By Dr Simon J. Feeney, Founder & Director, Empirical Health
S:P Ratio stands for Source-to-Product Ratio - a number commonly seen on extract labels like “10:1” or “5:1.” It’s meant to represent how many grams of raw herb were used to produce 1 gram of finished extract. For example, a “10:1” extract implies that 10 grams of the original herb were concentrated into 1 gram of extract. But this figure doesn’t tell the full story.
As a herbalist trained under Buddhist monastic scholarship and with over 25 years guiding practitioners worldwide, I’ve witnessed first-hand how simple “5:1” or “10:1” ratios on labels have become a marketing shortcut - yet they tell us almost nothing about true potency, balance, or dosing. These raw weight figures can be easily manipulated by tweaking carrier powders, solvent volumes, or focusing on a single marker compound, without preserving the full spectrum of constituents that define a genuine traditional decoction.
To keep our ancient art alive for centuries more, we need a layered approach that honours both the herbalist’s eye and rigorous science, while always centering patient response.
1. Why “S : P Ratios” Mislead
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Carrier subtraction. Manufacturers often spray extracts onto starches or sugars, then exclude that carrier weight when quoting ratios—artificially inflating the number.
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Solvent math. Reporting liquid-to-powder weight (rather than raw herb to powder) allows anyone to claim “10:1” simply by starting with extra water.
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Marker fixation. Labels like “100:1 ginseng” usually reference one isolated molecule, not the whole herb—you end up with a concentrated drug, not a balanced extract.
Bottom line: Those numbers say almost nothing about the balance of oils, glycosides, alkaloids, and trace actives that work in concert in a true decoction.
2. Practitioner-Led Sourcing & Identification
At Empirical Health, we’ll only partner with suppliers who invite experienced herbalists to:
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Harvest seasonally & ethically, ensuring peak potency and traceability
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Perform organoleptic checks (taste, aroma, appearance, texture) to confirm authenticity and quality
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Run small-batch “tea tests” back at the clinic, matching sensory profiles against classical standards
This hands-on oversight preserves the very foundation on which any extract’s efficacy depends.
3. The “Extract : Traditional” (E : T) Dose-to-Dose Benchmark
Rather than raw weight ratios, we use lab assays to compare how much of a known marker compound you get from:
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A standard stovetop decoction (e.g. 40 g herbs → 20 mg Marker X)
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A standard extract dose (e.g. 3 g powder → 20 mg Marker X)
If both yield the same amount, that’s a 1 : 1 E : T ratio—meaning one extract dose truly matches one decoction dose for that compound. While assays aren’t yet available for every herb (and labs can chase high marker yields at the expense of full spectrum), publishing transparent E : T data gives practitioners a far more meaningful guide than S : P figures alone.
4. Holistic Quality Controls Beyond Ratios
To ensure extracts reflect the balance of a classical brew, look for:
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Low-temperature, closed-system extraction preserving heat-sensitive actives
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Volatile oil capture & reintroduction so you don’t lose fragrant, bioactive compounds
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Minimal, inert carrier use to avoid unnecessary dilution
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Comprehensive Certificates of Analysis (CoAs) covering heavy metals, pesticides, microbes, and phytochemical fingerprints
Together, these layers of QA uphold the integrity of the whole herb.
5. Adjust by Clinical Response: “Start Low, Go Slow”
Even with top-tier sourcing and E : T data, every extract batch varies—and every patient is unique. In practice:
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Begin at the low end of a trusted manufacturer’s dose range.
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Observe responses over days to weeks (symptom relief, energy, side effects).
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Titrate incrementally up or down until you find each patient’s optimal dose.
This mirrors how we fine-tune decoctions and compensates for residual unknowns in extract efficiency.
6. Upholding a Thousand‐Year Legacy
By combining Empirical Health's decades of clinical teaching and monastic scholarship with open sharing of E : T benchmarks, organoleptic rigor, and patient-centered dosing, we ensure TCM extracts remain not just relevant, but potent and authentic well into the future. Let’s replace misleading ratios with transparency, collaboration, and hands-on herbal expertise—so the next millennia of practitioners can trust what’s in their formulas as much as they trust the texts we’ve studied for centuries.