Most health-conscious consumers are label-reading connoisseurs, able to spot artificial ingredients, GMO suspects, and hidden sugars like stealth ninjas.
However, learning to read supplement labels is a bit different, and herbal supplements fall into a category of their own.
For example, some products are liquid, some are powders, some are capsules (comprising both liquid and powder), some are single herbs, some are proprietary blends, some are teas, and then there are different types of extracts, such as standardized versus traditional liquid or powder extracts.
However, what matters most is how much herb(s) you’re getting for your money; this is called potency, and it’s not always clear on labels.
A Crash Course in Herbal Supplement Labeling
This may not sound particularly exciting, but it’s vital to understanding potency, so we’ll keep it snappy.
Herbal supplements are considered foods by the FDA and, therefore, must comply with food labeling laws and specifications, in addition to following established Current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMPs) for the supplement industry.
This is a good thing as it ensures consumers are provided with accurate information about ingredients, dosage, and other nutritional facts.
This information can be found in the Supplement Facts box on the right side of the front of the label.
Here, you’ll find a list of herbs in the formula by weight, typically milligrams (mg) or grams (g), as well as the weight or percentage of any standardized extracts where applicable.
Wait…What’s a Standardized Extract?
Standardized means that the product delivers a standard amount of a specific, active plant compound, also known as a biomarker element.
Examples include Withanolides in Ashwagandha, Rosavins in Rhodiola, and Silymarins in Milk Thistle.
This standardized amount will not vary from batch to batch and will be listed inside the supplement facts box.
As an ISO-accredited lab, Gaia Herbs selects biomarkers that meet validated standards established by the ISO (International Organization for Standardization 17025). This enables us to use an officially recognized testing method against an established standard, ensuring optimal potency in all standardized products.
Learn more in: The Full Story on Full Spectrum.
These biomarker elements are an excellent way to compare potency, which we’ll discuss more in subsequent sections.
There! You’re now an expert in the basics of herbal supplement labeling (that wasn’t so bad, was it?), so let’s get on to the good stuff.
Why Milligrams of an Herb Don’t Tell the Whole Story
If you want to compare how much of an herb is in a particular supplement, you’d flip the bottle over, where you’d find the amount of herb per serving listed by weight in the supplement facts box.
However, this number only represents the weight of the finished extract and is not necessarily indicative of the amount of herb used in the product.
Herbal extracts may be powders or liquids, and each requires additional ingredients to create that extract.
A simple example of an herbal extract nearly everyone has made is tea.
You start with a certain weight of dry herbs or tea, which represents their potency, and then add water, which increases the total weight of the mixture.
If you were to bottle that tea and sell it, you’d need to list that weight in milligrams as the amount of herb(s), which would include the water, but it doesn’t represent how much dry herb(s) equivalent went into the extraction.
If you were to evaporate the water from the tea, you'd subtract the weight of the water and list the weight of the resulting powder, but it wouldn't represent how much dry herb you started with.
Another example is liquid tinctures, such as Gaia Herbs' Valerian Root.
The amount per serving indicates 1.33 mL (approximately 40 drops) of liquid, but what does this mean in terms of the amount of actual herb you are taking?
Herbal supplement companies should provide an herbal strength ratio, such as 1:3. This ratio indicates the amount of herb in grams used compared to the amount of extraction solvent or menstruum in milliliters, which helps to extract as many beneficial compounds as possible.
This is the weight-to-volume ratio.
So, to know how much herb you are taking in a serving, you divide the first number in the ratio that represents the weight of herb (in grams) by the second number that represents the solvent volume (in milliliters).
In our example with Valerian Root, 1 (herb weight) divided by 3 (solvent volume) equals 0.333 grams, which is the same as 333 mg. That is the amount of dry herb equivalent you are taking per serving.
At Gaia Herbs, we do the math for you by indicating the dry herb equivalent you are taking per serving, as shown on the label just below the Supplement Facts box.
In Gaia Herbs’ Liquid PhytoCaps, the milligram amount includes the glycerin, alcohol, and other things that make up the final extract, so it doesn’t tell you the true amount of herb used.
What you want to know is how much of the dried raw herb went into the extract—the extraction ratio.
That’s why you can’t compare a dry extract to a liquid extract, as they have different carriers, and the liquid carriers will weigh more.
On Gaia Herbs supplements, nearly all our products contain the required total weight of the extract in milligrams in the supplement facts box.
However, in the spirit of transparency, we also include the dry herb equivalency just below the supplement facts.
This indicates the exact amount of dry herb used per capsule before extraction.
Without this information, you’d have no idea how much herb went into a formula, which speaks volumes about potency—the more dry herb used, the more of those beneficial active plant compounds you’ll get in the finished extract.
The exceptions are the standardized herbal supplements (as discussed previously), whose potency of the primary active plant compound is listed in the supplement facts by weight.
Due to raw material and extraction variations, the dry herb equivalent of standardized extracts may vary, so the biomarker will be more accurate than a dry herb equivalent or concentration ratio.
Dry Herb Equivalent vs. Fresh Herbs: Another Factor Affecting Potency
Another nuance to be aware of is the distinction between dry herb equivalent and fresh.
Fresh herbs contain approximately 95% water, making them significantly less potent than dry herbs, even when the same weight is used to create an extract.
At Gaia Herbs, we use dry herbs in nearly all our products except for some of our elderberry products, where we use a liquid juice concentrate made from fresh fruit and list the fresh fruit equivalency on the label.
Most companies use dried herbs, but some may use fresh without indicating that on the label, which can be misleading. For example, mushrooms can be up to 90% water when fresh!
When in doubt, ask.
Let's Look at a Few Examples
Although the concept of potency is relatively simple, more dry herb equals a more potent product; visual aids can be helpful.
Here’s what this looks like on Gaia Herbs' Lion’s Mane Mushroom, Ashwagandha Gummies, and Black Elderberry Capsules.
What if a Company Doesn't List its Dry Weight Equivalent?
Unfortunately, not every company lists its dry weight equivalent on labels. Some just provide the milligrams or an overall percentage of a biomarker, which isn’t that helpful.
Gaia Herbs’ Formulation Manager, Susan Hirsch, recommended the following:
“You can always default to the biomarker (standardized extract) when present on the label. Ten milligrams of rosavins in one product is the same as a different extract of 10 milligrams of rosavins. The biomarker does not represent the rest of the extracts; it’s just a way to compare the potency across extracts.”
Why Gaia Herbs Believes in Potency
At Gaia Herbs, we are committed to crafting the finest herbal supplements from organic, wild-crafted, and ethically sourced ingredients.
One of the things that makes our products unique is their potency.
In other words, we use more dry herbs per batch to create a more potent product, ensuring you get the maximum amount of full-spectrum plant compounds and the best bang for your buck.
This is why we add the dry weight equivalent, so you get a clearer picture of how much you are consuming.
As you’ve just learned, you can see this for yourself on our labels under the Supplement Facts box.
This is also partly why our product costs more than your run-of-the-mill herbs: you’re getting a lot in each capsule, allowing you to take less.
If you have any questions about potency or comparing a specific Gaia Herbs product to another brand, please reach out, and a member of our team will be happy to assist you in making those calculations.
Want to Learn More About What Goes into Making Gaia Herbs Products?
There is a lot that goes into making Gaia Herbs supplements, and we love to share this information with you so you can make informed decisions about what goes into your body.
To learn more about what goes into Gaia Herbs supplements, check out the following articles:
- The Full Story on Full Spectrum
- A Consumer’s Guide to Adulterated, Fake Herbs + How to Avoid Them
- Sustainably Wild: Celebrating FairWild Week
- Gaia Herbs Transparency & Traceability: Why It’s Important
- New Clinical Study Shows Gaia Herbs' Ashwagandha Root & Adrenal Health Daily Support Decrease Stress
- Do Herbs, Tinctures, and Herbal Supplements Expire?
