Cheap Chinese Herbs Are Not Worth It

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Best Chinese herbs for sleep If you are looking for cheap Chinese herbs you won’t find them here.  Sorry, but I refuse to buy cheap quality raw materials for my products.  Why?  Well like just about anything, you get what you pay for.  So if you don’t mind having heavy metals and bacteria in your Chinese herb products then go ahead… buy those cheap ones.

If you want to know your herbs are tested for contaminants they keep reading.  You are in the right place.

But how do you know what’s good and what’s not.   First, find out who is the manufacturer or processor of the herbs.  When you buy drugs you are told who makes it.  When you purchase fruits and vegetables labels tell you the processor and country of origin.  When you buy herbs, a product you plan on ingesting, the rule should be the same.  If  a seller is not telling you where the herbs are processed and by whom, don’t buy them from these companies. Don’t be fooled, if the information is missing from the website, it’s missing for a reason.

I offer a free report titled “What you need to know before purchasing Chinese herbs”. It’s available on our home page and it’s FREE!  Get educated, Chinese herbal remedies are offered all over the internet cheap for a reason.  Because cheap Chinese herbs are cheap quality and not worth the money you are paying for shipping.

We are completely transparent about our manufacturer our testing and our finished products.  Watch our 3 minute factory tour and see how our herbs for sleep, PMS Relief, and Menopause  are processed in our pharmaceutical factory.

Look for lot numbers and expiration dates on every product.   Lot numbers can be traced to batches of herbs and with our products correspond to “COA’s or Certificates of Analysis which detail all the testing and list quality assurance numerical standards of each test performed.   Many herbal companies do not have the high tech equipment or resources to perform COA’s. Check with the manufacturer and ask at the retail store where you purchase herbs if they are requiring COA’s from their suppliers.

We guarantee everything we sell and we guarantee our herbs are pure, unadulterated botanicals with no fillers and nothing artificial.  Ask the other guys who sell herbs cheap if they will make that guarantee.

 

 

Billionaire’s In The Chinese Medicine Industry

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This past weekend, Forbes published a story about a billionaire family who's family fortune is growing due to their investments in Chinese herbal medicine.

The company, called Shijiazhuang Yiling Pharmaceutical gained 5.6% to close at 47.20 yuan, or $7.37.  A rise 29% on its first day of trading. Most of money will be used to expand production of Chinese herbal medicines for cardio-cerebrovascular illness and the flu.

The Yiling’s 2010 revenue was approximately 1.6 billion yuan last year.

The family of chairman Wu Yiling, who with his children own 59% of the herb company, is currently worth $1.7 billion.

Wu is a graduate of Hebei Medical University with a bachelor’s degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine, TCM,  and also holds a master’s degree in medicine from the Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine.

China had a record 115 billionaires on the 2011 Forbes Billionaires list published earlier this year. To have a family in the Chinese herbal medicine business shows the expansive growth of Chinese herbs both in China and around the world.  

Sleep Aid Medication Not Safe Enough Says FDA

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Regulators at the US Food and Drug Administration have denied for a second time, a sleep aid drug over safety concerns.  Trancept Pharmaceuticals formulation of zolpidem tartrate (the same drug used in Ambien) has been trying to get approval for a sublingual tablet they hope to market as “Intermezzo”.  This sleep aid would be marketed towards those who wake in the middle of the night and can’t get back to sleep.  

The problem is regulators have doubts over safety.  Taking a dose of this drug with less than 4 hours of sleep time may result in severe morning drowsiness.  The stories of sleep driving, sleepwalking and sleep falls have all been documented and are receiving attention. 

Driving While Drowsy is Unsafe

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drowsy driving contributes to an estimated 100,000 motor vehicle crashes and about 1,500 deaths each year.

In fact,  in 2007, FDA regulators requested that all manufacturers of sedative-hypnotic drugs include stronger product language warning of the potential risks because of the rising number of sleep driving incidents.

Waking in the middle of the night is a pattern is a sleeplessness that is one of the most common problems today. If you saw the Dr. Oz show on Chinese Medicine (you can see it here) you probably heard that jujube seed is an herb which can help with this sleeplessness. 

This 100% natural herbal sleep aid that has been used for thousands of years throughout Asia, yet is little known in the West. It is effective and safe!  Research has proven its ability to calm the mind and stop the repetitive thoughts that so often keep us awake at night.  It is one of the main herbs in iSleep Herb Pack.   iSleep can be used sublingually before bed or in the middle of the night. There are no harmful side effects and no morning drowsiness.  You can find iSleep Herb Pack here and at many fine health food stores.

Calm Down Your Liver and Sleep Better is The Chinese Medicine Way

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 I enjoyed this article from China Daily and thought it contained enough common sense to help with a good nights sleep. Sometimes we overlook the simple answers to healthy sleep habits. . So here it is.

Since one third of our lives are spent in bed, it is hard to overlook the significance of sleep.

Tips to improve sleep, from Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) theories to clinical practices, can therefore benefit your life.

TCM practitioners believe that spring and the liver have the same property of "mu" (wood), thus the liver tends to be over-active, making people touchy.

The stomach and spleens have the "tu" (earth) property and is the opposite of "mu". If the opposition between these two properties becomes too strong, people will feel uncomfortable.

"Obviously, being angry and uncomfortable makes it hard to fall into sleep," says Dr Li Haicong, director of the Office of Geriatrics at the China-Japan Friendship Hospital in Beijing, who is also an experienced TCM practitioner.

The solution is to calm down the activity of the liver, and to reduce the burden on stomach and spleen, which can be fulfilled by a light diet and gentle exercise.

"Do not have too much strong-flavored food. Avoid intake of stimulating food or drink, such as pepper, alcohol and coffee," Li says. He strongly recommends foods such as  fish, pork, duck, lily root, Chinese yam, asparagus lettuce, lotus seed, apples and bananas.   Chicken, mutton, beef and oranges are not advisable in spring.

"Aerobic exercises, such as jogging, playing badminton and swimming, are also beneficial to good sleep," Li adds.Aerobic exercises will improve oxygen consumption and will prepare the body for peaceful sleep. But it should be done at least three hours before going to bed.

Taking a nap between 11 am to 1 pm, a traditional practice in China, is healthy, too, although many people have dropped the habit due to their faster-paced life.

"A nap should not be too long. About 15 to 30 minutes is enough," Li notes. "The quality of sleep is more important than the length."

For the elderly, who often have insomnia, perhaps due to chronic diseases, a good night's sleep is extremely important.  Li and his colleagues have found that a restful sleep will improve the condition of patients, which will in turn improve the sleep. And vice versa.

"If patients cannot sleep well, taking some TCM will be helpful, but that must be conducted under a doctors' guidance," Li says.


Is Your Menopause a Hormonal Nightmare?

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Ever heard of bed time aerobics? It’s a night class nobody would purposely sign up for, but you just may have experienced it.

It goes something like this.  “I fall asleep comfortably wrapped in my comforter in my flannel PJ’s when it’s cold.  After a few hours I shed the top comforter layer.  Then I’m down to the sheet which eventually gets soaked in sweat.  At this point the chills set in and I’m back to pulling up the comforter, shedding the PJ’s for a dry cotton t-shirt and then the process starts again.”

If you are in the peri-menopausal or menopause years you know it as “night sweats”.

There is also the day time version which most women know as “hot flashes”.  Western medicine says this is all caused by the hypothalamus that gets confused by fluctuating estrogen levels and sends the message for blood vessels to dilate to heat you up, and then release sweat to cool you down.

Night sweats can go on for years and interrupted sleep can lead to a host of other health problems.  In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), night sweats and hot flashes are due to an imbalance in the yin and yang energies in the body. As we age, everyone, males and females become deficient in both yin and yang.  Night time is yin time, and when a person is yin deficient, the symptoms tend to manifest at the height of yin (night) time.  Night sweats are considered very debilitating in Chinese medicine because sweat is considered a fluid of the heart. Therefore, sweating at night while sleeping (not exercising) can also be accompanied by heart palpitations, insomnia, fatigue and paleness,

The appropriate treatment is to boost the yin and the yang with foods and Chinese herbs. 

Asian women experience much fewer hot flashes and night sweats and very few of them are ever put on hormone replacement therapy.  Interestingly, only about 10% of Asian women experience noticeable menopausal symptoms, compared with 75% of the women in the United States.

The use of food as medicine is a basic idea in Asian culture, and a fundamental principle in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Herbs are commonly used in Asian cooking to help supplement the yin energy as people age.  Chinese herbs are made into teas and commonly served as a daily drink to supplement health concerns  often before symptoms get seriously out of control.  This early “preventative” approach helps many women avoid the dreaded night time aerobics we commonly see in the U.S. population.  Our Menopause Relief Herb Pac will boost both your yin and yang energy to reset your body’s natural thermostat and eliminate the night sweats and hot flashes in just a few short weeks, guaranteed.

What’s Curcumin Got to Do With Breast Cancer?

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Breast Cancer has been spreading faster than wildfire for over three decades.  A new discovery recently published explains how the Chinese herb Curcumae Radix, can possibly help prevent breast cancer and can be used for breast cancer therapy.

Top doctors are studying breast cancer treatments around the clock and yet there is little  in the way of PREVENTIVE strategies.  The reasons are complicated but it may be partly due to the fact the breast cancer is not one disease.  There are several different types of cancer cells which all cause breast cancer, some are more aggressive while others spread slower.   To understand which cancer cells a patient has, doctors must analyze the cells individually. Once this is determined, treatment options can be customized, including herbal treatments for breast cancer.

The recent study from the University of California, San Diego,  published in the British Journal, Nature, has discovered a molecule called RANKL, found in aggressive breast cancer cells that predicts more deadly, lethal and life threatening disease.  The findings from these recent studies suggests that herbs with the correct chemicals can block RANKL and may be effective in preventing both the early stages of breast cancer and the advanced progression of the disease. Research has also shown the active ingredient in the Chinese herb, Curcumae root  (small quantities found in the spice Turmeric) has properties that also reduce the expression of these deadly molecules within cancer cells and can potentially slow the spread of breast cancer.

This new research demonstrates that when a  protein molecule called RANKL (Receptor Activated Nuclear Factor Kappa Ligand) is present in breast cancer cells in high amounts, these tumor cells are more activated, more aggressive, more likely to spread and more likely to kill.  RANKL is produced by regulatory T-Cellsthat modulate our immune response.  High levels of these T-cells means high levels of RANKL, high levels of inflammation and aggressive high risk disease.

Dr. Bharat Aggarwal, Ph.D. Professor, Department of Experimental Therapeutics, Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX is one of many respected researchers and experts who has published many studies on the effects of curcumin on cancer cells.  According to Dr. Aggarwal

“Curcumin has a very special nature which will work both for cancer prevention as well as for cancer therapy.”

Turmeric (Curcuma longa or Curcumae radix) is one of the most potent cancer fighting foods. Curcumin, the active ingredient in this common medicinal and culinary herb has been widely studied.  It is recognized as a potent cell protectant, anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory agent.  Turmeric has been used for centuries to support cancer patients in Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine and Indian Ayurvedic Medicine.  Now modern science demonstrates why it works.  Curcumin has been shown to influence many cellular factors, including lowering RANKL.

Blocking tumor promoting RANKL can block the spread of breast cancer cells to other parts of the body.  This new information gives women hope that using the natural substance, Curcumin can be used as a preventative, and can lower inflammation, lower RANKL, thereby lowering breast cancer risk.

As with any potent botanical medicine or Chinese herbal medicine, the use of curcumin should be used under the supervision of a knowledgeable licensed Acupuncturist and herbalist or other licensed professional.  Countries such as India use turmeric  frequently in their daily diet and have lower rates of many cancers including prostate cancer, breast cancer and colon cancer.  Turmeric can be safely added to your food as a cooking spice to add anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and anti-cancer properties to your daily diet.

Disclaimer: Please consult a physician before making any decisions regarding breast cancer treatment.

See the study at the link below.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16219905  Curcumin (diferuloylmethane) down-regulates expression of cell proliferation and antiapoptotic and metastatic gene products through suppression of IkappaBalpha kinase and Akt activation.

Also check out this link at the Linus Pauling Institute research on curcumin for breast cancer.   http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/phytochemicals/curcumin/

More helpful links on Curcumin: ” Curcumin for Prevention of Colorectal Neoplasia”   American Botanical Council               http://cms.herbalgram.org/herbclip/442/091152-442.html


Contact Us  if you need help finding a Licensed Acupuncturist or herbalist in your neighborhood.


Rheumatoid Arthritis Responds Well To This Herb

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thunder-god-vine Chinese herbsIf your suffering with Rheumatoid Arthritis or know someone who is, this should interest you. 
 
A study was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine in August 2009 on a Chinese herb used for rheumatoid arthritis, (RA). This study found that after six months of taking this herbal remedy  more patients in the Chinese herb group had improved, than the group taking a sulfasalazine.   
 
The Chinese herb used in this study was a single herb known as Lei Gong Teng or Thunder God Vine. Herbal remedies such lei gong teng or in latin Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F (TwHF) have been used and documented for treating inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis.   It’s understandable that people with RA are looking to treat their disease with herbal remedies such as Chinese Medicine and Chinese herbs because Western medicine has no cure for RA, only symptomatic relief with many side effects to the medications.  
 
The only limitation to this study was it’s duration. The studies time frame was too short to show whether lei gong teng helped to prevent joint destruction.
 
Reference
http://www.annals.org/content/151/4/I-36.full

Dr. Oz And Dr. Weil Talk About Herbs for Menopause

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Menopause treatment Dr. Andrew Weil, founder of the Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona  recently appeared on The Dr. Oz Show.  The topic of supplements and herbs was discussed, especially those for menopausal hot flashes and night sweat flair-ups. Dr. Weil suggested  eating fresh ground flax seed, which is high in omega-3 and fiber, sprinkled on cereal or otherwise taking 20 mg of black cohosh twice daily in supplement form or as tea.  I agree with Dr. suggestions but….

What if black cohosh worked better when combined with a few other herbs?  (Kind of like chicken soup.  You add the chicken but if you add spices, carrots and celery it just taste a little better.)

What if the herbs for menopause symptom relief had been proven effective by hundreds of clinical studies?

What if a herbal tea that relieved hot flashes and night sweats was available in the U.S.?

What if you knew this menopause relief herbal tea was completely safe to take long term and has been used my millions of people?

What if  you knew the herbs in menopause relief herb tea has been used for one thousand years, continuously throughout parts of the world. 

What if you knew this menopause relief herb tea was included as part of the health insurance prescription coverage in Japan?

What if  you could drink this blend of herbs as a tea that taste delicious?

What if this menopause relief tea cost  less than $1.00 per day?

What if all the was true and you could buy it right here?

For less than the cost of a cup of coffee you can stop suffering from night sweats and hot flashes. We guarantee it. As do the governments of Japan, Germany, and China which all include it as part of the national health insurance programs.  Why are these countries so far ahead of the U.S.?  I believe Dr. Weil and his team ask the same question.  

Thank you Dr. Weil and his team of doctors Russell Greenfield, Jim Nicolai and Victoria Maizes which have brought Integrative Medicine front and center stage on shows like Dr. Oz.   I whole heartedly applaud  them for embracing integrative medicine in the U.S.  In other parts of the world, particularly China, Taiwan, Germany and Japan and Australia, Integrative medicine is more universally practiced  and taught in the medical schools.

Dr. Oz went on to say that Dr. Weil had a secret supplement that he couldn’t live without. It turned out to be a supplement that Dr. Weil highly recommended taking once a day containing containing acetyl L-carnitine (1000 mg) and alpha-lipoic acid (300 mg) daily.  Dr. Weil said that the benefits of the supplement will also help reduce aging.

Chinese Medicine and Insomnia Symptoms

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no insomnia with chinese herbs

Insomnia, whether for a prolonged time or a short duration is a dreaded cycle that can drive us to the brink of insanity. There nothing worse than being so tired all day long that we just can’t think straight. When you finally hit the pillow you sleep only a few hours  and can’t get back to sleep. People cope with insomnia in different ways, some start their day at 4 AM  because “there is just no sense in staying in bed” others rely on prescription drugs. Regardless of how you decide to cope with the lack of sleep here’s a quick look at insomnia from the Chinese medicine perceptive. This little insight or different perspective,  may help you change whatever is going on in your life that’s affecting your sleep patterns

 

Chinese Medicine, practiced continuously now for over 2000 years, categorizes insomnia into 4 main groups.  

1.       Insomnia due to over-thinking or disharmony between work and rest. When it’s time to sleep your mind should not be thinking of all the days plans, all that worries you or what needs to be done tomorrow. Your mind should simply not be talking to you. Your mind should be active during daytime hours and quiet at night.  There are many techniques in Chinese medicine to help you quiet your mind such as Tai Qi, meditation, exercise and other stress reducers.  A proper discussion of these techniques will be addressed in another article. Herbal medicines can help stop these over thinking habits and help quiet your mind without being addictive. 

2.      Insomnia due to sickness or advancing age. When we are extremely weak and/or recovering  from an illness it is not uncommon to have sleeping difficulties. During this time both qi and blood are deficient which nourish our heart, kidney and spleen channels of Chinese medicine. Rebuild and replenish yourself with a proper diet and supplements and this pattern will subside.

3.        Insomnia due to panic, anger and excessive worry will gradually lead to chronic insomnia. This pattern is especially worrisome because of  it’s chronic, (ongoing) nature. Emotions that are buried and not addressed during the daytime hours may in a sense, haunt us at night. These emotions cause a deficiency of heart qi  and transform and flare up disturbing the mind at night. Dealing with emotional problems during waking hours will prevent this type of insomnia.

4.    Insomnia due to spicy, fatty, raw and even cold food late at night. This type of insomnia is the easiest to change. Simply stop eating 3-4 hours before going to bed. Over eating from a Chinese Medicine perspective  leads to phlegm and  heat and both interfere with restful sleep. The body cannot optimize digestion late at night. Your body needs time to process the foods eaten during the day and clean itself out.

These four patterns cover the gamut of sleeping problems in Chinese medicine. Some people suffer from just one pattern, (typically # 1)  others suffer from a combination of them. Once you identify your pattern you can take steps in your life to make the necessary changes to give your body and your mind the rest it needs.

Avoid a Human Energy Crisis

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Do you have an energy crisis every afternoon or even once in a while?  Our busy lifestyles can create havoc for our endocrine systems, our bodies energy fund and storage bank. Chinese herbs work  naturally and effectively to replenish your energy at the source of the problem, targeting  your endocrine system.

The endocrine system acts like the main control panel in our body. It secretes hormones which act as messengers telling the body how to  function properly.  We depend on our endocrine glands for all our energy.  They are responsible for your mood, mental function, immune system, physical growth and reproduction.  If something throws off the control system you may feel tired, depressed, gain weight, experience infertility, digestive issues and have trouble with body temperature regulation regardless of the outside temperature. 

The endocrine system includes the adrenal glands, thyroid gland, pituitary gland, pineal, pancreas, and reproductive glands.  All areas of your health are effected by your endocrine glands. 

This is where Chinese herbs work best.  If your tired in the afternoon, ginseng and other herbs in our Power Booster can give you refreshing boost of energy  when you need it.  No caffeine or sugar, just natural Chinese herbs. They work and have been proven to work for over 1000 years. This is not some new 5 hour energy mix of caffeine and sugar. This is botanicals, a natural source of vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, carbohydrates, saponins and other compounds  your body recognizes and needs.

If your experiencing hot flashes or night sweats it’s the endocrine system running low on natural coolant.  Whether it’s your car or your body, you’ve got to feed it what it needs.  When your low on coolant herbal remedies such as our Menopause Relief can help rebuild it and nourish it.

Low Energy is a Sign of Compromised Health

The cornerstone of Traditional Chinese Medicine’s viewpoint of health has always been maintaining health and wellness by preventing illness through a healthy life style and proper nutrition.  If proper food is not enough then herbs are added to the diet to supplement one’s health.  When the body’s natural intelligence  is awakened with Chinese herbs, it can restore the natural balance and  your body will respond by providing  the energy you need to feel good all day, everyday.


Integrating Supplements and Chinese Herbs Into Western Medicine

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It's been nearly a month since I had a chance to listen to an incredible group of M.D's  talk about what "Wellness" looks like today.  So I've had a little time to discuss the topic and think it over.

Is wellness not missing work?  Is it simply feeling healthy?  Wellness, no doubt looks and feels different for different people.  I believe wellness starts with the right information.  Information on how to stay healthy no matter what age you are and information on how to be well if you don't feel well now.   

But what else? What do you really need, to stay "well"?  Are wellness supplements needed and which ones will really make a difference?    This was the central theme of the 8th annual conference called Natural Supplements: An Evidence Based Update held in San Diego by the Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine.  If you are not familiar with the term Integrative Medicine it's about time you should be. 

Dr. Tieraona Low Dog, one of the many incredible presenters over the weekend said it best, "Integrative medicine just makes sense—it is a re-emergence of viewing the patient as a whole human being, a person with a rich story, a history and set of beliefs and a culture that you must consider in the co-creation of a treatment plan."  Dr. LowDog is on the faculty of the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine  at the University of Arizona where she currently serves as the Director of the Fellowship. Dr. Andrew Weil has this to say about her, "Dr. Low Dog is one of the world's leading authorities on botanical medicine & dietary supplements."  

Over the course of three days of lectures there was an wealth of information, certainly too much for this blog.

But in regards to "Wellness"  a review of natural supplement research presented by Dr. Joseph Betz discussed the "Best Supplements of the Year".   In his review of scientific literature, six of his top nine supplement list were Chinese herbs.  Six on the "BEST of 2010" list. How Fantastic!!  These 6 Chinese herbs have been studied repeatedly and systematic reviews have been published in the most popular medical journals. 

They are:  (in alphabetical order) 

1.  Bilberry –  (Man Yue Ju)   (Active ingredient Anthocyanidins)

2.  Ginko Biloba – (Bai Gou)

3.  Milk Thistle – Silybum Marianumn – (Shui Fei Ji)

4.  Pepperment (Bo He)

5.  Red Yeast Rice – (Hong Mi or Chi Qu)

6.  Thunder God Vine – Tripterygium Wilfordi Hook (Lei Gong Teng)

Just for the record the other three natural supplements on Dr. Betz's list for 2010 were Pomegranate Juice, Echinacea and Cranberry Juice.

It will take at least another blog or more to talk about all the benefits of these amazing herbs. For now, we in Chinese herbal medicine fields feel somewhat vindicated that Western medicine is beginning to catch up and recognize what Asian cultures have known for centuries.  Finally the Western literature begins to surface on Chinese herbal remedies. 

 

Note: Dr. Joseph Betz works at the Office of Dietary Supplements at the National Institute of Health (NIH)

Herbal Sugar Options – Choices You Should Know About

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Have you seen the TV ad on sugar?  It says the body can’t tell the difference between cane sugar and corn sugar.  Well if you were ever going to trust a TV commercial, I would not choose this one.  

Want to know what’s safe and what’s dangerous in the sweetener world?  Looking for a natural alternative to satisfy your sweet tooth?

High Fructose corn syrup (HRCS)  is made by processing some of its glucose into fructose to produce a desired level of sweetness. But because of its processing, some brands can contain mercury  a known neurotoxin.  What’s worse, is studies show it suppresses the “full sensation”  causing people to over eat.  Studies in rats proved this theory. 

Fructose comes from the sugar in fruits. .. but it also contains glucose and fiber and other nutrients. 

Today, some 70% of packaged foods contain sugar, most of it the HFCS type.   According to the Journal of the American Medical Association,  sugar and simple carbohydrates like refined grains and HFCS may increase your risk for heart disease and stroke through fat accumulation, metabolic syndrome, obesity, premature aging, and type 2 diabetes.  This is nothing new.  We’ve all heard that sugar is bad for us. 

Here are some better natural choices when it comes to satisfying  that sweet taste you love. 

Stevia is a South American herb that is estimated to be some 150 to 400 times sweeter than sugar.  Coca-Cola is even using it for a few of their low calorie drinks now.  We added a little to our Menopause Relief after 100% of our taste testing women loved it with stevia.  Sometimes Chinese herbs can be just a little off, but with stevia everybody can drink and enjoy Menopause Relief Herb Pack.

Xylitol and Erythritol:   They look like sugar and taste like cane sugar, though some people find that xylitol has a laxative effect. Xylitol was originally isolated from birch sap. Erythritol occurs naturally in fruits and fermented foods.

Inulin:  Isolated from Jerusalem artichoke, it is available as a powder or as artichoke syrup. Inulin is a long-chain polysaccharide that is mostly too long a sugar to absorb into the blood stream.

Lo Han Guo: Made from a Chinese herb.  It’s a fantastic non-glycemic sweetener  It is used in Traditional Chinese Medicine to treat cough and laryngitis and is a common tea in parts of Asia. Because it can be difficult to find and it’s great for my diabetic patients.

Honey (raw, organic) is always the natural sweetener of choice. Look for wild honey because it is lower in free fructose and higher in trace mineral content, especially the richer dark varieties.

Maple syrup:  Love it, always have. As a kid I worked harvesting and cooking the sap.  It’s  the only sustainably-harvested, large-scale, forest sweetener in the world. Maple is one of the richest source of minerals found in any sweetener. Look for organic maple syrup and maple crystals as an ingredient. YUM

Unsulfured, organic sugarcane molasses:  It’s rich in vitamins and minerals and has been purported (like fresh sugar cane) to have “anti-stiffness factors” that break down detrimental calcification.

Coconut palm sugar:  Now available as a sweetener. It is usually heat-processed, so try to find raw coconut palm sugar.