Daniel B. Mowrey, Ph.D. earned his advanced degree in experimental psychology from Brigham Young University. His specialized area was psychopharmacology, with related studies in biochemistry, neurology, anatomy and physiology. His interest in medicinal botany began while in graduate school and his dissertation reflected that interest. Over the next several years his research in this area lead to the publications of several books, among which are: Herbal Tonic Therapies, The Scientific Validation of Herbal Medicine, Guaranteed Potency Herbs: Next Generation Herbal Medicine, and Fat Management: The Thermogenic Factor

Will tonics (specifically JC Tonic) interfere with prescription medications or with OTC drugs?
Nope. Remember that tonics are mild in their activity. They gently push body systems and processes toward NORMAL. Drugs are powerful, and just keep pushing processes in one direction only, and the more you take of them the further they push. By definition. So let me ask a question. Will tonic herbs interfere with the activity of drugs, or will drugs interfere with the activity of tonics? When the question is asked like that, the answer is rather obvious. Almost all prescription drugs and many OTC drugs will dramatically reduce the beneficial properties of tonics. Their powerful uni-directional force overpowers the gentle tonic herbs. Whatever tonic action is pushing in the same direction as is the drug will simply be multiplied a hundred-fold by the drug. And the activity of the tonic which acting in opposition to the direction force exerted by the drug will have little change of restoring homeostasis as long as the drug is present. But there is an upside to this. For some time now, I have repeatedly observed that tonic herbs tend to reduce the side effects of drugs. That is, they detoxify drugs. How so? I believe it has something to do with that inherent tonic attribute of pushing systems toward normal, thereby checking some of the adverse, or non-normalizing over-reaches of drugs. So, should you use tonics, while using drugs? Sure, but it is the detoxifying action of the tonic, rather than the balancing action of the tonic that you will be taking advantage of.

Should I stop taking vitamin and mineral supplements when I am using the tonic?
Nope. Vitamins and minerals, when used in appropriate amounts, have certain tonic activity themselves. All vitamins and most minerals are paramount to good health and you should definitely consider including them in your daily diet.

Can I still use the tonic if I am allergic to any of its ingredients?
Depends. On how allergic you are. A serious allergy that results in hives, rashes, or anaphylactic shock would preclude the use of the tonic. Mild allergies that result in headache, upset stomach, or loose bowels, for example will, surprisingly, often disappear after continued use of the tonic. Tonic herbs tend to heal these kinds of processes. My only recommendation is that you slowly increase how much tonic you use at a time, gradually building up tolerance to the allergenic materials.

How much JC Tonic should I consume each day?
Actually, as much as you want, as long as you are paying attention to the rest of your diet also. Tonic herbs are balancing, so over-dosage is not a problem. However, BALANCE is the key word in health and if you choose to neglect good dietary practices while consuming huge amounts of Tonic, what do think that will do to the health of your body? Tonics tend to balance things, but if you have a 100 lb gorilla on one side of the teeter totter, how hard is it going to be to balance the board? So don't create a 100 lb gorilla by ignoring good diet. Okay, so now you still want some real numbers. Try 2 to 4 mono-doses of JC Tonic^® a day.

Can I continue to drink herbal teas while using the tonic?
Sure. I hope you plan on using the tonics every day for the rest of your life. I wouldn't want you to neglect other nourishing teas in the meantime. Just remember this: Strong acting herbs are like drugs - they tend to over power the action of the tonics, but unlike drugs their activity does not persist in the body for long periods of time. Hence, to get the most from your herbal teas and other herbal supplements, you just need to take them a couple hours apart from when you take the tonic.

What, if any, side-effects can I expect from consuming JC Tonic?
Well, here's one. Someday you might find yourself lying in a hospital bed dying of. . . nothing! Puuuhleasssse.

Is JC Tonic safe for adults, children and infants to consume?
Yes. But be careful how you feed it to infants; they really aren't whole yet and so there is a certain amount of uncertainty associated with messing around with their foods. But in my family we always added some tonic herbs to the bottle (along with blackstrap, yeast, fish oil, and other goodies). Makes the toddlers healthy and vigorous. I would put one quarter to one half a mono-dose in a bottle, depending on the age and weight of the child. No more than once a day. Alternatively, you could put a few drops in each bottle.

Can pregnant or lactating women consume the tonic?
No problem.

What in the world do you mean by "Bidirectional?"
Ouch. I coined the word 'bi-directional' to describe the most unique property of a tonic: the ability to exert activity in opposite directions. Nothing else in the entire medicinal world has this property. Nothing! Certainly not any drugs. And very few herbs. Here's an example. In the next paragraph, I will be talking about ginseng. Ginseng is a tonic herb. It can either raise blood pressure or lower it, depending on the momentary needs of the body when it is consumed. How does it do that? It contains one group of ingredients that can lower blood pressure, and another group that can raise blood pressure. Won't the forces cancel each other out? No. Numerous studies have shown that the body is able to extract from foods and dietary supplements, and herbs, the specific nutrients it needs at the moment the items are consumed. The unneeded nutrients are simply excreted or metabolized into inactive intermediates or ignored. That is the magic of tonics.