Kan Singles

General Dosage Guidelines

It is recommended to prescribe the herbs to be taken either an hour before or a couple of hours after a meal. A customer may, in some cases, have an adverse reaction to taking herbs on an empty stomach (i.e. vomiting, gastrointestinal distress, or nausea). In such cases, herbs should be taken with a small amount of food.

When adding single herb extracts to distributions, one usually needs only a small dosage up to 10% of the formula amount. Adding too much of a single ingredient may actually alter the balance of the distribution in an undesirable manner. For example, when adding Eucommia bark to Quiet Contemplative, a formula that supplements Kidney Yin, in order to strengthen the Kidney Yang along with the Yin as a specific modification, one would use the equivalent of no more than five to ten percent of the total extract by volume.

Some herbalists, following an idea in The Divine Husbandman's Classic of the Materia Medica, suggest that medication be taken before meals for disorders below the diaphragm, and after meals for disorders above the diaphragm. Some schools of thought suggest that one month of herbal therapy is recommended for every year the customer has had the disorder. Again, this is a very general guideline.

Years of clinical use provide some suggestions for the appropriate choice of tablets or extracts. Because extracts are assimilated through the semi-permeable membranous tissues (rather than the digestive system), they tend to have a more rapid and, in some cases, stronger effect. When moving Blood and Qi is the chosen therapy, extracts are generally more effective. However, some customers find the intensity of extracts troublesome, and at times do not comply with the suggested dosage. Alcohol (approximately 20% of a liquid extract) is also considered by some herbalists to be too warming when used in formulas that clear Heat and tonify Yin. In general, the small amount of alcohol consumed by the customer has little or no impact, and is offset by the overall effect of the herbs. For people with an alcohol intolerance and for long-term tonifying therapy, we recommend using tablets.

If an alcohol-free administration is desired, extract drops may be added to freshly boiled water. After a few minutes the alcohol will evaporate.

Although hardly discussed in modern herbal texts, single ingredient distributions have been part of the traditional formulary since ancient times. Monographs have been written on individual herbs such as polygonum, cinnamon, artemesia, and ganoderma. Modern authors continue to discuss herbs used in this manner, such as Stephen Fulder's Book of Ginseng and Peter Holme's Jade Remedies.

All Kan Herb Company products are gentle, nontoxic, safe and can be comfortably used by beginners. If you are unfamiliar with the relative potencies of these herbs, or of Chinese herbs in general, use smaller quantities until a familiarity with the formulas' effects is acquired.

Kan's Singles are classified according to the commonly accepted nomenclature for distributions: supplementing, harmonizing, draining, warming, reducing, clearing and sweating. Dosages and duration of use are determined by the nature of the herb, the disorder being treated, and the intended therapeutic actions of other herbs and formulas with which they are combined. As a general rule, single herb distributions are best when taken for specific disorders until the pattern has been relieved. The supplementing herbs, such as American Ginseng root, Siberian Ginseng root, and Jujube seed, can be used for relatively long periods of time, provided that they are not contraindicated. For example, American Ginseng root's cool moistening properties can aggravate customers with loose stools or Damp and Cold in the Spleen and Stomach.

Combining single herb extracts should be determined according to the guidelines for traditional distributions. The chief ingredient (emperor) should be approximately twice the dosage of other ingredients (deputies, assistants or envoys). For example, should you decide to combine Chinese Red Ginseng root, Jujube seed, and Chinese Licorice root in an extract, you should use two parts Chinese Red Ginseng root to one part each of Jujube seed and Chinese Licorice root in the mixture. On the other hand, if you desire to combine White Peony root extract with Dong Quai root for harmonizing the Blood, you would use equal parts.

This is a general guide to combining these extracts. Each extract has recommended dosages and suggested combinations, along with specific contraindications, detailed in Chapter 8 of the Kan Herbals Formula Guide, available from Kan Herb Company. Remember that when using single herbs, their potency and specificity is increased (in contrast to being combined with other ingredients that temper, harmonize, mitigate or enhance their specific effects) leading to increased risk for imbalances if not chosen carefully by an astute practitioner.

We hope this will offer valuable support to those seeking to supplement their health with herbs. While confident of the efficacy of our formulas when applied in accord with the rigors of Chinese diagnosis, Kan Herb Company makes no claims as to the biochemical mechanisms or curative effects of any of its products.

The age of the customer is always a factor in dosage. Children between 5-10 years of age are usually given 1/2 of the adult dosage; those between 2-5 years of age are given 1/3 dosage (or less) of the adult.

Flexibility in a bottle