What Is Remembrance?

Remembrance® is a herbal formula that focuses on maintaining circulatory, brain and memory health. It combines the benefits of two well researched and clinically tested herbs Rhodiola and Ginkgo biloba leaf, which are known for their circulatory, brain and memory health properties.

Who Should Take This Product?

Remembrance® is recommended for people who experience fatigue, a decline in work performance, unsatisfactory concentration, memory and attention spans and for those with a decline in overall vitality due to stress and intellectual strain. Remembrance® is beneficial for individuals who wish to maintain a satisfactory circulatory, brain and memory health state.

Why Should You Care About Your Brain?

• The brain plays is the major part of the central nervous system. Thoughts, memory, logic deduction and induction, mental, cognitive and intellectual functions are all activities performed by brain cells.
• The brain controls our body’s movement, sensory signals, heart rate, respiration and many other vital physiological activities.

Brain cells are very sensitive cells and susceptible to damage when blood circulation is poor in supplying oxygen and nutrients. Cerebral arteries that supply blood to the brain need to be physiologically stable in their luminal diameter and maintaining blood flow in response to environmental stimuli such as stress signals.

Blood & Brain

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), brain activities such as cognitive and intellectual functioning are classified under functions of the “heart” and has a wider meaning than that of the anatomical heart here. Its functions include those of the nervous system and the brain.

• “The heart rules the spirit.” — The “spirit” here generally refers to an individual’s vitality, reflected in the eyes, speech, reactions and overall appearance. The “spirit” refers to a person’s mental, cognitive and intellectual abilities.
• “The heart rules the blood.” means the heart is a functional unit for maintaining healthy blood flow. Blood is transported inside the blood vessels around the entire body when the heart pumps. The heart, blood and blood vessels are united by their common activities. In TCM, this functional relationship is known as the “ruling” of the heart.

Both blood and spirit are ruled by the heart. A healthy “spirit” reflects the harmony of the heart’s functioning. Under these theories, our “blood” (circulatory health) and “spirit” (brain and mental health) are very closely linked.

Our blood is rich in nutrients and its main function is to nourish our body. The Explanatory Classic for the Huang Di Nei Jing (内經) summarized this important function of blood as “Blood rules nourishing.” All parts of our body need nourishment from blood for normal functioning, and nourishment is also needed for a healthy “spirit” which incorporates our intellectual, cognitive and mental activities. Therefore, when there is sufficient nourishment from the blood with good ruling of the “spirit” by the heart, one will look healthy with rosy cheeks and have a wise, clear and sharp mind. When nourishment is insufficient or where there is disharmony of blood and spirit, signs of forgetfulness, poor self esteem, and slow thinking or reactions will appear.

Harmony of Blood & Qi

In TCM, blood health depends on the functional harmony between qi and blood. Qi is the “life energy” or “life force,” which flows within us. Qi provides energy to “push” the blood, and “consolidates” or keeps blood flow inside the blood vessels without leaking out. The “pushing” and “consolidation” work together to achieve good flow of both qi and blood which is absolutely necessary for supporting organs and tissue functioning.

When there is disharmony between qi and blood, circulatory health will be affected. One of the consequences of blood disharmony is the formation of “blood stasis”, which prevents the “nourishing” function of supporting the organs and tissues. Blood stasis will obstruct the flow of qi and can lead to serious health problems based on its severity and location. Indications of blood stasis are signs like stabbing and localized pain in the affected area, pain aggravated by pressing the affected area and pain night time. Individuals with blood stasis may appear dark in face color with a purplish tinge to it. Lips, nails and tongue will also have purplish appearance and/or spots. Blood stasis reflects blood disharmony and indicates the body is in a disease state. Prior to reaching this state, there is a sub-healthy state in which our body experiences blood disharmony with unsatisfactory circulatory health. It is ideal if we can resume blood harmony and reinstate circulatory health without progressing to the “blood stasis” state. This well corresponds with the ancient Chinese health wisdom, “Prevention is better than cure.”

Formulation Rationale

This formulation combines the benefits of the four herbs that promote circulatory, brain and memory health. Combining the uses and benefits of these four herbs, Remembrance™ helps to resume blood and spirit harmony by supporting healthy blood circulation and to achieve the goal of restoring and maintaining the circulatory, brain and memory health.

Rhodiola rosea (Aka. rose root and golden root)

• A popular herb used in Eastern Europe, also known as Arctic root, native to the arctic regions with a long history of use as a medicinal plant in Iceland, Sweden, France, Russia and Greece.
• A well-known adaptogen that helps the body adapt to and resist various physical, chemical and environmental stresses.1,2. Used to increase energy, stamina, strength and mental capacity and helps to reduce fatique and prevent altitude sickness.
• Studies have shown that Rhodiola rosea helps to improve the endurance exercise capacity in young healthy individuals and have also demonstrated its potential for improving learning and memory.

Ginkgo biloba

• A famous herbal supplement used for improving memory, concentration and circulatory health. Our extract has been standardized to contain not less than 24% flavones and not less than 6% terpene lactones.
• Clinical studies demonstrated it can improve certain measures of cognitive functions including memory and cognitive processing, and shown to benefit the central nervous system and vascular condition by improving blood flow and circulation.
• Possess antioxidant and free radical scavenging properties. Help to remove free radicals to prevent or reduce cell membrane lipid peroxidation, decreases oxidative damage to red blood cells, and protect nerve cells.

Radix Notosingseng and Rhizoma ligustici chuanxiong

• Radix Notoginseng is sweet, slightly bitter in taste and warm in nature. It enters liver and stomach meridians. According to the herbal literature Bencao Gangmu (Compendium of Materia Medica), it is very useful to remove blood stasis, stop bleeding and to promote blood circulation and relieving pain.
• Rhizoma ligustici chuanxiong is known to help to lead other herbs’ effects toward regions around the head and the brain. It enters the liver, gallbladder meridians that go upward to the head and enters the pericardium meridian. The herb is pungent in taste and warm in nature. It can promote blood circulation and qi movement, and it can also remove wind and help relieve pain.

The Bencao Congxin (New Compilation of Materia Medica/NCMM)

describes Rhizoma ligustici chuanxiong as the qi herb for the blood. It can raise the clear yang and open up various stagnations. Upward it goes to the head and eyes and downward it goes to “the sea of blood” known as the Chong mai/meridian. This meridian is responsible for regulating the qi and blood of the twelve main meridians. It can replenish the qi and blood of the organs and meridians during shortages and it can also store the extra qi and blood of the organs and meridians during surplus. The description of “going to the sea of blood” refers to the herb being good at treating health problems related to blood disharmony and certain gynecological problems. It searches for wind evils and disperses blood stasis. Rhizoma ligustici chuanxiong is recorded in NCMM as effective for headaches caused by wind and dampness evils and for blood disharmonies.