Natura requires that all raw materials used to manufacture our formulas are tested to ensure the concentration of active constituents meets or exceeds specifications. Furthermore, they are tested for both microbiological and heavy metal contamination. The certificate of analysis reflecting these test results is available for all lots of raw materials used. A finished product certificate of analysis detailing the same potency markers, heavy metal and microbiological contamination test results is provided by the manufacturer for every batch of finished product.

No.

Yes. Some herbs that we feature in our formulas, like Dong quai and Chinese skullcap, originate in China where they are a native species and grow best. Like all of our raw materials, these herbs are tested for both purity and potency to ensure they meet our standards for quality.

All products are clearly stamped with a lot number and corresponding expiration date. Location of this information varies depending on the product’s packaging.

Beyond Essential Fats and Beyond Whey should be refrigerated after opening.

Yes, we choose certified organic or sustainably harvested wild-crafted botanicals whenever possible. Certain wild-crafted herbs are chosen over their cultivated counterparts because they tend to possess a superior active constituent profile.

For general protection, support, and health maintenance, the low to middle recommendation is sufficient. For times of elevated stress, or when working with acute or chronic health care conditions, we recommended taking the higher side of the range. For more detailed protocol recommendations please contact your licensed health care practitioner or refer to our Practitioner Locator.

For capsules versus powders, 6 capsules is equivalent to approximately 1 level teaspoon of powder.

For capsules versus tincture, 1 capsule is equivalent to 1 dropper full (30 drops or 1 ml).

Vegetable based capsules allow for increased oxidation rate in comparison to gelatin capsules. Since they are not as stable, some of the herbal ingredients will break down faster. We only use vegetable based capsules with those products where the stability of the herbs will not be compromised.

Yes. There is a trace amount of gluten contained in the glutamine found in our Beyond Whey formula. There is no gluten in any grain alcohol found in our tinctures as it is completely removed during distillation. The lecithin found in several of our formulas (Vital Adapt capsules, Beyond Essential Fats capsules, and Flew Away capsules) is a soy derivative.

Beyond Whey contains “non-denatured” whey protein, meaning that the live enzymes naturally present in the raw product have not been destroyed. Part of the reason that many people have trouble with commercial dairy products is because of the denaturing process, which kills the live enzymes that are essential to our assimilation of it. For people who have a known allergic reaction to dairy, it is important to test the product at a very low dosage and monitor closely.

There are no contraindications associated with any of our Foundation Formulas or Seasonal & Symptomatic Relief Formulas when taken at the recommended dosages. For our Therapeutic Response Formulas, please consult the licensed health care practitioner who has prescribed them for you. We do suggest discussing any dietary and herbal supplementation with your primary health care provider.

While we always suggest pregnant and/or nursing mothers consult their health care provider to discuss dietary supplementation, there are no contraindications associated with the use of any of our Foundation Formulas or Seasonal & Symptomatic Relief Formulas taken at the recommended dosages with the exception of Night Gain. Night Gain is a hormone specific formula and therefore we do not advise taking it during pregnancy or nursing when hormones are naturally elevated. For more information on this subject, including the use of our Therapeutic Response Formulas, please contact your health care practitioner.

Since our Foundation Formulas and Seasonal & Symptomatic Relief Formulas are suitable for all ages and states of health, we have chosen to make them directly available to consumers.

Natura’s Therapeutic Response Formulas were specifically designed by our Founder and Formulator Donald Yance for use within the clinical setting under the guidance of a health care practitioner. Highly therapeutic in nature, they are reserved for the treatment and management of acute and chronic health conditions. Thus, they are only available through qualified health care practitioners.

Rest assured that all of Natura’s products are safe for competitive athletes. Our ingredients are GRAS (generally recognized as safe) and have been used by Olympic athletes. None of the ingredients are on the list of banned supplements. Donald Yance and our co-formulator, Dr. Ben Tabachnik have created nutritional sports performance protocols using our Foundation Formulas for many professional elite athletes.

Our premium fish oil concentrate is a mix of 95% anchovies and 5% sardines. Any small accumulation of toxins is removed from the refined fish oil through multiple purification processes including charcoal filtration and steam distillation. Enzymatic hydrolysis removes non-triglyceride materials, free fatty acids, and debris, as well as the vitamins A & D. Nitrogen flushing of finished product and the addition of Vitamin E preserves freshness.

* Please see the Certificate of Analysis showing test results for specific contaminants ensuring the absence of impurities including PCB’s, dioxins, and heavy metals.

Licorice has been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for thousands of years, and it is found in almost two thirds of all traditional formulas. It is used primarily as a harmonizing agent. The amount of licorice in Natura’s formulas is very small, and even in sensitive individuals who exhibit what is called pseudohyperaldosteronism, there is very little chance for blood pressure elevation. These certain people can have a blood pressure reaction to the glycyrrhizic acid found in licorice, but when taking a formulation like Vital or Power Adapt, this is very unlikely to occur.

The term adaptogen refers to a classification of herbs which meet very specific criteria.

Adaptogens must act in a “non-specific way” and have a “normalizing effect” on the body. This means they are capable of either toning down the activity of hyper-functioning systems or strengthening the activity of hypo-functioning systems. They protect against all forms of stress including trauma, anxiety and fatigue. Finally, they must be non-toxic, even when taken long term.

Historically, adaptogens have been called rejuvenating herbs, qi tonics, rasayanas, or restoratives. The concept of adaptogens dates back thousands of years to ancient India and China, but modern clinical study did not begin until the late 1940’s. In 1947, Nikolai Lazarev defined an adaptogen as an agent that allows the body to counter adverse physical, chemical, or biological stressors by raising nonspecific resistance toward such stress, thus allowing the organism to "adapt" to the stressful circumstances. A main distinguishing feature is their ability to balance the HPPA (Hypothalumus Pituitary Adrenal axis) and help the body to maintain optimal homeostasis (balance).

Due to the extensive research funded by the Russian government (there are over 3000 scientific papers published on Eleutherococcus alone), the therapeutic actions of adaptogens are some of the most clinically validated of any botanical in the world.

There are several reasons why Natura has chosen to have the harvesting and manufacturing of the primary adaptogenic herbs performed in Russia. The primary adaptogens in Natura’s formulas grow wild in remote areas of their natural habitat in Russia, and are processed and manufactured at the top Russian facility, which produces quality herbal extracts of the highest standards. The Russians have been manufacturing these adaptogenic extracts for over fifty years for use within their athletic, military, and cosmonaut programs and have funded the majority of clinical research on this classification of herbs. The Russian government oversees the production facility and stamps each herbal extract after analytical testing and approval by their Ministry of Health, Department of Pharmacology.

Many adaptogenic products sold in the U.S. have little if any biological activity, and the majority of them are not from Russia. Common reasons for these deficiencies are species misidentification, improper harvest times, plant cultivation within poorly suited climate regions, overdrying, and inferior extraction methods.

Vital Adapt is a revitalizing formula that improves stress protection, promotes longevity, and supports endocrine function. It is a powerful antioxidant and deep immune system restorative compound that increases energy without being excitatory or stimulating. As a nourishing formula, Vital Adapt is well-suited for all ages and states of health. From a TCM perspective this formula would nourish ‘yin’, which means it is ideal as a balancing tonic for individuals who are prone to excess heat (excessive sweating, hot flashes), over active thyroid, hyper-tension, “Type A” personality, hyper-active, and other signs of a hot constitution.

Power Adapt is rejuvenating formula that maximizes adaptive energy and stress resistance. Providing deep endocrine support, Power Adapt elevates physical and mental performance, nourishes the blood, and exerts an anabolic/anti-catabolic effect. It is indicated for resuscitation from exhaustion, recovery from illness or debility, or for athletes or highly active people desiring peak performance. From a TCM perspective this formula would nourish ‘yang’, which means it is ideal as a balancing tonic for individuals who tend to have difficulty staying warm, have an underactive thyroid, poor circulation, quiet/timid personality, fatigue, and other signs of a cold constitution.

* When might I use both?

Suggestions vary depending on individual circumstances. Two examples are:

Power Adapt (more warming/yang) taken in the AM and afternoon.

Vital Adapt, (more cooling/yin), taken in evening and/or before bed.

Vital Adapt as an everyday tonic.

Power Adapt following bouts of strenuous physical activity or during recovery from illness for increased anabolic support.

ImmuCare I is Natura's primary bone marrow support and blood building formula. It increases the natural killer cell population and increases immune surveillance by making the immune system more intelligent. IC I tonifies the core endocrine organs - Kidney, Spleen, and Lung, thus building vital essence. Warm in nature and nourishing, it is better for cold / weak conditions and for wasting syndromes. IC I is ideally suited for use as a preventative measure to strengthen the body’s immune response.

ImmuCare II is cool in nature, more settling and calming, with heat and toxin clearing properties. It is rich in polysaccharides from multiple mushroom extracts (Reishi, Chaga, Coriolus versicolor and Poria cocus), and is thus a powerful immune modulator. IC II possesses potent anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties. It is better for hot conditions and for aiding sleep. IC II is also ideally suited for use once one has entered the acute stage of an illness to help clear the pathogen.

* When do I use both?

For comprehensive deep immune support, refer to the following dosing schedule:

ImmuCare I (more warming/yang) taken in the AM and afternoon.

ImmuCare II (more cooling/yin), taken in evening and/or before bed.

Yes! Women can easily take Botanabol and not worry about getting large muscles. Three things are needed for Botanabol to increase muscle mass:

1) High dosage (6-9 caps per day),

2) An increase to your dietary or supplement protein intake (Amino Max Beyond, Night Gain, and Beyond Whey are excellent companion formulas)

And most importantly

3) An exercise program designed specifically for increasing muscle mass.

Chelation is the process of chemically bonding minerals such as zinc, manganese, magnesium, copper, iron, calcium, and others to amino acids. Chelation occurs naturally in the body to facilitate transport of minerals across the intestinal wall as part of digestion.

Natura formulas feature premium Albion® patented chelated minerals. There are three main reasons why Albion® chelates are ideal for use as a nutritional supplement.

Size: Picture in your mind the fuel filter on your car engine. The filter allows fuel to pass through but holds back large particles from entering the engine. The same idea applies to the absorption of minerals from the intestine to the blood stream. Large particles cannot easily pass through the intestinal wall. Many mineral products on the market have molecular weights too large to be absorbed intact. Albion® produces chelated minerals with molecular weights small enough to easily pass through the intestinal wall.

Stability: The Albion chelation process guarantees pH stability of this unique mineral molecule. Stability is maintained throughout the pH range encountered during the digestion process. The body cannot utilize traditional mineral compounds in their natural state. Any mineral sulfate, oxide or carbonate must be broken apart and restructured to allow their minerals to be transported through the intestinal wall. A similar situation exists with some chelates or complex mineral products. Not properly stabilized, they break apart after digestion, exposing the raw, ionized mineral when the mineral payload is cleaved from its carrier. In this situation, these minerals become charged ions, and their absorbability is jeopardized. These charged free minerals are known to block the absorption of one another, or to combine with other dietary factors to form compounds that are unabsorbable.

Neutrality: The process of chelation results in the final mineral compound becoming neutral, i.e., containing no electrical charge. This is important because electrically charged mineral compounds can interact with other dietary components and form substances that are not absorbable. In addition, charged mineral compounds are reactive and can deactivate other important nutrient factors.

Soybean oil. It is .0192 of the formula.