Frequently Asked Questions

Himalaya herbal formulas are proprietary, which means that they are protected by trademark. It is the labeling rights of all manufacturers to present a proprietary formula with one total milligram amount. Every botanical ingredient is an integral part of the synergistic function of the formula, which is uniquely designed to support all relevant systems in the body, but to give a detailed recipe of amounts would be inviting duplication and endangering our trademarked products and their utmost quality. To develop such a comprehensive herbal formula, and to back each formula with a sufficient set of clinical trials that proves the formula to be safe and effective, is an 8-10 year process. Because Himalaya formulas are sold as herbal pharmaceuticals and OTC products in many countries around the world, our demand for the highest standards of excellence a part of our business model. Since its inception, the company has focused on developing safe, natural and innovative herbal products that help people worldwide. Today, over 300,000 doctors endorse Himalaya products worldwide, and consumers in more than 80 countries rely on Himalaya to support their health. We trust this builds confidence in the comprehensive and proprietary nature of our formulas.

As the FDA requires that our labels properly identify our vegetarian capsules as "hydroxypropyl methylcellulose," which is the technical name for the one ingredient that is the plant-sourced capsule. This is the same material used in the two-piece, plant-sourced capsules found throughout the industry. It is often identified on labels as "vegetable cellulose" or other simple descriptions.

Our Himalaya single herb caplets aren't held together with artificial tableting glue. We hold them together with sticky parts of the plant itself. Our label shows both the active part of the plant first on the label and some of the more inert plant materials used in the tableting process lower down.

Magnesium stearate is most commonly used in supplement manufacturing as a flow agent to help ensure that manufacturing equipment runs smoothly and the ingredients stay blended together in the correct proportions. Himalaya neither condones nor condemns the use of magnesium stearate. We’ve have used it in our products before, and continue to do so in other parts of the world. We have seen no accurate scientific evidence to suggest it is anything but pharmacologically nil and generally recognized as safe. However, owing to the unique nature of the North American marketplace we do business in, and recognizing that by and large, consumers in that natural arena in our part of the world avoid magnesium stearate whenever possible in growing numbers, it made better sense in terms of both purity and the realities of marketing to remove it from our North American products altogether and avoid the controversy it often creates. We still have it in our Guggul and Chyavanprash capsules (they are too sticky in nature to replace it with inert plant material), but the rest of our line is now completely magnesium stearate free.

While we understand that some consumers in our industry have concerns about mannitol, we haven’t yet seen matching science that backs up the fears. Some people say that too much mannitol gives them gas, bloating and diarrhea, but the same thing could easily be said for taking too much Vitamin C. Customers with concerns about mannitol should feel free to avoid it and avoid our product, but as a careful and cautious company, we are still fully confident of its safe and sweet usefulness. We stand behind the safety of LiverCare Powder and the safety of the mannitol sweetener it contains.

The vegetable glycerin comes from sustainable palm oil and rapeseed oil and the xanthum gum comes from the fermentationof glucose by the bacteria Xanthomonas campestris (non-GMO strain) from non-GMO maize as well as beet sugar and sugarcane.

We used to call our product “Amla C,” but when evidence became clear that Vitamin C was being misidentified by coeluting mucic acids, we changed our product name from “Amla C” to simply “Amla.” Until further studies either bear it out or help us understand Amla’s ascorbic acid content better, we have distanced ourselves from marketing our Amla as a measurable source of Vitamin C and prefer to just present it for its use as an antioxidant. It’s not that it doesn’t contain any Vitamin C. It’s just that it’s very hard to measure it by contemporary standards.

As with all supplements, botanical plants are analyzed for an upper limit of what would be considered safe to consume in a day. For those people who regularly ingest more than 20 g of Licorice per day, AND have a known sensitivity to this plant, they may experience an increase in blood pressure. HeartCare contains only a very few milligrams of Licorice, an amount known for it's benefits as part of this comprehensive, synergistic formula. HeartCare is supported by a number of double-blind placebo controlled clinical trials ensuring the safety and efficacy of this product.

The vitamin E (tocopherol) in our products comes from sunflower oil..

We do not recommend Himalaya supplement products or anyone’s supplement products for pregnant women and nursing moms. If you’re pregnant or nursing, any supplement you take should be discussed with, and approved by your doctor.

For Himalaya, the complexity and timing of our unique process is highlighted by three important company mandates: purity, efficacy, and batch-to-batch consistency. All of our products are made in India and batch tested at THREE points in the process: after harvest, after the extraction, and after final tableting or encapsulating. These tests include potency, profile, heavy metals, microbial count, and pesticides. See our quality section here on the website for more detailed information.

A search for published scientific data on the National Library of Medicine did not produce any validation to unfounded internet claims and rumors that glycerin affects enamel. No evidence currently exists to substantiate that claim. Our toothpaste, like many other commercial and natural health industry toothpastes, contains vegetable glycerin in order to provide a vehicle into which oral care agents can be incorporated. It produces a smoothly blended mixture that provides resistance to drying out, rapidly releases the flavor and therapeutic herbal agents, thickens paste structure, provides stability, regulates the amount of foam, imparts sweetness and makes the overall tooth brushing experience pleasant.

There are two types of partial denture – fixed and removable. Fixed dentures are made using metal or ceramic whereas removable dentures are usually a combination of acrylic and metal or acrylic alone. Our toothpaste can be used without any issues with fixed partial dentures, but is not recommended for removable dentures. Removable dentures wearing people brush their natural teeth after removing the denture and clean the denture outside the mouth using tap water or a basin. Our toothpaste can be used in fixed partial dentures and implants also, but we have not conducted any studies exclusively for implants.

A good rule of thumb is 20 minutes before or 20 minutes after.

All Himalaya formulas have been proven safe and effective and can be taken long term. We suggest your formula be taken for a minimum of three months to receive the best results. However, we suggest the following as a general rule: If you have an immediate, short-term health concern, we recommend that you take the product until the concern is resolved. If you have an ongoing health concern (e.g. for stress, joint health, liver function, etc.), we recommend that you continue taking the product as long as the desired health benefits are being experienced, which could be for any long-term period of time.

LiverCare is a balanced and comprehensive herbal formula with many human clinical trials supporting the known benefits achieved at specific dosages. We recommend following our label directions. The directed serving has been established through well-designed clinical, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled studies proving efficacy and safety. Through widespread use worldwide, NO adverse reactions have been reported. As with all of our products, the label dose is the correct dose we recommend.

Like all of Himalaya's Formulas, MenstriCare has been proven safe and effective and can be taken long term. We suggest this formula be taken for a minimum of three months to receive the best results. However, we suggest the following as a general rule: If you have an immediate, short-term health concern, we recommend that you take the product until the concern is resolved. If you have an ongoing health concern (e.g. for stress, joint health, liver function, etc.), then we recommend that you continue taking the product as long as the desired health benefits are being experienced, which could be for any long-term period of time.

The recommended serving on our label is safe and effective because it was tested in clinical trials at the recommended dose. If you wish to take more or less, you should discuss it with your qualified healthcare provider.

If you are taking prescription medication or are concerned about any health conditions, you should speak to a qualified healthcare practitioner before taking our products.

Any questions concerning disease, illness or condition are best discussed with your health care provider.

LiverCare is a comprehensive formula clinically studied for overall liver health, effectively supporting all 500 functions of the liver including detoxification. In comparison, milk thistle has been shown to primarily support detoxification, only one of the liver's many functions.

There are benefits to both; the simplicity of a single herb or the synergy of a blended formula. Even among our own staff, some prefer one, some prefer the other. All Himalaya products are rigorously studied for purity, safety and efficacy, so the choice between a single herb or a formula is all yours.

You should discuss any supplement you plan on giving your child with your doctor or pediatrician. We're unable to recommend doses for children. The people who take our products in our clinical studies are all adults 18 and older.

Himalaya's information on Prop 65 can be found at http://unbouncepages.com/prop-65-faq/

You can purchase it here online, or from other online sources such as Amazon and iHerb.

Yes, with the following exceptions. OsteoCare contains calcium from hen's egg shell, and Chyavanprash contains clarified butter and honey. Himalaya Botanique Chest Balm P.M. and Warming Body Balm both contain beeswax, and Himalaya Botanique Invigorating Face Wash contains honey.

They are close cousins many times, but not identical. Himalaya sells our products in over 90 countries now, and different countries have different labeling laws and allowable or desirable ingredients that call for variations in our formulas from country to country. So, while the Himalaya product you bought overseas might be a very close relative to the one you bought in the US, they won't be exactly the same. They'll often differ in ingredients, labeling and dosage.

Variation in product shade of our products is normal, and can be attributed to the herbal ingredients inside. A small amount of color variance is a natural phenomenon in herbs, which is due to geographical, seasonal, and horticultural factors. This may cause slight variability in characteristics such as color, odor, taste etc., which influence the sensory properties in the finished product.

All Himalaya products are grown with no pesticides or herbicides, but since the empty capsule itself is not organic we can't always meet that ruling due to the 70% weight requirements to certify a product organic. The capsule takes up part of the weight of the product and affects its certifiability.

No. Himalaya products are grown with no pesticides or herbicides.

Himalaya Herbal Healthcare is proud to assure you that we use no genetically-modified ingredients in any of our products, and we are currently working with the Non-GMO Project to have our entire line certified. About 95% of our supplements are now certified, and the others are pending final certification.

Over 4,000 independent farmers grow herbs for Himalaya, and we're please to let ou know that they are all paid a fair living wage for their area (a minimum of 15-20% higher than the cost of cultivation and often times higher). Apart from favorable wages, other benefits include an assured market. Our farmers are guaranteed a market for what they are growing, and thereby, guaranteed an income. They’re also guaranteed an assured price. Agricultural commodity prices are highly fluctuating, so they are protected from the ups and downs of the market. We also pay our farmers’ costs for any necessary certifications that may be required of them to grow our herbs, and we also pay their packaging and transportation costs. We work very hard every day to take care of the farmers who take care of all of us.

When our products claim Gluten Free, it means we have tested the product and ensure the presence of gluten is less than 10 PPM. This is the standard the Gluten Free Certification Organization uses. By way of information, the US FDA standard is less than 20 PPM (so, we are using a standard more stringent than what the FDA calls for).