Nature’s Sunshine: TCM or not?

Nature’s Sunshine has around 500 products, which creates a lot of overlap and confusion for many customers.

They are well aware of the confusion, and over the next few years, you will see a lot of pruning in the Nature’s Sunshine lineup. But, in the meantime, I want to give you a few thoughts about one big point of confusion: Chinese herbs and the TCM line.

There are about twenty herbal formulas based on traditional Chinese medicine that come in two varieties: a regular version and a TCM version.

Here is an example: Kidney Activator and Kidney Activator TCM.

Now, here is why this gets confusing. TCM stands for “Traditional Chinese Medicine.” However, both versions of the product are based on traditional Chinese medicine, and this phrase appears on both of those labels. In fact, the labels look almost exactly the same at first glance.

There are differences though:

• The stock number is different.
• The number of capsules is different. TCM formulas contain 30 capsules while original formulas usually have 100 capsules.
• The TCM formulas are made with concentrated herbal extracts. This means that the capsules do not just contain powdered herbs; they actually contain extracts of herbs that are standardized to a certain level o the active constituent in the herb. In other words, they are far more powerful.

The recommended dosage for TCM formulas is always one per day (while you may take anywhere from 1-6 capsules of the original formulas).

Here is what you need to know: When you see one of these products named with a TCM at the end, it does not imply that that version is based on traditional Chinese medicine while the other version is not. Both versions are based on traditional Chinese medicine. Rather, TCM means that the product is more potent because it is made with extracts.

Confusing? You bet. But that is where we are…

So which option should you take? In my opinion, the choice is clear: TCM formulas are always a better choice. They are higher quality, stronger, and generally a better value.

They are a better value because while they often cost more, a bottle usually lasts longer. As an example, if you use an original formula that requires you to take six capsules/day, a bottle with 100 capsules will only last you about 16 days. The TCM equivalent may cost 30% more but lasts 100% longer.

Again, Nature’s Sunshine is going to be trimming products to eliminate overlap over the coming years, and my guess is that all the original formulas will be eliminated eventually. However, in the meantime, choosing the TCM formula is a slam-dunk. If faced with a choice, just buy the TCM option. You won’t regret it.

Note: On Caring Sunshine, we make it very obvious which products are TCM versions. The product name will always end with TCM..

Photo by Marion Botella on Unsplash