You can choose, but you don't have to. At the end of your New Client Questionnaire you will be asked which format of herbal formula you would prefer. There will be an option to choose "I prefer whatever is recommended for best results with my concerns." If you don't have a strong preference, this is what I would recommend choosing. This allows me the most flexibility to use the formula type that's going to be the most effective in your situation.
Granule extract. The most common method of administering herbal medicine that I use is called a granule extract. This is a modern method where a decoction (a traditional hot water extraction of raw herbs) is prepared into a concentrated extract powder. You add water, and drink it "like a tea." Granules are often referred to as "powder" but are very different than grinding raw herbs into a powder. Granule extracts are convenient, easy to travel with, and provide the best all around extraction, and especially extraction of active ingredients that require long cooking.
Draft formula. The second most common type of formula that I use is called a Draft or San in Chinese. This type of formula is made by grinding raw herbs to a fine powder. I keep the raw herbs in whole form which preserves their volatile oils and medicinal compounds, and combine your herbs and grind them right before sending your formula to you. To prepare a Draft formula, you will weigh out the specified amount of powder, add it to an insulated thermos, fill the thermos with boiling water, and steep the herbs for a minimum of1 hour, or overnight. Once the herbs have steeped, you'll pour the liquid through a strainer and drink. This method requires more steps to prepare than a granule extract, but can be more effective in certain cases when we are using specific herbs that will be more effective with the higher volatile oil content that's present in this type of formula.
Capsules. When I refer to capsules, I am generally referring to using capsule formulas from the Classical Pearls line of formulas. These are granule extract formulas that have been encapsulated. Capsules are the least customizable option, because the formula composition is already fixed and there are only so many capsule formulas available. We are after a high degree of specificity in our formula prescription, in order to get the best results. With granule extract and draft formulas, we make custom formulas from a library of ~ 400 different herbs.
That said, some conditions are well suited to the available capsule formulas and there are cases where I prefer to use capsule formulas for best results. With Classical Pearls capsules, the dosage will be 12 capsules per day.
If you want a custom capsule formula, there is another option. You can get a custom granule extract formula from me and encapsulate it at home with a simple $50 capsule filler. This is relatively easy to do, but it is time consuming and I just don't have time to make custom capsule formulas in my practice.
Doing it this way, the capsule dosage will be roughly 24 capsules/day to get the equivalent dosage. For a lot of people, it's much easier to just deal with the strong taste of granule extract tea for a few moments. But I have had patients who didn't mind taking 24 capsules/day and preferred it to tasting the herbs. So it's really up to you.
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