THR echinacea – our Echinaforce® range explained
The majority of our Echinaforce® Echinacea range are 'THR' (traditional herbal registration) approved, including our:
- Echinaforce® Forte tablets
- Echinaforce® Chewable tablets
- Echinaforce® Hot Drink
- Echinaforce® Sore Throat Spray
Both our Echinaforce® tincture and Echinaforce® tablets are instead, 'PL' (product license) registered. Throughout this blog, we explain these important differentiations in more detail.
What does ‘THR’ actually mean?
'THR' is often considered a measure of quality when it comes to herbal remedies, as was mentioned on the recent BBC 1 documentary 'The Truth About Boosting Your Immune System'. This is partly true, so let us clarify.
'THR' (traditional herbal registration) is a license awarded to herbal remedies by the UK government's regulatory body for medicines, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). THRs are awarded if the remedy is to be used for treating minor health conditions where medical supervision is not required, such as with cold and flu infections.
To some extent, the THR mark signifies quality as it requires that the remedy has been made with suitably high quality, active herbal ingredients that have been processed using approved techniques, such as those related to the way herbs are extracted and made into tinctures or tablets.
In terms of efficacy, THR applications have to be based on evidence that a particular remedy has been used in a particular way, somewhere in Europe for at least 30 years.
Finally, certain safety criteria also have to have been met with the ingredients in question, in order to ensure they are generally safe to take without medical supervision.
Echinaforce® - our THR range
Echinaforce® Chewable tablets
Echinaforce® Chewable Cold & Flu tablets are a chewable version of our regular Echinaforce tablets, a perfect alternative for children over the age of 12.
Echinaforce® Forte tablets
Echinaforce® Forte Cold & Flu tablets are a high dose version of our regular Echinaforce® tablets, with more convenient dosage for those in need of some extra support.
Echinaforce® Sore Throat Spray
Echinaforce® Sore Throat Spray combines our quality Echinacea extract together with Sage extracts, specially designed into a spray delivery system to help target the symptoms of sore throats associated with coughs, colds and flu, more directly.
My Self-Care Tip: Target infections fast with Echinaforce® Sore Throat Spray
Here I explain how using Echinaforce® Sore Throat Spray can help tackle a cold or flu infection quickly.
Echinaforce® Hot Drink
Echinaforce® Hot Drink combines our quality Echinacea extract together with Elderberry extracts, which, when made up into a warming drink, can help relieve to the symptoms of the common cold and influenza type infections.
So, that's our Echinaforce® THR range in a nutshell, however, it isn't to say that herbal remedies without the THR mark aren't also of a superior quality. Let's just run through some of the other equally significant remedies within the Echinaforce® range that hold slightly different registrations.
What is a ‘PL’ registered product?
You may have noticed that our two leading Echinaforce® products – our original Echinaforce® tincture and Echinaforce® tablets - don't boast the famous THR logo and, instead these remedies have a 'PL' (product licence) registration. For herbal medicines bearing a THR number, as above, efficacy is based on the traditional use of the product only, however, in contrast, a PL approved product requires backing from rigorous scientific trials.
This means that the specific form and strength of Echinacea in our tincture and tablets has been subject to a vast array of scientific trials which help to back its 'efficacy' – impressive!
PL registered Echinaforce tincture & tablets
Echinaforce® - Echinacea tincture
Our original Echinaforce® Echinacea tincture, used for the symptomatic relief of colds, influenza type infections and similar upper respiratory tract conditions, and by supporting the immune system by increasing resistance to infection.
Echinaforce® - Echinacea tablets
Our original Echinaforce® Echinacea tablets, used for the symptomatic relief of colds, influenza type infections and similar upper respiratory tract conditions, and by supporting the immune system by increasing resistance to infection.
Relieve colds & flu symptoms by strengthening the immune system
• Made from organically grown, fresh extracts of Echinacea purpurea
• Relieves the symptoms of cold & flu by strengthening the immune system
• Multi-award winning and available in drops and tablets
"Marvellous stuff - I take it all the time."
A final note on some additional Echinacea products in the range
Whilst you may have noticed a few extra echinacea-containing products which aren't necessarily considered either 'THR' or 'PL' medicines, don't fret as these have certainly still been produced with many of the same strict quality control methods in place.
Our Echinaforce® lozenges and toothpaste, for example, are considered 'confectionary' and 'cosmetic' products, respectively. Whilst they are made from the same high quality and freshly harvested Echinacea as the rest of the range, the strength isn't high enough to be considered therapeutic, so they wouldn't ever have been put forward for a licence application.
Finally, I summarise some of my key points as to what to look out for when it comes to identifying superior quality herbal remedies.
What’s best to look out for if you’re worried about quality?
1. Fresh is best
Whilst the THR logo can be a nice indicator of quality, it isn't the be-all and end-all, as our Echinaforce® tincture and tablets are the perfect example of. Another thing to look out for is how the herbs are actually produced.
Freshly harvested echinacea, as ours is, can retain up to 3 times the amount of active ingredients than the dried equivalent1 so, if you have the option to go fresh, then take it.
2. Ethics
A little research can go a long way if you are unsure of the credibility of any herbal remedies. Perhaps opt for a company that specialises in herbal remedies. This suggests the research and long-standing use will be behind their remedies.
Of course, having the organic status is also a box to tick; plus, a company that believes in really looking after their customers with lots of holistic, all-round advice rather than just the product itself, is also a definite must.
3. Consider the rest of the range
Even if a herbal ingredient doesn't bear the THR logo, there may well be good reason for this. Consider if there are other THR or PL remedies in the range, suggesting the company is up to speed with the herbal registration process and all the tedious checks that go with it – if there are others, it suggests that a meticulous quality control operation is definitely already in place!
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