Products & Services
Granules
Herbal medicine is a key pillar of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Perhaps more than any other modality, herbal supplements exemplify the principle at the heart of TCM: individualized treatment for every patient. Practitioners blend custom herbal formulas that enhance and balance the actions of each ingredient in the formula, creating a synergistic effect that reflects the holistic nature of TCM’s approach to wellness.
To make personalized treatment more accessible, KPC Herbs offers supplements in a variety of formats. This gives our customers greater flexibility to choose the dosage forms they believe are best for their clients and patients. Granules are one of our most requested formats.
What Are Granules?
When you think of the ancient art of herbal remedy, you may picture a person painstakingly preparing whole herbs to make a thick, soup-like preparation. While this is a traditional way to take Chinese herbs, whole herbs are time-consuming to prepare and can be unpleasant to drink, and today there are many more formats available to practitioners and patients. Herbal extracts, which are derived from whole or ‘raw’ herbs, offer many of the same benefits with greater convenience.
Granules are a popular form of herbal extracts. They have a fine, powdery texture that dissolves rapidly in water for easy use. They are formed by decocting raw herb materials, then binding the resulting concentrate to excipients and removing any moisture. Once dissolved in warm water, the consistency of herbal granules is similar to a smooth instant coffee.
How Are Granules Manufactured?
A decoction is an herbal preparation created by boiling herbs in liquid, usually water, to extract their beneficial properties. In our manufacturing facility, decoctions are created in a rotary extractor. The extractor spins the raw herb materials to mix them together while the temperature is increased to cook the herbs. The resulting decoction liquid can then move on to the next phase of the manufacturing process.
Our manufacturing methodology for herbal formulas mirrors the traditional way of decocting raw herbs together, rather than blending finished single herb granules into a formula after they are made. Decocting all the herbs in a formula together enhances the supplement’s benefits by capturing the synergetic effects of the herbs.
We also ensure the potency of our products by utilizing a patented essential oil restoration and collection process. The volatile oils are collected and reintroduced when the herbs are in the granulation phase.
Once we have a liquid extract, we send it through a state-of-the-art concentration system to create a concentrated paste. The paste travels to a flow coater, where it is sprayed onto minute particles of a base material as the moisture slowly evaporates. When the moisture is gone, we are left with a fine, free-flowing extract granule that can be packaged or further processed into a different format.
What Are the Advantages of Granules?
Granules are easier to store and use than raw herbs, making them a popular choice among consumers of all kinds. Patients enjoy this format because it is simple to prepare, easy to digest and fast to absorb. The granulation process ensures the supplement dissolves smoothly into water, without the gritty, sandy texture that can sometimes occur with powdered herbs.
For practitioners, granules are advantageous because they allow for customization. Practitioners can prescribe and blend custom granulated formulas according to the needs of each patient. The cost of herbal granules is about the same as the cost of a raw herb prescription. For a similar price, consumers receive the same efficacy and increased convenience.
What Are the Drawbacks of Granules?
Granules offer high degrees of safety, potency and versatility, but they are not the right choice for every consumer. Because granules are mixed into a liquid and consumed, the herbs can be directly tasted. This may not be an appealing prospect for individuals with sensitive palates and, as a result, may decrease patient compliance with their practitioner’s instructions.
Though they are easy to prepare and store, granules may not provide enough convenience for consumers who are always on-the-go. A format that requires little to no preparation, such as tablets or capsules, may be preferable for consumers with busy schedules or frequent travels.
How Are Granules Prepared and Taken?
Granules are taken as directed by a practitioner, dissolved in either warm or room temperature water depending on the patient’s condition. One KPC spoon is approximately one gram of granulated herbs. A standard teaspoon is approximately two grams.
Chinese herbal formulas are usually prescribed to be taken three times a day. Since people often forget to take their herbs around lunchtime, practitioners may recommend upping the dosage in the morning or evening. Some herbs should be taken on an empty stomach, while others need to be consumed with meals. Please always follow the discretion of your practitioner when taking herbal supplements.
How Strong Are Granules?
We take great pride in ensuring our products meet and exceed the highest quality standards. This starts with responsible sourcing and careful selection of our raw materials, which must pass a thorough authentication process and contaminant screening. KPC’s granules are carefully analyzed for purity and manufactured under the strictest laboratory conditions where time and temperature are precisely controlled. Each batch is tested to ensure it provides maximum benefits with uncompromising quality and safety.
How Long Do Granules Last?
Our granules are available in 100g bottles and 200g bottles. The 100g bottle contains approximately a two- to three- week supply, depending on the dosage a patient’s practitioner recommends. A 200g bottle contains a four- to six-week supply, again depending on the recommended dose. Once the product is opened, please try to consume it within three months. Our in-house herbalists have decades of experience and are available to answer any questions about prescribing, dosing and taking our granule formulas.
How Many Products Are in KPC’s Granule Line?
The KPC granule herb line includes nearly 300 formulas and 400 single herbs, representing the most extensive selection in the industry.
KPC: Helping Customers Around the World Enjoy Greater Wellness Since 1892
KPC Herbs is a world leader in the manufacture of Chinese herbal products. From humble beginnings to today’s global enterprise, we have always strived to combine traditional knowledge with the latest techniques and testing standards to produce premium supplements for our customers. Choosing the best format will depend on practitioner advice and consumer preferences. If you have questions about our granules or any other product formats, including custom products produced through our OEM services, please contact the KPC team today. We wish you the best of health!
