Expert Commentary

	Christopher Hobbs, L.Ac, A.H.G. Secara Chief Herbalist

Expert formulation is the first guarantee of efficacy and safety. At Secara, we've turned to a world-renowned expert, Christopher Hobbs, L.Ac., A.H.G. Chris is a fourth generation herbalist and licensed acupuncturist who studied Chinese medicine at the Hangzhou School of Traditional Chinese Medicine in China. He is the author of over 30 books, including the respected Botanical Safety Handbook, Petersen's Field Guide to Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs, and the popular Herbal Remedies for Dummies.

Chris was Co-Founder of the Rainbow Light herbal line, the American Herbalists Guild, and the American School of Herbalism. He has served on the advisory board of the American Botanical Council and the board of trustees of the American Herbal Products Association. He has lectured at Yale and Stanford Medical Schools and is a regular teacher at the University of California, Santa Cruz. He speaks at numerous schools, conventions and symposia throughout the United States, Canada, Australia and Europe.

Chris has applied his considerable knowledge of herbs to every aspect of Secara's production, from the soil to the lab bench. We encourage you to read more about Chris' formulation philosophy. 

Secara's Herbal Formulation Philosophy
by Christopher Hobbs, L.Ac., A.H.G.

It's important to look at the big picture of sustainability, avoiding the disruption of the families of plants in their natural home environments. The best medicine, and certainly the most sustainable, comes from plants living in an ecosystem that is in natural balance with climate conditions and the many other species in that system. As a gardener and wild-harvester, I am mindful of the limited natural supply of many plants in the wild and believe strongly in formulating with organically-cultivated herbs. I support the organic movement whenever possible.

I follow the traditional formulating principles developed over centuries (especially the energetic principles of traditional Chinese medicine), as well as ancient western herbal principles as practiced by the Greek physicians like Dioscorides, Hippocrates, and Galen. My formulations are tempered and deepened by a thorough knowledge of the chemistry, pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, toxicology, and botanical relationships of plants.

The following are the principals of the Secara formulation philosophy:

Conclusion
Taking all these factors into account takes lots of practice and hands-on experience. Knowledge of when and how to pick the plant, while maintaining sensitivity to the plant's needs, is foremost in the mind of the traditionally trained herbalist.

Herbal medicine can and should be used as the first line of treatment for many symptoms and diseases, before more powerful drugs that are potentially harmful to the patient and the environment. Massive amounts of chemicals are dumped into the environment in the manufacture of drugs, and can be detected in the environment (in Puget Sound, for instance), because of the metabolites running through the human system.

Cultivation of herbal medicinals is highly important because it insures more consistent quality, and is ultimately the most sustainable answer to the massive human need for effective medicines.

Modern scientific testing to assure efficacy and safety, combined with a long tradition of use, adds up to a bright future for herbal medicinals.

Finally, along with the use of herbal medicines comes the philosophy of herbal medicine. When practitioner and health seeker choose herbal medicine, they are embracing the idea, consciously or unconsciously, that supporting the body's own healing powers, trusting the body's inherent healing wisdom, and gently directing the body's energy, is the more ecological and sustainable solution to healing.