Herbal Extract Supplements are a billion-dollar industry. Do you know how they make those extracts? Extracts are produced by the separation of active portions of plant tissues from the inactive components by using solvents like methanol, chloroform, ether (to name a few) by standard extraction procedures. Extraction therefore, is based on the idea that isolated compounds are responsible for the action of a herb.
One of the key principles in Ayurveda is the use of herbs as a whole without extracting its active ingredient. It means to use the herb in its natural form. According to ayurveda, each compound in the herb is present in balance to nullify the adverse effect of other. If the active ingredient is extracted, it is no longer the herb with the same properties. Whole herbs contain all of the constituents of the plant and have been used for thousands of years.