Herbal Fingerprints

Nature's Sunshine uses Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC) to positively identify each lot of plant material that is used in our products. Think of it as taking the plant's "fingerprint." Every herb species has a unique TLC print, so we use this test to verify that we have the correct herb species, the correct part of the plant, and the correct natural actives in the plant.

We often combine TLC testing and High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). We compare the "fingerprint" and analytical test data of the new lot to a known standard to be sure we have the correct herb and to ensure that key components are present in the correct ratios. For example, golden seal is an expensive herb used to support the immune system. Barberry herb has a similar appearance and chemical composition, but it costs just a fraction of what golden seal does. Some vendors may be tempted to dilute their golden seal with barberry to save money. But NSP scientists can detect this kind of adulteration and reject any tainted lots of material.

More testing means a better product

Quality means giving you exactly what you want and nothing else. Our raw materials and finished products undergo more tests than other companies'.

Nature's Sunshine was the first company to encapsulate herbs, back in 1972. Our commitment to offering only the finest quality supplements has never wavered. We're still adamant about offering only the best products to our customers worldwide.

Because we manufacture our own products, we can build quality into them and control every aspect of testing along the production process.

Product Comparisons

Thai-Go® - Bringing the Best Fruits Together for Your Protection
...verify that every bottle of Thai-Go stamped with the Brunswick Labs ORAC Certified seal delivers unparalleled antioxidant protection. Brunswick Laboratories certifies Thai-Go in five antioxidant tests.

NSP Noni Juice Six Times Stronger than Competitor in Immune Stimulation
NSP Nature’s Noni Juice® outperformed a top-selling brand of Noni better than 6 to 1 in stimulating immune system response in this specific procedure.

New Study Shows St. John’s Wort to Be More Effective than Prescription Drug
The randomized, double-blind reference-controlled trial showed that patients using the herb experienced significantly better improvement in their depression.

NSP Essential Oils vs. the Competition

Comprehensive testing reveals discrepancy in quality
The label of a well-known competitor also indicated the use of two different species of lavender, something you’ll never find in NSP’s pure, AOC-certified* Lavender oil. When two different species are mixed, you never know exactly what you’re getting. NSP only uses true lavender, Lavendula angustifolia (no hybrids), in its product. 

Ultimate Echinacea™: Good Health Isn’t Contagious
We compared NSP Ultimate Echinacea with four popular echinacea extracts on the market.
Ultimate Echinacea has several times more echinacosides (a key active component) than these four other brands. Read full product comparison

Ultimate Echinacea vs. the Competition
NSP Ultimate Echinacea has several times more echinacosides (a key active component) than these four competitors. Knowing this, which echinacea product would you choose? 

Boost Your Immune System and Lower Cholesterol with High-Potency Garlic
To find out who offered the most potent garlic supplement on the market, we randomly tested five top selling garlic products against NSP High-Potency Garlic using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). 

NSP Cascara Sagrada vs. three popular brands
We tested three popular brands of cascara sagrada products against NSP Cascara Sagrada.

NSP Psyllium Hulls vs. other psyllium products
...In fact, you would need to take almost twice as much of these competing products to equal the absorbing, bulking action of NSP Psyllium Hulls.

NSP Kava Kava vs. three competitors
We tested NSP Kava Kava against three popular brands, measuring the amount of kavalactones (the key active component) per capsule. ...What’s more important, NSP Kava Kava was the only one of these products that actually contained the amount of kavalactones indicated on the label. Others fell short, as much as 48 percent!

NSP Stomach Comfort vs. other stomach products
We tested an NSP product against three random samples of popular, over-the-counter antacid products to see how much acid each would neutralize. 

NSP Melatonin vs. the competition
...most of the products tested fell short of their label claims, some substantially. One sample exceeded its label claim by 57 percent, which may be more melatonin than some customers want. 

NSP Aloe Products Win Seal of Approval
International Aloe Science Council Certifies Quality and Purity
...“These evaluations include not only agricultural practices but processing and storage practices.” He said heavily adulterated commercial aloe products are common. 

The NSP Acid Test
The peels of about 1,500 lemons are required to produce one pound of lemon oil. In our competitive market, some companies may be tempted to add synthetic ingredients to their lemon oil. 



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QUALITY HERBS DO WORK!

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Karen Olerich

Herb Specialist & Natural Health Consultant

 herblady@a-renewedhealth.com