What Sets Ancient Apothecary Herbals Apart?

Live Fermentation, Essential Oils Infusion, Organic Herbs & Spices, and a delivery system of Warming Botanicals and Digestive Bitters.

Ancient Apothecary Fermented Herbs are powered by fermentation—our own proprietary, patent-pending, dual-stage, live fermentation process.

What is fermentation and why is it important?

Fermentation is an ancient process used to break down food into more absorbable components. 

Here are some key benefits of fermentation:

• Fermentation pre-digests nutrients and beneficial compounds into more accessible and bioavailable forms.
• In some instances, fermentation can actually make certain foods more edible and more digestible, such as roots, leaves, nuts, tubers, seeds and grains.
• Fermentation can increase the presence of probiotics in the food.

Each Ancient Apothecary Herbal formula is infused with Organic Essential Oils and CO2 extracts.

The Power of Essential Oils

Essential oils are often referred to as the “life blood” of plants and trees. They are the concentrated oils of herbs, plants and trees.

For example, it takes approximately 3,000 lemons to make one kilo of lemon essential oil, while one 15mL bottom of lemon essential oil takes about 75 lemons! To go deeper, there are nearly 300 drops in a 15mL bottle, so 1 drop of lemon essential oil is made by using ¼ of a whole lemon!

Likewise, 150 pounds of lavender is necessary for just one pound of pure lavender essential oil, while one 15mL bottle of lavender oil requires 27 square feet of lavender plants. With approximately 300 drops of lavender oil in a 15mL bottle, one drop equals nearly .09 square feet of lavender plants.

The bottom line: here’s a whole lot of beneficial plant life in essential oils.

These precious oils can be distilled or extracted using CO2 and bottled, and when steam distilled, essential oils keep the “frequency” that they had when they resided in the plant.

Additionally, essential oils provide lipo-soluble fractions of plants. Since plants contain both water- and fat-soluble active compounds, we believe it is important to consume a full spectrum of beneficial compounds. Fats and oils are beneficial for the effective delivery of key antioxidant compounds.

Therefore, essential oils infused into herbal formulas can help serve as a delivery system for botanicals.

Here’s the takeaway: Essential oils are some of Nature’s wonders 

That’s why you’ll find essential oils in each and every Ancient Apothecary Fermented Herbs.

The Importance of Organic Herbs

It’s no secret that in conventionally grown foods and herbs, farmers often use a variety of pesticides, herbicides, fungicides synthetic fertilizers and many other "processing agents" which often remain in and on the food or herbs. Even washing these foods or herbs can’t get many of these off the produce.

Why? Because nearly 20 percent of the 17,000 (or more) pesticides in use today are known as systemic pesticides—those which reside inside the plant via its root system and have permeated the plant. That’s means they’re everywhere within the plants themselves and can’t be washed off.

To try to avoid these chemicals in and on our food, many people choose to go organic. That reason alone is enough to make going organic is all the rage these days.

But another important benefit of organic food and herbs is that, because they’re grown organically, these plants are able to produce their own natural defenses against pests.

As a result, these plants can have some of the very compounds and natural defenses that we can and often should include in our diet.

That’s why you’ll find these health-supporting organic herbs in each and every Ancient Apothecary Fermented Herbs.

PLUS, each Ancient Apothecary Herbal formula features an Organic Fermented Warming Botanical Blend of black pepper, ginger, long pepper and sprouted cumin.

In Ayurveda, black pepper, long pepper and ginger are tied to the Sanskrit word trikatu, meaning three spices or three peppers. Trikatu is an Ayurvedic blend of the fruits of black pepper, long pepper and the rhizomes of ginger.

Each Ancient Apothecary Fermented Herbal formula also features an Organic Fermented Bitter Botanical Blend of milk thistle, dandelion and peppermint.

Bitter botanicals or "bitters" are historically regarded as beneficial.  

By combining organic fermented botanicals, whole organic herbs and spices, hot water herbal extracts and lipo-soluble fractions, Ancient Apothecary Fermented Herbal formulas feature a full-spectrum infusion of the best that Nature has to offer!

The Importance of Cortisol-DHEA Balance

Balance is good, especially when it comes to life, diet, emotions, relationships, and even hormones.

That goes for the hormones cortisol and DHEA (sometimes referred to as the “mother of all hormones”), too.

Typically, a lovely balance between the hormones cortisol and DHEA is maintained in a person’s younger years. But just as other things can change as the years progress, the balance can become an imbalance because, as we age, DHEA levels naturally decline.

In fact, generally DHEA levels peak around age 25, and then decline at about 2% per year after that due to the natural aging process, so that can mean there can be up to  a 50% decline from age 25 to 50, followed by a further decline by age 75. However, stress, an unhealthy body, sugar intake, nicotine, excess caffeine and alcohol can also take their toll on DHEA.

When DHEA is diminished, cortisol’s actions aren’t kept in check and can lead to stress-related issues.

Cortisol is often referred to as a primary “stress hormone,” but it shouldn’t necessarily be villainized, since it functions as an important hormone in the body. It’s secreted by the adrenal glands and plays a normal role in proper glucose metabolism, blood pressure regulation, insulin release for blood sugar maintenance, immune function and the body’s natural inflammatory response.

Truth is, small increases of cortisol can give a quick burst of energy during life or death situations, boost memory functions and immunity, lower pain sensitivity and help the body maintain homeostasis.

However, too much and prolonged levels of cortisol in the bloodstream—such as when chronic stress is in play—can negatively affect cognitive performance, thyroid function, lead to blood sugar imbalance, adversely affect muscle tissue and bone density, blood pressure, immunity, and weight..

DHEA, which is also an adrenal hormone, can balance the action of excess cortisol.

Fermented Turmeric—Supports Healthy Joints and Mobility†

With a Full-Spectrum Fermented Turmeric Blend, Organic Fermented Warming Botanical Blend, Organic Ashwagandha Extract and an Organic Fermented Bitter Botanical Blend, Ancient Apothecary Fermented Turmeric is specially formulated to support healthy joints and mobility as well as a healthy response to inflammation.†

The Importance of Healthy Joints

The body is said to have 360 joints, although it’s a count that varies due to what is defined as a joint and a person’s age. For example, some joints fuse together over time. However, it’s safe to say that there are between 200 and 400 joints in the human body.

That means that there are hundreds of joints in the body, and you probably don’t even think about your body’s hundreds of joints—unless they’re not doing their jobs quite so well. Then not only do you think about them, but you also want to make sure they’re comfortable.

Joints need to be working correctly, too, because they have a lot of work to do. Your joints function like hinges at the point where two bones come together, and the truth is that you wouldn’t be able to bend, twist or even turn around easily without your joints.

Of course, bones are great for strength, but if we had only bones, then movement would be impossible. Nature solved this by dividing the skeleton into many bones and placing joints where bones meet.

Joints, also known as articulations, are strong connections that join the bones, teeth and cartilage of the body to one another. Each joint has a specialized shape and structure controlling the range of motion between the parts that it connects.

Healthy joints should move comfortably, but sometimes they don’t—for a variety of reasons. 

Truth is, millions of Americans have occasional joint discomfort, and joint issues can happen to any joint in the body, but the larger, weight-bearing ones are the most common ones affected: the hips, the knees, etc. Why? They’re the ones that have a lifetime of stress put on them, and the more stress a joint is under, the more discomfort it can feel.     

In short, joints are pretty amazing and super important to our health, well-being and movement. That’s why it’s so important to take care of them.

Turmeric, Curcuminoids, Curcumin and Turmerones

Turmeric, curcuminoids, curcumin and turmerones are not the same or interchangeable terms.

Here’s why: turmeric (Curcuma longa) is a distinctive yellow spice; curcuminoids are a family of active compounds within turmeric which includes curcumin;curcumin is part of curcuminoids—a small but potent, vastly studied and important part of turmeric; turmerones are also bioactive molecules found withinturmeric but haven’t been studied as much as curcumin has been.

With that foundation, let’s get started.

With a long track record (over 4,000 years) of health benefits, turmeric (Curcuma longa), a perennial herbaceous plant, supports a healthy response to inflammation.†

And here’s a powerful force behind turmeric: Curcumin.

In the 1970s, scientists found that the bright orange color in turmeric is due to its  antioxidants within it via what’s called curcuminoid compounds, of which curcumin (which has been the subject of more than 2,000 published studies in the past few years alone) is believed to be the most potent.

In short, the yellow or orange pigment of turmeric, called curcumin, is significant.

There’s widespread interest in curcumin, the active compound found in the rhizome (underground stem) of turmeric, but turmerones and other active compounds in turmeric haven’t been as thoroughly explored.

Besides curcumin and turmerones, there are additionally over 200 unique compounds that have already been identified in turmeric, including 109 sesquiterpenes; 68 monoterpenes; 22 diarylheptanoids; 8 phenolic compounds, 5 diterpenes; 4 sterols; 3 triterpenes and 2 alkaloids,

You see, there’s a lot in turmeric!

Turmerones are bioactive molecules in turmeric which can also benefit health.

Curcumin and turmerones are not the same, but they both can offer benefits.  

Turmeric, in general, provides many benefits, but the clinically studied turmeric extract (95% curcuminoids) in Fermented Turmeric is obtained from the dried rhizomes of Curcuma longa and standardized for minimum 95% curcuminoids. It has optimized composition of curcuminoids from rhizomes of turmeric and is among the most extensively studied and clinically documented.

But there’s even more goodness in Fermented Turmeric! Ancient Apothecary Fermented Turmeric also features ashwagandha in the form of Organic Ashwagandha Extract (Root and Leaf).

Often hailed for its stress-relieving effects, Ashwagandha truly has a long list of benefits, including helping to support normal joint function and overall joint health.†

In addition to the healthy joint benefits, the clinically studied ashwagandha ingredient in Fermented Turmeric can:

• Ashwagandha Root & Leaf Extract (10% withanolides):
• Supports a healthy response to stress†
• Supports healthy energy levels†
• Supports restful sleep†
• Supports healthy physical energy levels†
• Supports a positive outlook†
• Supports healthy mobility†
• Supports healthy joint function†
• Supports healthy cortisol and DHEA balance†
• Supports focus and a healthy memory†
  

• Clinically Studied Turmeric Root:
• Supports a healthy response to oxidative stress†
• Supports healthy blood sugar levels already in the normal range†
• Supports healthy weight management†
• Supports a healthy response to inflammation†
• Supports joint health†
• Supports healthy cognitive function†
• Supports joint health and healthy mobility†
  

Combined with the Organic Fermented Warming Botanical Blend PLUS the Organic Fermented Botanical Blend AND the power of clinically studiedAshwagandha, Ancient Apothecary Fermented Turmeric is your go-to for supporting healthy joints and a healthy response to inflammation.†

Fermented Holy Basil—Stress, Energy and Immune System Support†

Ancient Apothecary Fermented Holy Basil is specially formulated to quiet the effects of stress, boost energy and support a healthy immune system.†

It features a blend of full-spectrum Fermented Holy Basil, an organic Fermented Warming Botanical Blend, organic Ashwagandha extract, and an organic Fermented Bitter Botanical Blend. Plus, it’s infused with Organic Essential Oils.

In our often stress-filled world, Ancient Apothecary Fermented Holy Basil can help quiet and calm so you can keep humming along.

Who’s Stressed Out?

Did your hand go up? If so, you’re not alone.

A national poll points out that half of all adult Americans—and that’s approximately 115 million people—have experienced a major stressful event in the past year, while more than 1 in every 4 Americans say they had a great deal of stress in the previous month.

For those who are employed, one survey says that 8 out of 10 Americans are stressed out by at least one thing about their jobs.

And . . . 75 to 90 percent of all doctor visits are for stress-related problems and complaints.

So, it’s clear we have our share of stress.

And this is how the body responds to stress—every time. The nervous system releases a flood of stress hormones, including cortisol and adrenaline, which prepare the body for quick actions and responses to the perceived “threat.” Additionally, the heart pounds faster, muscles tighten, blood sugar spikes, blood pressure rises, breathing quickens and senses are on high alert.

This is exactly how the body should respond to occasional danger or threats, but you can imagine what this does to the body when stress is unrelenting and this process is repeated over and over again.

Of course, stress is a normal part of life and can come from the environment, body, emotions or thoughts. It can be a positive, motivational force OR it could be nearly non-stop and lead to negative effects, including trouble sleeping, low energy levels and altered immune system function.

Eating a healthy diet, getting regular exercise and establishing good sleep patterns can go a long way to relieve stress, but sometimes the body may require more to keep its equilibrium.

Fermented Holy Basil was designed to help with that equilibrium, starting with Holy Basil.

Balancing Benefits of Holy Basil†

Who knew that a small shrub with aromatic leaves—holy basil—could have benefits? Holy basil, also known as tulsi, is known in Ayurveda as an adaptogen, an herb which supports the body’s resilience, particularly during times of stress.†

To reiterate, when a person is stressed, the body goes into fight-or-flight mode, raising levels of cortisol (a stress hormone) and adrenaline as well as blood pressure and other stress responses. The body can fare pretty well for short periods of time in these conditions, but can take a hit with constant stress.

Fortunately, Ancient Apothecary Fermented Holy Basil can help support a healthy response to stress.†

Now for a significant stress buster: ashwagandha.

Ancient Apothecary Fermented Holy Basil also contains ashwagandha in the form of Organic Ashwagandha Extract (Root and Leaf).

Ashwagandha is an herb that has truly outstanding stress-soothing properties.† Additionally, ashwagandha can have a positive effect on the stress hormonecortisol, thought to be a major player in the adverse effects of stress. In short, ashwagandha can support healthy cortisol levels.† But it doesn’t stop there. Ashwagandha can also boost energy, support restful sleep, and support a positive mental outlook.†

The clinically studied organic ashwagandha in Fermented Holy Basil can:

• Support a healthy response to stress†
• Boost energy and reduce fatigue†
• Enhance focus and mental stamina†
• Assist in sustaining energy levels†
• Help to support restful sleep†

Those benefits can go a long way to help shield the body from stress and its effects.†

Combined with the Organic Fermented Warming Botanical Blend PLUS the Organic Fermented Botanical Blend AND the clinically studied Ashwagandha, Ancient Apothecary Fermented Holy Basil can be an amazing stress buster.†

So, if the stress of life is starting to get the best of you despite your healthy diet and lifestyle, maybe it’s time to consider the benefits of the specific herbs and spices found in Fermented Holy Basil.

Fermented Elderberry—Supports Energy and Healthy Immune System Function Support†

Fermented Full-Spectrum Elderberry Blend (Fermented Elderberry and Elderberry Fruit)

Herbs have been used for thousands of years to support immune balance—and elderberry is one of them.†  

Elderberry is an herb from a fragrant, flowering tree which features antioxidants and helps to support healthy immune system function.†

In fact, for centuries, teas made from elderberry fruits or flowers have been consumed for immune system health support.†

Among other constituents, elderberry features anthocyanins, which create the deep red, blue, and purple pigments found in plants such as the elderberry.  

Elderberry also features the antioxidant quercetin.

Quercetin belongs to a group of plant pigments called flavonoids, which give certain fruits, such as elderberry, their color.  

PLUS, Ancient Apothecary Fermented Elderberry contains the herb ashwagandha in the form of Organic Ashwagandha Extract (Root and Leaf).

Ashwagandha is one of the most revered herbs in Ayurveda, used since ancient times to support health.

More specifically, the clinically studied organic ashwagandha extract can offer many benefits, including:

•  Supporting a healthy response to physical, emotional and mental stress†
•  Boosting energy and reducing fatigue†
•  Enhancing focus and mental stamina†
•  Assisting in sustaining energy levels†
•  Helping to support restful sleep†

Combined with the Organic Fermented Warming Botanical Blend PLUS the Organic Fermented Botanical Blend AND the power of clinically studied Ashwagandha, Ancient Apothecary Fermented Elderberry is a great choice for supporting healthy immune system function and a healthy response to stress.†