- 03 8681 - 2088
- Mon & Tue Closed
- WED - SUN: 10:30 - 18:00
- 235 Clarendon St. South Melbourne VIC 3205
有方. 有藥
Many herbal powders sold in bottles look similar, but they can be very different in safety and quality.
Some powders are just grinded raw herbs. Even if the raw material is organic or AAA grade, they’re often not washed or tested for contaminants before grinding.
At Acupuncture Medicine South Melbourne, we use only TGA-approved herbal granule extracts from Ko Da, Sheng Chang, and KPC Herbs, manufactured in Taiwan under strict GMP and ISO standards for quality, consistency, and patient safety.
The table below compares common safety and effectiveness risks between grinded raw herb powder and professionally extracted GMP herbal concentrates.
| Risk Factor | Grinded Raw Herb Powder | GMP Herbal Concentrate |
|---|---|---|
| Washing Before Processing | Often not washed, especially to preserve shelf life or reduce drying cost | Thoroughly washed and cleaned under controlled GMP standards |
| Contaminants | Risk of soil residue, pesticides, mold spores | Rigorously lab-tested for heavy metals, pesticides, and microbes |
| Absorption & Effectiveness | Powdered but not extracted – harder to absorb and digest | Fully extracted and concentrated – easier to absorb |
Grinded raw powders vary in weight and potency, unlike standardised herbal extracts. The table below shows why dosing can be unreliable without proper extraction.
| Herb Type | What Happens When Ground | Why It Matters for You |
|---|---|---|
| Fibrous herbs (e.g., Dang Gui, Bai Shao) |
Become light and fluffy, creating more volume but less weight per scoop. | You may not get enough active ingredients unless carefully measured. |
| Dense or sticky herbs (e.g., Shu Di Huang, Gan Cao) |
Turn heavy and sticky when ground, with small volume but more weight. | Risk of taking more than needed. |
| Woody herbs (e.g., Mu Xiang, Fang Feng) |
Grind unevenly, leading to inconsistent texture and dosing. | May result in unreliable herbal strength from dose to dose. |
| Volatile/aromatic herbs (e.g., Bo He, Qing Hao) |
Lose aroma and potency quickly without proper extraction or storage. | Effectiveness may drop, even if the powder looks and smells normal. |