The Power of WWB’s Peruvian Botanical Extracts
Viana Muller, PhD
For thousands of years, people across the globe have distilled the healing properties of botanical plants into concentrated tinctures by slowly simmering them in water. I call these extracts “liquid gold,” as they offer a fast-acting, highly effective, and easy way to enjoy the extraordinary health benefits and symptom relief of our rainforest botanicals.
You may be a fan of Whole World Botanicals’ (WWB) herbal remedies in capsule, tea, and powder form, but we also have many of our botanicals as liquid extracts. Why liquid extracts? First, they’re a much more concentrated form of botanical remedy compared to tea. Without plant materials or capsules to digest, liquid botanical extracts are absorbed rapidly and thoroughly, offering near-instant symptom relief in some cases!I want to take this opportunity to share more about the unique benefits of our liquid botanical extracts.
Our Botanical Extracts Are Very Potent!
Our liquid extracts are much stronger than those manufactured by most other companies. How can you tell? When calculating an extract’s strength, there’s an important number to consider: the “ratio.”
The first number in the ratio is the amount by volume of plant material. The second is the volume of extracting agent (in our case, usually hot water). Whole World Botanicals’ extracts are 1:5:1 or 2:1. What does that mean? Suppose we fill a 1-liter bottle with dried plant material and add 1 liter of hot water. We simmer the plant material and liquid for a specific time, then strain out the solid plant material. We then add enough liquid back at the end of the process to bring the total volume back to one liter. The strength of the extract would be 1:1.
Most other botanical extracts have a ratio that’s as little as 1:4! The extract has only one part plant material to three parts water, water/alcohol, or water/glycerin. Naturally, with an extract this weak, you need to use three times as much to get the benefits of a 1:1 extract. (Or, it takes three times as long to see any noticeable therapeutic effect!) Our potent ratios may be why we’re one of the few companies that always shows the botanical extract ratio on our label!
Our Botanical Extracts Work Quickly!
When doing product education calls with Whole World Botanicals customers, I’m often asked: “How long will it take to work and for me to notice a difference? Probably a few weeks or a couple of months, right?” Actually, some of our liquid extracts work in minutes. They work surprisingly fast both because they are so potent and because they are immediately absorbed, even in people with digestive issues.
For example, Royal Chanca Piedra ™ quickly helps soothe your stomach after you eat a heavy, fatty meal. When used as an occasional sleep aid, Royal Graviola ™ will often work in 10 to 15 minutes. Royal Desmodium ™ can help ease breathing almost immediately when taken during an asthma attack. In the case of an upper respiratory infection, it may take an hour to get relief. Many of our customers report overnight relief using Royal Cat’s Claw™ extract when fighting off a cold or infection. The men taking our Royal Lucraco Plus ™ will probably notice an improvement in their prostate health within 10 days, by the time they finish the first bottle.
Our Botanical Extracts Have NO Heavy Metals!
There’s no place on the planet where the soil doesn’t contain some natural heavy metals like lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury. These heavy metals are partially absorbed by – and integrated into the fiber of plants – their leaves, stems, and bark. The great news is that our Peruvian botanical extracts contain no detectable levels of heavy metals. The heavy metals remain bound up in the cellulose of the leaves, stems, or roots. During the production of the extract, only the chemically active and therapeutic leaves and other plant parts are dissolved in the hot water, leaving the heavy metals behind.
Our Botanical Extracts Use Vegetable Glycerin
Traditionally, when producing an extract, alcohol is most often used as one of the solvents to release the critical bioactive ingredients from a plant. Alcohol also acts as a preservative to protect the extract from bacteria and fungi and ensure a shelf life beyond a few days. While alcohol is an effective preservative, many of our customers want to avoid added alcohol for themselves or their children. That’s why we most often use vegetable glycerin derived from plants as a preservative. Vegetable glycerin is a transparent, colorless, odorless, sweet-tasting liquid that has the consistency of syrup. It’s non-toxic and protects the safety and shelf life of our extracts.
Note: One exception to our glycerin-only liquid extracts is the way we make our Royal Cat’s Claw ™. We use an alcohol-water mixture to more effectively extract the alkaloids found in the Uncaria tomentosa plant that are important for immune system support. In the last step of making the extract, we remove most of the alcohol and replace it with vegetable glycerin, our preferred preservative. Our customers love the fact that most of our liquid extracts are alcohol-free.
WWB Botanical Extracts Are So Convenient, and Easy on the Throat and Stomach!
A significant advantage of our botanical extracts is that you don’t have to spend time steeping and straining as you do with botanical teas. You don’t need to mix with liquids (although you may prefer to) or foods as you do with a powder. But perhaps the biggest advantage for most people is not having to swallow one or more capsules. It’s a more food-based and less “medicinal” way to take your botanicals.
One way to take our liquid extracts is to use the bottle’s dropper to take the drops directly or add them to drinks. Note: One squirt from the dropper does not equal 30 drops (1 milliliter) – a common serving size. The first time you are taking a 1 ml serving of one of our liquid extracts, you will need to actually count them out. After that, you can pretty much eyeball the serving size.
I like adding my Royal Chanca Piedra ™ to my morning chai or adding Royal Cat’s Claw ™ extract to cafe con leche, or a cup of hot organic cocoa, with monk fruit powder and stevia for sweetness. You can always add a botanical extract to hot water to make an instant cup of tummy-pleasing botanical tea. (Your tea may not need any sweetener, as it will have a slightly sweet flavor due to the vegetable glycerin in the extracts.)
Meet Our Botanical Liquid Extracts! Which One is Right for You?
Royal Chanca Piedra ™: Traditionally, Chanca Piedra (Phyllanthus spp) is used to promote the healthy function of the liver, gall bladder, kidney, and bladder, support a healthy uric acid level, and promote the healthy digestion of fats.* We have two Royal Chanca Piedra™ extracts: Kidney-Bladder Support and Liver-Gall Bladder Support. (The extract is the same, but the dosage directions on each label are different to support different health needs.) Personally, I swear by a squirt or two of Royal Chanca Piedra ™ liquid extract to ease bloating and indigestion after a heavy, fatty meal! In the summertime, I add it to my glass of ice water. In winter, I add it to a cup of hot water.
Royal Desmodium ™: When it comes to breathing issues – from whatever cause Royal Desmodium ™ (Desmodium adscendens) extract shines. Traditionally, Desmodium™ has been used to reduce bronchial constriction, promote healthy breathing, help relieve allergy symptoms (such as coughing, sneezing, and itchy eyes), and take muscles out of spasm.* While all of our Royal Desmodium ™ extracts (1:1 ratio) contain the same potent Desmodium, there are three additional labels, each with unique directions for use, depending on whether you need Allergy-Lung Support, Liver-Lung Support, or Muscle-Tendon Support.
Royal Cat’s Claw: Research has shown that Cat’s Claw (Uncaria tomentosa) can help strengthen the immune system, reduce inflammation, and soothe digestive issues, among other benefits. Some plant pharmacologists advise that Cat’s Claw is best taken as a liquid extract or tea rather than a capsule (even when the capsule contains a dry extract.) We offer our Royal Cat’s Claw ™ as a liquid extract (1:1 ratio) and as a tea.
Cat’s Claw’s anti-viral properties make it especially popular during cold and flu season and for customers who deal with repetitive viral outbreaks. One of our clients swears by our potent Royal Cat’s Claw ™ for her cold sore breakouts! “After years of trying everything, now I take the extract at the first sign of a cold sore, and within a day, I’m back to normal!” (Note: Our Royal Cat’s Claw ™ does have a fairly strong taste. That’s how you know it’s working! We advise mixing it with water or juice to dilute the taste without reducing effectiveness.)
Royal Lucraco Plus ™: Lucraco (Waltheria ovata) has been used for centuries as a medicinal cold drink, still popular with old-school Peruvians. Elena, the Peruvian cofounder of Whole World Botanicals, remembers that her mother would serve chilled glasses of Lucraco tea to all seven children from time to time! The older men in her town, however, most value Lucraco for its ability to calm inflammation in the prostate and maintain normal urinary frequency.* About 20 years ago, Dr. Hugo Malaspina, a Peruvian naturopathic doctor, joined forces with a plant pharmacologist to conduct a study combining Lucraco with Cat’s Claw, another plant with powerful anti-inflammatory properties. They found that combining the two botanicals had a more robust and synergistic effect on prostate health compared to taking each product separately. Among our customers, our Royal Lucraco Plus™ (1:1 ratio) is popular with men – and the women who love them! – and here is why, evident in this comment from our client Martha, a 67-year-old nurse. “My husband used to get up 2 to 3 times a night, and now, with Royal Lucraco Plus™, he only gets up once a night!”
Royal Graviola ™: Traditionally, Graviola (Annona muricata) is used by native peoples of South America to support the immune system, help maintain healthy blood pressure, and for occasional sleep support. We now know from published scientific research that our Royal Graviola™ (1:1 ratio) also helps maintain the DNA integrity of cells and has anti-microbial properties.*
Royal Chanca Piedra Kidney-Bladder Support Extract
Royal Chanca Piedra Liver-Gall Bladder Support Extract
Royal Desmodium™ Extract
Royal Desmodium™ Allergy-Lung Support Extract
Royal Desmodium™ Liver-Lung Support Extract
Royal Desmodium™ Muscle-Tendon Support Extract
Royal Cat’s Claw™ Extract
Royal Lucraco Plus™ ExtractRoyal Graviola™
