Some people wonder how one can trust the natural health products on the market in Canada in general, and those of Maison Jacynthe in particular. It is therefore important to focus on the main factors involved.
A Bit of History
In November 1998, the Standing Committee on Health of the Canadian government, chaired at the time by Joseph Volpe, released a report entitled "Natural Health Products: A New Vision" (1). This Volpe Report (as it became known thereafter) proposed creating a new category of products, distinct from drugs (including medicines) and foods, within the Food and Drugs Act. In 2000, the Canadian government created the Natural Health Products Directorate, which was responsible for establishing new regulations to govern the use of these natural health products (NHPs). More recently, this body became the Natural and Non-prescription Health Products Directorate (NNHPD) within Health Canada, thus encompassing a range of self-care products, including over-the-counter (non-prescription) medicines, biocides, cosmetics, toothpastes, and so on (2).
More specifically regarding NHPs, the Natural Health Products Regulations came into effect on January 1, 2004, and aimed to ensure Canadian citizens that NHPs on the Canadian market are of quality, safe, and effective. A comprehensive evaluation process for all NHPs, before they are marketed, was put in place, including the issuance of a natural product number (NPN) certifying that a given product complies with regulations. The implementation of the regulations spanned six years to gradually evaluate all products already on the market without removing them from shelves. However, since January 1, 2010, no NHP can be marketed before being evaluated by Health Canada.
Today, the Canadian government is evaluating ways to streamline certain administrative and regulatory processes to better reflect the lower risk posed by NHPs and non-prescription medicines, compared to prescription medicines, for example (3). Nevertheless, quality, safety, and efficacy remain the three pillars that always guide Health Canada and to which Maison Jacynthe rigorously adheres.
The Quality of NHPs: A Must, Elevated to the Highest Standards by Maison Jacynthe
One of the challenges the Volpe Report faced during its work concerned the great variability in the quality of products on the market in Canada at the time. The Natural Health Products Regulations therefore established strict guidelines to ensure that NHPs are of the best possible quality, particularly through demanding good manufacturing practices (4). For medicinal plants, for example, this begins with the need for raw material suppliers to provide proof of the identity of the species used. It is particularly necessary to rely on botanical standards (scientific identification of the plant, organoleptic properties, and others) and on the use of the Latin binomial name. Indeed, common names of certain plants can refer to several species with different biological activities. Take ginseng, for example: there are two species of true ginseng (Panax family), namely Asian ginseng (Panax ginseng) and American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius). Although other "ginsengs," such as Siberian ginseng (Eleutherococcus senticosus), may share certain properties, particularly adaptogenic, they are completely different species.
For vitamins, minerals, or other natural compounds (e.g., extracts or substances derived from plants, animals, fungi, or other organisms), suppliers must provide a certificate of analysis that proves their identity, quality, and absence of contaminants. Thus, in Canada, one can trust that NHPs bearing an NPN contain the correct plant or natural compounds.
At Maison Jacynthe, we take the process a step further by prioritizing products from natural sources (not synthesized in a laboratory) or from organic farming (e.g., medicinal plants grown without harmful pesticides), insofar as these products are available on the international market. The high quality of all products, including NHPs, is an ineluctable philosophy at Maison Jacynthe.
The Safety of NHPs: A Matter of Consumer Health Safety.
The other aspect for which Health Canada has established important quality standards for NHPs concerns safety. As mentioned, it is necessary to ensure that NHPs are safe. All NHPs must demonstrate their identity and the absence of contaminants (e.g., pesticides, heavy metals, microbes).
When we talk about NHPs, we are also talking about products that have a biological or pharmacological activity and will therefore have an impact on the consumer's health and well-being. Obviously, it is important that this impact is positive! Paracelsus, a Swiss physician and pioneer of modern toxicology, is known for his statement that "All things are poison, and nothing is without poison; only the dose makes a thing not a poison" (5). Thus, Health Canada must also ensure that NHPs contain safe doses, below potentially toxic thresholds. To this end, Health Canada has developed a large number of monographs that establish regulatory guidelines for the use of a given plant, vitamin, mineral, or natural product (6). These monographs notably present a range of recommended doses based on traditional uses and scientific evidence. This therefore ensures pharmacological safety.
It is important to emphasize here the need to respect the dosage indicated on the NHP label. Indeed, just because NHPs are "natural" does not mean they are not pharmacologically active and potentially dangerous if consumed in amounts greater than the recommended dose.
The Efficacy of NHPs: A Matter of Evidence and Proportions.
As mentioned, Health Canada requires that NHPs contain active ingredients within a range of doses that have produced noticeable but safe effects according to traditional uses or results obtained in clinical studies (so-called therapeutic doses). At these doses, Health Canada monographs present the permitted health claims, always based on known evidence. However, in some multi-ingredient products, some ingredients are found at doses below the lower limit of recognized effective doses. Many people therefore wonder if such products are deliberately underdosed and potentially ineffective.
On the contrary, this refers to important concepts in pharmacology. Indeed, when combined, certain ingredients can have their activities added (additive effect) or multiplied (synergistic effect). In a mixture of ingredients that share a similar biological activity, if each ingredient were to be used at its therapeutic dose, there would be a risk of exaggerated and potentially harmful health effects (pharmacodynamic interaction). This is why Health Canada requires that at least one ingredient be present in a therapeutic dose to allow for associated health claims. Other ingredients with similar biological activity may be present below their minimum therapeutic dose. These sub-therapeutic ingredients must still be declared as medicinal ingredients if they support the recommended use, and thus the permitted health claim. In summary, in a multi-ingredient formulation, at least one of these ingredients must be present in a therapeutic dose, while the others may be present at lower doses but still support the desired biological action. This therefore ensures the efficacy of the total mixture.
The other aspect that raises questions among NHP consumers concerns the preparation method of the medicinal plant present in the product (the dosage form). Most simply, one can find a part of the plant dried and reduced to powder (e.g., turmeric rhizome powder). It can also be an extract, where part or all of the plant is normally ground and mixed with a liquid called a solvent (e.g., water, alcohol, vinegar, or even honey). The extract can then be left in liquid form or dried to produce a powder, which is often encapsulated. The extract can be left in this crude state or be standardized. In the latter case, active compounds have been identified in the plant. These active compounds are measured, and a dose range is established to ensure efficacy.
Some people consider standardized extracts to represent the "pinnacle" of products and guarantee better efficacy. While this may be true in some cases, it is important to know that the active compounds are not known or established as responsible for biological activity for a large number of medicinal plants. This makes standardization impossible. It must also be understood that when an extraction is performed, some compounds are concentrated while others are lost. Thus, some consumers prefer more crude preparations (simple powder or mother tincture), which are closer to traditional uses, while others seek standardized extracts. One can be as effective as the other; it's all a matter of dose.
Finally, concentrated preparations of certain active ingredients can also be obtained through fermentation. In this case, microorganisms (often bacteria or yeasts) act on the crude plant preparation to release active compounds. This can be as effective as the extraction methods already mentioned.
At Maison Jacynthe, we use all these types of preparations depending on the formulation of our products and the desired effect. One thing is certain: we ensure that all our products meet Health Canada's standards in terms of efficacy.
In conclusion, you can be confident that all NHPs prepared by Maison Jacynthe are of the best quality, safe (by respecting the dosage), and effective.
References
1. https://www.ourcommons.ca/DocumentViewer/en/36-1/HEAL/report-2 (accessed July 20, 2026).
2. https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/corporate/about-health-canada/branches-agencies/health-products-food-branch/natural-non-prescription-health-products-directorate.html (accessed July 20, 2026).
3. https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/drugs-health-products/natural-non-prescription.html (accessed July 20, 2026).
4. https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/drugs-health-products/compliance-enforcement/good-manufacturing-practices/documents-guidance/guidance-document-natural-health-products-0158.html (accessed July 20, 2026).
5. Grandjean P. Paracelsus Revisited: The Dose Concept in a Complex World. Basic Clin. Pharmacol. Toxicol. 2016;119:126–132.
6. https://webprod.hc-sc.gc.ca/nhpid-bdipsn/monosReq?monotype=single (accessed July 21, 2026).
Leave a comment