stress in America 2021” survey1, the American Psychological Association found fully 63% of adults agreeing that uncertainty as to what the next few months might bring gives them stress, while nearly half—49%—claim that even as society emerges from lockdowns, the pandemic still makes planning for the future not just hard, but impossible.

That’s no way to live, and so Americans have turned to any number of modalities to cope. But in an irony that’s almost poignant, some of the most popular options—we’re looking at you, prescription meds—carry an uncertainty all their own thanks to side effects, safety concerns, and increasingly steep price tags.

So rather than wait for the next chill pill to get cooked up in a futuristic pharma lab, more consumers are looking to the past—and to botanicals—to help manage in our anxious moment.

Bullish on botanicals: Why now’s the time for a botanical bonanza Botanicals may be ancient ingredients, but they may also be the wellness wave of the future.

We designed and launched two TCM-informed products for retailers. Learn more about Hello Dreams™ Sleep Strips and Good Morning Sunshine™ Coffee Pods.

https://buff.ly/3MMtoqo

We're launching a new partnership with Mexican hibiscus growers designed to minimize supply chain issues and carbon footprint. Learn more here: https://buff.ly/3CQluI5

Where do you find the best selection of TCM herbs and botanicals? According to foodie, chef, and influencer, Zoey Gong, RD, it's us :) Thank you Zoe!

https://buff.ly/3gdKi55

Demystifying Misconceptions: Growing Herbs in China

From quality control to trust, we tell you everything you want to know about Chinese grown and sourced ingredients.

Wilson Lau: Sourcing Herbs from China - Sustainable Herbs Program Wison Lau, President of NuHerbs, talks about a wide ranging set of issues relating to sourcing herbs from China.

Hibiscus is a beautiful and surprisingly sophisticated botanical. With its intense cranberry-like, sweet and slightly earthy flavor, it lends complexity to a myriad of culinary dishes. Chefs around the world have used Hibiscus in interesting ways. As an extract, hibiscus can be used in many ways:

🌺 Beverages like herbal teas, sparkling waters, soft drinks, and fruit juice drinks.

🌺 Hibiscus pairs well with cucumber, lavender, and mint. The robust sourness of Hibiscus also pairs well with the sweetness of mangos, tangerines, and ripe cantaloupe.

🌺 Spirit-based cocktails and hard seltzers, craft beer, malt liquors and wine.

🌺 Frozen desserts such as gelatos, sorbets, ice cream, and smoothies.

🌺 Savory sauces for roasted meat dishes.

🌺 Hibiscus calyces used to make jam and jellies.

🌺 Candies and fruit leathers.

🌺 Cake icings and donut fillings.

Want to explore how to possibly use hibiscus in your manufacturing process? Learn more here: https://buff.ly/3QvHa1G

There are only nine adaptogens. They are:

Ashwagandha,
Asian Ginseng,
American Ginseng
Schisandra,
Rhodiola,
Cordyceps,
Shilijit,
Rhaponticum,
and Eleuthero

There are another five probable adaptogens and those include:

Holy Basil,
Shatavari,
Rou Cong Rong/Cistanche,
Suo Yang/Cynomorium,
and Morinda/Ba Ji Tian.

There are another dozen or so “possible adaptogens” that have relatively little evidence and may or may not turn out to be adaptogens. Some of these include:

Dang Shen (Codonopsis),
Manchurian Aralia,
Prince Seng,
Reishi,
Maca,
Jiaogulan,
H***y Goat W**d
and Guduchi.

Other herbs often mistakenly labeled as adaptogens are what are known as “restorative tonics,” such as Amla, Goji Berry, Astragalus, and Processed Rehmannia. This last group of herbs are effective and useful herbs, but they do not meet the definition of an adaptogen.

Adaptogens are not a substitute for the foundations of health: adequate and good quality sleep, a healthy diet, regular exercise, healthy lifestyle choices and stress reduction techniques.

Still, they can be an important way to reduce the effects of chronic or acute stress. Adaptogens, properly used, can improve our energy, and help us to feel better and be more resilient in the face of life’s challenges.

Listen to the full conversation with David Winston here: https://buff.ly/3ATB4BG

In this episode, Wilson talks to Anastasiya Timoshyna of FairWild. Anastasiya and Wilson talk about a specific conservation effort called TRAFFIC and how FairWild is working to ensure that the trade in wild species is not a threat to environmental conservation.

As part of this work, Nuherbs has been supporting the development and the growth of the FairWild Standard and the FairWild initiative. FairWild’s standard is that it brings a rigorous and thorough framework to sustainability of wildcrafted plants, in particular, Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (MAP plants). In this interview Wilson asks Anastasiya the following questions:

🌿 What percentage of our herbs would you estimate are wildcrafted?

🌿 Why is it important to have sustainable practices, with the increase in demand for medicinal aromatic plants?

🌿 Why does Fairwild include a social responsibility portion in their plan?

🌿 How do you think companies and brands can become better stewards of these natural resources?

To hear the discussion, listen to the full episode: https://buff.ly/3zSRcTq

In this episode of , Wilson and Ann Armbrecht discuss key areas of sustainability impacting the growth, cultivation and harvesting of herbs and botanicals. They cover:

Soil Health: Choice of the crops, variety, seed, rotation, soil fertility, The temperature, soil, terrain, micro-climate and humidity all influence potency of the plant. For the plants to continue to thrive, the entire ecosystem must be protected.

Regenerative Agriculture: Regenerative farming practices have arrived at the front of the sustainability discussion. While the ideals of regenerative farming are great and noble, regenerative is still a work in progress science-wise, mainly because the impact of regenerative practices are difficult to measure and compare. A single practice sits within a web of interdependent practices, so what may be regenerative on one farm, may be destructive on another.

Non-GMO Crops: This includes native plant preservation, fertilizers, and doing our best to avoid any non-natural additives

Listen in the full episode, and also explore APHA’s sustainability resources, as well as download their free toolkits: https://buff.ly/3dBDxsI