About Health Concerns
The First and Still the Best
Health Concerns is at the leading edge of research in herbal medicine and is known for bringing the centuries of knowledge amassed in the Chinese herbal tradition to the West. Health Concerns was the first company to manufacture Chinese herbal products in the United States for practitioners. Today Health Concerns continues to research, test, and adapt traditional formulas by applying the science of modern biochemistry. As a result, Health Concerns can offer a variety of formulas for a full range of TCM treatment protocols as well as many products that address the specific conditions of Western patients.
Mission & Values
Since we opened our doors, our commitment to provide access to the purest, highest quality herbs possible has been our driving force. By combining modern scientific research with the rich base of Eastern knowledge, Health Concerns has developed uniquely effective formulas that we never stop trying to improve. Our criteria for uniformity and consistent potency are high above industry standards enabling us to ensure the optimum effectiveness of our formulas.
We are dedicated to providing a wealth of expert and educational resources to our clients, building on the knowledge of the past, to be sure each of our practitioners has access to the information needed to be successful and effective in their practices. We value building meaningful and supportive relationships with our clients in order to best serve them. We are socially and environmentally conscious and actively strive to make our community and the world around us a better place.
Health Concerns is a leader in the herbal formula industry, providing superior products, access to educational and expert resources, and world-class customer service for our clients.
Our Commitment to Quality
Health Concerns’ commitment to herbal medicine and modern science provides you with the best formulas available. The quality of our products has been remarkably consistent and dependable over the years. Since our inception, we have been committed to taking whatever measures are necessary to guarantee safe herbs, free of contaminants or harmful ingredients.
We provide a reliable, worry-free source of effective, quality Chinese herbs to the practitioner. Our stringent herb sourcing, quality controls, and testing for maximum potency and purity result in Chinese herbal formulas offering you and your patients the benefits of both ancient wisdom and modern science.
Product Quality Assurance
Herb Selection
Our quality control program begins with the herbs themselves. We hand select the finest wild picked or organically grown herbs whenever possible, paying close attention to species, region of cultivation, time of harvest, and the spirit in which plants are grown and collected. We use only the most potent part of the plant. We do not use herbs that are endangered, sprayed or fumigated.
Laboratory Testing
Trained herbalists evaluate our herbs for quality on the basis of smell, taste and appearance, as has been done for thousands of years. The amount of active components, strength, and efficacy are then verified by analysis. To screen for pesticides, heavy metals, sulfites, and bacterial contamination, samples are sent to independent labs, which use the latest technology. Capillary electrophoresis, high-pressure liquid chromatography, gas chromatography, and thin-layer chromatography provide detailed compositional analysis at the molecular level.
Processing and Potency
Once the herbs have passed inspection, they are processed according to tradition to maximize potency and eliminate undesired effects. Raw herbs may be steamed, baked, alcohol-soaked or ginger-processed. The selection of each herb is double-checked and quantities are weighed twice so that formulas are uniform from batch to batch. Herbs are granulated and cooked as a decoction to improve bio availability.
Combining Components
We devote meticulous attention to each individual component of a formula and then, of course, to how components work together. Roots are cooked over low temperature overnight. Flowers are prepared by infusion. Alkaloid-containing herbs are soaked in alcohol, and aromatic extracts are added last to preserve their volatile components.
Encapsulation and Packaging
In 2019, we moved from manufacturing our formulas in tablet form to capsule form. The Other Ingredients in the encapsuled formulas are Hypromellose (vegetable cellulose) (capsule) and rice bran to help in the encapsulation process. To make sure the formulas can be absorbed, their disintegration is timed. During the final stage of manufacturing, they are packaged into bottles, inner and outer safety seals are applied, and each bottle is stamped with a lot number and expiration date. A sample of each batch is sent to an outside lab to ensure the accuracy, purity and potency.
Fully Tested & Guaranteed
At Health Concerns traditional and scientific assessment combined with time-honored methods of processing result in the most effective and reliable herbs available anywhere. Our testing criteria, known as SIDI (Standardized Information on Dietary Ingredients), is endorsed by the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA), the Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA), the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), and the Natural Products Association. Our herbalists bring decades of training, experience, and care to the task of evaluation. We guarantee our products without reservation. We invite you to open a bottle of Health Concerns’ formulas to taste and smell the difference.
