Ginkgo: why we believe ours is the best!
Recent reports from the US of ginkgo adulteration are old news to us at Nature’s Best® as we’ve been aware of this problem for many years.
The problem over adulteration stems from the fact that ginkgo extracts are very expensive to produce. It takes well over 50 kilos of dried ginkgo leaf to make just one kilo of extract and it’s a complex manufacturing process. The temptation therefore for suppliers to cut costs is enormous! The most common form of adulteration is to add cheaper extracts of other herbs to artificially ‘spike’ some of the ingredients. Researchers think this explains why there are plenty of very cheap ginkgo extracts out there claiming to contain 24% flavone glycoside and 6% terpene lactones. But recent evidence suggests that over 50% of these may be adulterated.
We’re pleased to see this problem is now being highlighted because it helps to explain the vast difference in price found between ginkgo supplements on the market.
We routinely have suppliers offering us ginkgo extracts at prices which are absurdly cheap but, fortunately, years of experience in purchasing ginkgo has meant that our buyers know which questions to ask and what tests to have done. We are then left wondering where the rejects end up!
The few suppliers that pass our strict quality criteria undergo auditing, site visits and vigorous tests of their raw materials before being accepted as a supplier to Nature’s Best.
