Cinnamon & Licorice Root Drops

What you get in every 2ml serving

• 500mg 1:5 extract of cinnamon (Cinnamomum cassia) (bark)
• 174mg 1:5 extract of licorice root
• 75mg 1:5 extract of turmeric root (Curcuma longa)
• 50mg 1:5 extract of coriander seed
• 0.8mg bitter melon extract (Momordica charantia Linn.) (fruit) (4:1)
• 0.1mg Japanese knotweed extract (98% resveratrol) (Polygonum cuspidatum) (root)
• A serving is 2ml, or 40 drops, and there are 30 in the bottle
• Daily Value has not been established for any of the six, so the panel lists amounts
• Vegan · gluten free · non-GMO

What a 1:5 extract actually means

Four of the six are written as 1:5 extracts. That's a liquid-extract ratio: one part of the dried botanical to five parts of liquid. It's the standard way a tincture is described, and the milligram figure on the panel is the amount of that extract in the serving.

The bitter melon line is written the other way round, as 4:1. That's a concentrated dried extract: four parts of raw fruit reduced down to one part of powder. Different notation, a different kind of preparation.

What's in the dropper

Cinnamon here is Cinnamomum cassia, the bark — cassia is the darker, more pungent cinnamon, the one most people picture. Licorice root is the root of the licorice plant, naturally sweet-tasting on its own. Turmeric root is Curcuma longa, the bright orange rhizome behind curry powder's color. Coriander seed is the dried seed of the coriander plant, warm and citrusy rather than grassy like the leaf.

Two are here in small, precise amounts. Bitter melon is the gourd, Momordica charantia, used widely in South and East Asian cooking. Japanese knotweed — Polygonum cuspidatum, the root — is standardized to 98% resveratrol, which is the compound the plant is best known as a source of.

Behind them, the base is short: water, glycerin and potassium sorbate. Glycerin is a thick, faintly sweet liquid that holds botanical extracts in suspension; potassium sorbate is the preservative that keeps the bottle stable once it's open. There's no alcohol on the ingredient line.

How it tastes and how it's taken

Warm and sweet, with a bitter edge underneath — cinnamon and licorice lead, turmeric and coriander sit behind them. Shake the bottle first, since botanicals in a glycerin base settle. Then either squeeze the 40 drops straight into your mouth or count them into water, tea, juice or a smoothie, which softens the bitterness considerably.

Who it's for

Anyone who'd rather not add another capsule to the morning, and anyone who likes being able to see what they're taking. A 2 fl oz bottle is also small enough to travel. If you're sensitive to licorice, read the panel before you start.

How to use it

Shake well. Adults take 2 ml (40 drops) daily, orally, in the morning. Dispense directly into mouth or mix with a beverage.

Other ingredients

Beyond the six extracts on the panel above: Water, Glycerin, Potassium Sorbate.

Net Wt. 2 fl oz (60 ml) · 30 servings · Serving size 2 ml/ 40 drops

Caution: Do not exceed recommended dose. Consult a physician if pregnant, nursing, under 18, or have a medical condition. KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN. STORE IN A COOL, DRY PLACE.