Frequently Asked Questions
Homeopathy is an alternative medical practice that uses micro-doses of natural ingredients (also called remedies) to treat many common symptoms and boost the body’s own natural defenses against illness. A big benefit to this approach is that micro-doses are small, resulting in few side effects. Conventional or “classical homeopathy” uses one remedy at a time until the “right one” is found.
MediNatura’s philosophy of homeopathy differs from conventional homeopathy in that it believes in using many complimentary active ingredients (rather than single-ingredient). For example, a leading homeopathic OTC pain relief brand contains one active ingredient (arnica 1X). Our T-Relief brand contains arnica 1X, plus 12 additional plant-based natural active ingredients. We highlight this difference with our new packaging which boldly states “ARNICA +12”. We believe this provides more relief for more symptoms.
Another difference is that MediNatura makes its remedies using tinctures containing many more molecules of active ingredients than the tinctures used by many leading products in our industry. For example, a leading pain relief brand uses arnica 3X. One of T-Relief’s ingredients is arnica 1X, which contains 100 times more arnica molecules.
Every homeopathic ingredient will have a number and letter after it. The most common letters are “X” and “C” and they denote how the ingredient was diluted. X means the ingredient was diluted 1:10. The C means the ingredient was diluted 1:100. The numbers tell you how many times the ingredient was diluted using a 1:10 factor or a 1:100 factor.
Examples:
Sulphur 2X
The X means that one part of sulfur was diluted with 9 parts of a diluent to make a 1X. Then one part of the 1X was diluted with 9 parts of a diluent to make a 2X.
Sulphur 2C
The C means that one part of sulfur was diluted with 99 parts of diluent to make a 1C. Then one part of 1C was diluted with 99 parts of diluent to make a 2C.
Homeopathy uses many ingredients from many sources. There are over 1000 homeopathic ingredients listed in the Homeopathic Pharmacopeia of the United States (HPUS). The vast majority of ingredients are botanical such as Arnica and Calendula or mineral such as Natrum muriaticum (sodium chloride). Other ingredients are extracts from animal tissues, and a small quantity are biological such as bacteria or virus. Each one has been proven to have a therapeutic effect. For each ingredient, the HPUS lists the safe concentration at which it can be sold to consumers. MediNatura only uses suppliers of homeopathic ingredients that pass our robust Supplier Certification Program. We ensure the ingredients we use are manufactured according to FDA GMP requirements and HPUS manufacturing requirements.
All MediNatura products are made in facilities which are regularly inspected by the FDA. Most of our OTC products are made in our own facility in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Most of our “Practitioner Solutions” product line is made in a German facility which is inspected by the FDA and also by German authorities.
When the FDA was formed in 1938, drugs that had been broadly used and had reputations for efficacy and safety – like aspirin and homeopathic drugs – were not made subject to the FDA’s premarket approval requirements for new drugs. Historically MediNatura sold Rx homeopathic medicines which were backed by multiple rigorous clinical studies supporting their efficacy and safety. MediNatura now only sells OTC products but uses it’s historical learnings to formulate remedies that are effective and safe.
- Manufacturing in a facility designed specifically for pharmaceutical manufacturing.
- Employing Good Manufacturing Practices for Finished Pharmaceuticals (CFR 21 Part 211).
- Using safe levels of ingredients as determined by the Homeopathic Pharmacopeia of the United States (HPUS).
- Labeling products according to drug labeling requirements.
- Registering all products with FDA.
- Complying with import regulations that require inspection and release by both U.S. Customs and Border and FDA. FDA will release only if the imported MediNatura product(s) is registered with the FDA, labeling complies with drug labeling requirements, and is made in a facility that has been inspected by FDA and passed with no major violations.
- Employing a robust pharmacovigilance program that documents and analyzes any customer complaints we may receive.
MediNatura’s Natural Ingredients
MediNatura believes so much in “medicine from nature” that we named our company after this core belief. Since there is no FDA-approved definition for the word “Natural” we wish to clarify what we mean when we say “Natural”. We classify our ingredients three ways:
“NATURAL” means this ingredient is a plant, mineral or animal product. We extract this substance in a way which maintains its highest purity.
“MADE FROM NATURAL INGREDIENTS” are ingredients which are processed combinations of natural ingredients. For example, thehomeopathic ingredient “hepar sulphuris calcareum” is a combination of sulfur and oyster shells.
“MANUFACTURED” ingredients are man-made. Occasionally, there are no natural ingredients for a given function which are economically viable. So as a last resort, we use “manufactured” ingredients. For example, our tablets use tiny amounts of magnesium stearate as a processing aid.
Wishing you the best of health,
Eric Johnson VP of Quality.