This formulation provides a unique combination of the essential trace mineral selenium, vitamins A, ...
Standardised Herbs
Scientific interest in plants has burgeoned due to increased efficiency of new plant-derived substances and growing interest in natural products. The World Health Organisation estimates that 80% of the world population presently uses herbal products in one form or another. There are an estimated 250,000 to 500,000 known plants today, but only about 5,000 of these have been studied or used. Many researchers believe that there are plants as yet unrecognized for their beneficial properties, and based on current research and financial investments in this sector, it seems that they will continue to play important roles in human health.
Ancient Herbal Folklore has no known origins, archaeological remains from early civilisations have revealed that plants were used in burials and other rituals. The process to search for beneficial plants has continued through all times in all civilizations, the ancient Babylonians, Chinese, Egyptians, Indians and Native Americans were all herbalists. One of the oldest known herbal references, which catalogues over 200 botanicals, is the Shennong Bencao Jing, it is thought to be written during the Qin and Han Dynasty (c.221 B.C. -220 A.D.). Egypt was the cradle of herbal practice, which was indispensable both at that time and for many centuries afterwards. The Egyptian Papyrus Ebers (c.1550 B.C.), found in the 19th century, contains almost 900 botanical recipes recommended by Egyptian priests.
Traditional Western Herbalism has its roots in Greek and Roman herbal knowledge, which in turn had its roots in Egypt and beyond. It was first pioneered by “the Father of Medicine“, the Greek physician Hippocrates (c.460 B.C.), and then further advanced by other famous Greek physicians in the service of the Romans, such as Dioscorides (c.40 A.D.) and Galen (c.130 A.D.). Herbal use in medieval times was significantly advanced through the skills brought back to Europe by the Crusaders, who had learnt herbal practise from their Arab adversaries, who had themselves learnt the knowledge from the ancient Greeks and Persians.
Vega’s Standardised Herbal Formulations contain quality herbal ingredients sourced from the entire globe and have the best concentration of active ingredients that research has found to be most signifi cant and beneficial to good health. In the last 50 years advances in scientific research, pharmaceutical technology and the development of analytical methods have enabled scientists to guarantee the necessary control procedures to extract and isolate beneficial plant compounds. These may be derived from the root, stem, bark, leaf, flower, fruit or seed of the plant. It is advisable to consult your doctor before using any herbal product if you are pregnant or taking any medication.
Agnus Castus Herbal Complex
Agnuscastus (Latin - Vitex Agnus-Castus) is a member of the Verbenaceae plant family and is also commonly known as the chaste tree, hemp tree, sage tree, chaste berry and monk’s pepper. It is a beautiful, aromatic little deciduous tree or large shrub indigenous to the Mediterranean region and Western Asia. The plant has palm shaped leaves with small fragrant lilac flowers and small yellow-red hard fruits. The ancient Greeks called the plant “agnos”, meaning chaste, as the Greek matrons and monks...
Aloe Vera Herbal Complex
Aloe vera (Latin - Aloe Barbadensis) is a member of the Liliaceae plant family and is also known by the Chinese as the “harmony remedy”. It is a perennial, drought-resisting plant indigenous to Eastern and Southern Africa and is now cultivated extensively worldwide. Aloe’s thick green-grey lance shaped leaves grows from a short stalk near ground level in a rosette pattern and is often mistaken as a cactus. Aloe Vera is referred to in many scriptures all over the world, records of its use dates b...
Black Cohosh Herbal Complex
Black cohosh (Latin - Cimicifuga Racemosa) is a member of the Ranunculaceae plant family and is related to the buttercup family, it is a herbaceous perennial indigenous to Canada and Eastern North America. The plant has graceful tall spires of brilliant white flowers with a black rootstock that is knotty and rough. Cohosh is a native American Indian word for rough, hence the name black cohosh. The native American Indians prized black cohosh and used it for a variety of purposes, and gave it many...
Cat's Claw Herbal Complex
Cat’s claw (Latin - Uncaria Tomentosa) is a member of the Rubiaceae plant family and is also known in Spanish as uña de gato and by the native Indians as vilcacora. It is a large perennial climbing liana (woody vine) indigenous to the Amazon rainforest and other tropical regions of South and Central America. The plant has a fissured yellowish-green coloured bark with small yellowish-white flowers. Its name is derived from the hook-like paired thorns that grow along the vine and are curved like a...
Devil's Claw Herbal Complex
Devil’s claw (Latin - Harpagophytum Procumbens) is a member of the Pedaliaceae plant family and is also commonly known as wood spider and the grapple plant, “harpagos” is a Greek word meaning grappling hook. It is a weedy perennial and thrives in clay or sandy soils, and is indigenous to Southern Africa, especially the Kalahari desert, Botswana, Namibia and the island of Madagascar. The plant has bright red-purple flowers with a central taproot and secondary tubers (storage roots). It derives it...
Dong Quai Herbal Complex
Dong quai (Latin - Angelica Sinensis) is a member of the Apiaceous plant family and is also commonly known in China as dang gui or tang kuei. It is a sturdy aromatic perennial indigenous to China and Japan and thrives in damp mountain ravines, meadows, river banks and coastal areas. The plant has smooth, hollow purplish stems and bears umbrella-shaped clusters of greenish-white flowers and winged fruits in the summer. The yellowish-brown fleshy roots of the plant has a distinctive sweet and pung...
Echinacea Herbal Complex
Echinacea (Latin - E. Angustifolia and E. Purpurea) is a member of the Asteraceae plant family and is also commonly known as purple cone flower, black Sampson and snakeroot. It is a herbaceous perennial indigenous to the Central and North American plains, and has brilliant purple to pink, daisy-like wild flowers. Echinacea derives its name from the Greek word “echinos”, meaning sea urchin or hedgehog, referring to the prickly scales of the dried seed head. Echinacea has a long and intriguing his...
Echinacea + Ginseng & Astragalus Herbal Complex
This product provides a fantastic combination of beneficial herbs and has been designed as a medium potency herbal complex to be used with any well-being supplementation regime. The combination of herbs have been carefully selected, and together, they strengthen the formulation in different ways. The primary herbs echinacea, ginseng and astragalus are supported by liquorice, ginger, ginkgo, schisandra and shiitake, which help to enhance the benefits of the primary herbs. Together, these differen...
Feverfew Herbal Complex
Feverfew (Latin - Tanacetum Parthenium) is a member of the Asteraceae plant family and is also commonly known as bachelor’s buttons, bride’s buttons, feather few, feather foil and wild chamomile. It is an aromatic, herbaceous perennial that is indigenous to the Balkan peninsula, although it is now cultivated throughout Europe, Australia and America. The plant has broad lobed, aromatic leaves, a tall stem and numerous white button-type, daisy-like flowers. The use of feverfew dates back to the an...
Ginkgo Biloba Herbal Complex
Ginkgo (Latin – Ginkgo Biloba) is a member of the Ginkgoaceae plant family and is also commonly known as the maidenhair tree or in China as bai guo. Ginkgo is dioecious tree, the male and female trees are separate. The odd name “ginkgo” seems to have been derived from the Japanese pronunciation of yin-kuo, Chinese for “silver apricot”, referring to the apricot-like seeds produced by the female plant. Ginkgo is a large deciduous tree indigenous to China capable of topping 30m (100ft) in height. I...
Ginseng Korean Herbal Complex
Korean ginseng (Latin – Panax Ginseng) is a member of the Araliaceae plant family and is also commonly known as Asian ginseng, Asiatic ginger or in China as ren shen, meaning “man root”, as it resembles the shape of the human body. It is a deciduous, herbaceous perennial indigenous to North Eastern China and Korea, and although it is now rare in the wild it is cultivated extensively. The plant has oval toothed leaves with a cluster of small green-yellow flowers and red berry-like fruits. Since i...
Ginseng Siberian Herbal Complex
Siberian ginseng (Latin - Eleutherococcus Senticosus) is a member of the Araliaceae plant family and is also commonly known as eleuthero. Although it comes from the same plant family as panax ginseng, it is an entirely distinct plant with different active constituents. Siberian ginseng is a deciduous perennial shrub that grows up to 3m (10ft) high and is indigenous to the forests of Eastern Asia, including China, Japan, Korea and Siberia. The plant has thorny and spiked branches and grows densel...
Milk Thistle Herbal Complex
Milk thistle (Latin - Silybum Marianum) is a member of the Asteraceae plant family and has many common names, including holy thistle, St. Mary thistle, and Marian thistle. The adjectives “holy, St. Mary, Marian and milk” have been assigned through a folklore that honors the symbolic association of the plant with the Virgin Mary. It is said that some drops of the Virgin Mary’s milk fell on the plant and became exhibited in the milk white veins of its leaves. Milk thistle is a stout annual or bien...
Neem Leaf Herbal Complex
Neem (Latin - Azadirachta Indica) is a member of the Meliaceae plant family and has many common names, including Indian lilac, limba, margosa, nim, nimba and vempu. Neem is an attractive, evergreen perennial tree capable of topping 30m (100ft) in height. It is indigenous to India and Myanmar (Burma), but now grows naturally in tropical and subtropical areas of many parts of the world. Neem’s spreading shade branches form a rounded crown of deep-green broad leaves and honey-scented white fl owers...
Rhodiola Herbal Complex
Rhodiola (Latin - Rhodiola Rosea) is a member of the Crassulaceae plant family and is also commonly known as Artic root, golden root or rose root. It is a herbaceous perennial plant indigenous to the Arctic mountainous regions of Europe and Asia. The plant reaches up to 70cm in height and grows primarily in dry sandy ground. It produces fragrant yellow or red blossoms, and has a thick glossy rootstock which is greyish-brown in colour with a golden-yellow inner layer. Rhodiola has enjoyed centuri...
St John’s Wort Herbal Complex
St John’s Wort (Latin - Hypericum Perforatum) is a member of the Clusiaceae plant family. In many countries it is often considered as an invasive and noxious weed, and has many common names, including goat weed, Klamath weed and Tipton weed. Hypericum perforatum is a shrubby perennial indigenous to Europe, but now grows wild in many parts of the world. The plant grows up to heights of 1m (3ft), and has clusters of star shaped yellow flowers throughout the summer and red berries in late summer an...
Valerian Herbal Complex
Valerian (Latin - Valeriana Offi cinalis) is a member of the Valerianaceae plant family and is also commonly known as garden heliotrope, phu (Galen), setwall, stink root and vandal root. Valerian is a erect, hardy perennial indigenous to Europe and parts of Asia, and has been naturalized throughout North America. The plant grows up to heights of 1.5m (5ft) and has dark green serrated leaves, which are grouped in pairs. The plant produces masses of umbrella-like clusters of sweetly scented white,...
