By Dr Simon J. Feeney, Founder & Director, Empirical Health
Walk into any clinic or health store and you’ll see it: labels boasting “10:1” or “20:1” herbal extracts, as if that number alone is proof of strength or superiority. I often meet practitioners and students who assume a higher ratio means higher potency. It’s an easy trap to fall into because the numbers look scientific, even reassuring. But the reality is far more complex.
What the Ratio Actually Tells You
At face value, a 10:1 ratio simply means ten kilos of raw herb produced one kilo of extract. That’s it. It doesn’t tell you how potent that extract is, whether it’s rich in the right compounds, or whether the starting material was even good quality. Without context, the ratio is little more than a marketing shorthand.
Why Ratios Mislead
Two products can both say “10:1,” yet be worlds apart in therapeutic effect.
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Variation between herbs - a 10:1 ginseng extract cannot be compared to a 10:1 licorice extract. Their density, chemistry, and energetics are completely different.
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Variation in method - water extraction pulls out different compounds than alcohol extraction. If you don’t know the solvent used, you don’t know what is in the extract.
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Variation in quality - poor sourcing, sulphur-fumigation, or bad storage will undermine potency no matter what ratio ends up on the label.
What Practitioners Should Really Look For
If you want to know whether an extract is worth prescribing, don’t stop at the ratio. Look deeper:
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Marker compounds - meaningful markers specific to each herb (for example, ginsenosides in ginseng or triterpenes in reishi) give you a real measure of therapeutic value.
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Standardisation - consistency based on active compounds, not vague claims.
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Transparency - knowing where and how the raw herb was grown, harvested, and prepared.
At Empirical Health, we approach this in two ways. First, I personally evaluate every batch through its look, aroma, taste, and texture. This traditional discernment is a cornerstone of Chinese medicine and remains invaluable today. Second, we use modern testing where appropriate. We do not send every single batch for exhaustive third-party analysis, as this would only drive up costs for practitioners and patients, but we conduct regular targeted testing alongside strict supplier checks. This balance means we can maintain uncompromising standards without compromising accessibility.
Mushrooms as a Case in Point
Medicinal mushrooms are a perfect example. A “10:1 reishi extract” might sound impressive, but unless you know whether it was extracted for polysaccharides (via water) or triterpenes (via alcohol), the ratio is meaningless. Two reishi extracts with the same ratio could deliver completely different clinical results. A lower-ratio extract with verified actives and careful preparation will always be more reliable than a “high-ratio” product with none.
Bringing It Back to Practice
For us as practitioners, the lesson is simple: don’t let numbers on a label replace discernment. Train your senses. Ask the right questions of your suppliers. Choose products where the actives are clear, the sourcing is transparent, and the standards are consistent.
That is the approach we live by at Empirical Health. We combine classical evaluation, strong supplier relationships, and selective testing to protect our patients, our clinical outcomes, and the reputation of our medicine.
Takeaway
Extract ratios are marketing numbers. True quality comes from integrity: in sourcing, in preparation, in testing, and in the discernment that practitioners bring to their work. When we uphold these standards, we not only protect our patients but also strengthen the standing of Chinese Medicine in the modern world.