No. Gaia Pro products are specifically targeted formulas for clinicians and are not sold in health food stores and retail outlets. However, as a wholesale account, you would be eligible to purchase Gaia "sister" line products at wholesale costs. 

In addition to regular, monthly webinar training provided by the experts at the Gaia corporate office, Whole Food Practice and the other Gaia Pro Brokers, also known as clinical consultants, sales representatives and territory managers, provide online and in-person training and product support. 

Gaia Herbs conducts DNA testing of raw materials to ensure that adulteration is not possible. Our standard reference material is DNA tested by a third-party laboratory. Incoming samples are compared with these validated botanicals. We combine DNA-validated reference materials with highly sophisticated statistical analysis. That data over time can be used to monitor potency and integrity. When appropriate, herbal ingredients are received in a whole form for freshness and ease of identification. Read more about the integrity of our products.

Supercritical CO2 extraction is an environmentally friendly method of extracting oils from plants. It is usually reserved for herbs that contain higher amounts of oils, such as Oregano, Ginger, Holy Basil, Saw Palmetto and Turmeric. This extraction method involves putting the dried herb in a vessel (a bit like a pressure cooker) with carbon dioxide. Then a supercritical temperature of 31 degrees Celcius (or above) is applied, as well as a vacuum. Under these conditions, the CO2 turns into a solvent and extracts the naturally occurring oils from the plant material. After the extraction process is complete, the pressure and vacuum are brought back to normal, and the carbon dioxide evaporates back into the atmosphere.

Supercritical extraction avoids the use of chemical solvents such as acetone or hexane. Supercritical extracts are broad-spectrum oil extracts; in other words, they contain all the compounds in the herb that are oil-based, including but not limited to volatile oils. For example, this process is used to extract the Carvacrol, found in Oregano leaf.

This is the most common way to measure the strength of a liquid herbal extract or tincture. The number on the left represents the amount of plant material used to produce the extract, while the number on the right represents the weight of the solvent used. A lower number on the right means a stronger product. A 1:1 ratio means that 8 pounds of raw herb are used per every 1 gallon of alcohol. (One gallon of alcohol weighs 8 pounds.) A 1:2 ratio means that 8 pounds of herb are used per every 2 gallons of alcohol, and a 1:3 ratio means that 8 pounds of herb are used for every 3 gallons of alcohol. Gaia’s ratios are typically between 1:1 and 1:3. (The liquids in many other brands are between 1:4 and 1:10.)

Gaia Herbs is committed to using and supporting only non-GMO materials. Gaia does not purchase GMO herbs and/or ingredients. We do a purchasing review to ensure we eliminate the possibility of hidden GMOs making their way into our products. All herbs propagated and grown on Gaia Farm are Certified Organic and therefore are GMO-free. Our seeds, whether sourced from our farm or a trusted supplier, are also GMO-free. We will always do everything possible to ensure that our products are non-GMO.

Gaia Herbs hypromellose capsules are the same vegan and gluten-free Liquid Phyto-Caps® that we have always used. With recent labels we have changed the wording on the label to be more accurate with labelling requirements. Other companies are also following suit, and you will see this occurring on many more product labels in the upcoming year. Gaia’s cellulose capsules are made from HPMC (Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, also known as hypromellose), which is derived from cellulose from pine trees. Hypromellose is semi-synthetic, meaning that the ingredients are naturally derived, but there is a processing step in the lab to break down the cellulose and rebuild it. The capsules have passed third party testing for residual solvents according to USP guidelines. Some grades of HPMC do have polymer plasticizers mixed in, however Gaia Herbs has chosen a capsule which contains only the cellulose from pine trees mixed with water. There is no danger of phthalate consumption with Gaia Herbs capsules.

Some of our capsules are made from pullulan. This is derived from naturally fermented tapioca. Pullulan capsules are also vegan and gluten-free.

Yes. Gaia Herbs uses ICP-MS to test for arsenic, mercury, cadmium and lead. ICP-MS stands for Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry. This instrument is the centerpiece of Gaia’s heavy metals testing. This powerful technique is capable of observing a wide range of metal at quantities as low as a nanogram of metal in a gram sample. The ICP-MS allows Gaia to obtain precise and sensitive data for all materials in a high speed manner. The plasma vaporizes the sample and ultimately breaks it down to the atomic level. The mass spectrometer is then able to detect all atoms of interest.

Gaia tests for purity using an analytical method called Gas Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry, or GC-MSMS. This testing is used to check all raw herbs for pesticides. Read more about this with Meet Your Herbs.

Alcohol-based extracts have a 5-year expiration date and alcohol-free extracts and elixirs have a 3-year expiration date. Our Liquid Phyto-Caps® carry a 2–3-year expiration date. This is based on the date of manufacture. They do not need to be refrigerated, but they do need to be kept out of direct sunlight. PlantForce™ Liquid Iron, Sleep & Relax Herbal Syrup, our Black Elderberry syrups need to be refrigerated to stay viable, and all syrups must be used in the specified amount of time.