Pukka Andrographis, Organic Herbal Supplement, Supports Seasonal Wellbeing, Non-GM, Vegan, Sustainably Sourced), 30 capsules

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Today we are serving millions of teas and supplements every day, growing herbs on tens of thousands of acres of organic land, supporting thousands of farmers with Fair for Life wages, and introducing millions of people to the wonders of traditional herbal wisdom. There are now 120 of us working together at Pukka. We are a pretty eclectic, often hectic, but always energetic and inspired bunch of people. We’re making the best of British and do 99% of our finished manufacturing in the UK from organic ingredients sourced from many friends around the world. In our own small way, we hope we’re helping people to live healthier, happier lives and to fulfil their potential on this beautiful planet that we all share. So, what next? Dr Hu is optimistic about the contribution of herbal medicine to healthcare. “Integrative medicine, bringing together conventional, complementary and alternative interventions, is the optimum treatment as well as being evidence-based, effective, safe and low cost,” she says.

We wanted to share the wisdom and empowering vision of health that springs from the fountain of Ayurveda. It is expressed as a way of life that flows with the changes of the seasons, weather, time and place. Like a true doctor it teaches dietary and behavioural adjustments that can be adopted as you mature from childhood through to adult- hood and into old age. It gives advice on how to prevent illness as one season becomes another, and specific recommendations on how to adjust your daily habits as well as detailed diagnostic and pathological interpretation. This way of wholesome living prescribes a routine for all the different climates and geographical regions of the world. At the root of Ayurveda is its focus on the unique- ness of each individual. As such it is a universal system applicable to every individual living in any part of the world – and we wanted to share its wisdom. Pharmacopoeial-grade herbs There is an evidence base to show this is also true for andrographis. In 2004, a review of the evidence on the herb by Edzard Ernst, former professor of complementary medicine at Exeter University, published in the journal Planta Medica, was positive. “It looks like a safe and efficacious treatment,” it said, “superior to placebo in alleviating the symptoms of uncomplicated upper respiratory tract infection” with “preliminary evidence of a preventative effect” and “few spontaneous reports of adverse events”. Truth is the essence of who we are, the root from which we emanate; respect is how we relate to each other, the vine that weaves throughout everything; purity is about knowing the heart of the matter, it’s the flowering of our heart; and effort is the fruit that we reap from our inspiring and purposeful activities. Connecting people and plantsOn 22 August 2001 we registered at Companies House, went to the cashpoint and withdrew the maximum our credit cards would allow…and set about creating our first range of three organic herbal teas. In the end we will conserve only what we love. We will love only what we understand. We will understand only what we are taught.’ Baba Dioum, environmentalist At Pukka our values are much more than good ideas that inspire us. They are ways of working that help us be pukka in everything we do. We apply values to our work at Pukka to create energy, inspiration, better results and satisfaction for ourselves and others.

This story is about the journey of creating Pukka Herbs – a quest to help bring healing herbs to the many – a vision of how business can regenerate people, plants and planet. It’s about how, from humble beginnings, we grew in 15 giant years to become the fastest growing organic herbal tea and supplement company in the world; an adventure that has been healing on many levels – ecologically, socially and personally. Known locally as kalmegh, meaning “dark cloud”, the Ayurveda herb andrographis is widely cultivated in southern and south-eastern Asia, with its roots and leaves used for medicine. We have identified these values as four ‘wisdom seeds’ drawn from ancient Asian systems of religion, philosophy and medicine that are still alive and flourishing today. In fact, these values are so important they are the foundation of the longest thriving social and medical institutions in the world; the Buddhist Sangha and Ayurvedic medicine.Sambucol can be taken daily for immune protection and dosage can be increased for additional support. Please refer to the individual product directions of use before use or as directed by your healthcare professional. Acute infections such as: colds. flu. fever. sore throats. Parasitic and bacterial infections of the gastrointestinal tract and liver.

Andrographis leaf (50%)*, Acerola fruit concentrate (20%)*, Echinacea purpurea aerial part (17.5%)*, Thyme flower tops*, Ginger root*, Echinacea purpurea root extract (2.5%)*, Vegetable cellulose capsule (Hydroxy-propyl-methyl-cellulose) * = Organic So can herbal remedies such as andrographis fill the gap? One Ayurvedic practitioner, Rebecca Kriese, says that her 15 years in practice, following three years of training in India, have convinced her that the remedies work well. There are unfortunate but understandable commercial reasons for this. “The problem is that the current business model for the pharmaceutical industry makes it very difficult to finance new antibiotics which are designed to be used as rarely as possible for as short a time as possible,” says David Partridge, research lead for the Directorate of Laboratory Medicine at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Ms Kriese says the trial might be even more effective if GPs were given a basic training in traditional herbal remedies. Whether that happens remains to be seen. We recently joined with Unilever to help us expand and grow. Their commitment to finding a sustainable way for business to bring positive impact throughout their network is sorely needed in leading the way for big business to take the responsibility for their actions and impacts. With 300 to 500 businesses controlling 70% of global trade – feeding and clothing the 7 billion of us – influencing the behaviour of these giants offers us the greatest opportunity for the positive change we urgently need to promote more regenerative business practices. As most of the world gets behind the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, it’s a once in history chance to coordinate social change through responsible government and business.It is remarkable to think that most herb species are harvested from the wild – between 75%–95%. By weight, it’s around 25% of global annual herbal harvests. Have you ever thought where your last cup of elderflower, licorice or limeflowers came from? These herbs are rarely cultivated, as they are so readily available for ‘free’ in the local environment. Wild herb collectors, among the poorest of the poor, are marginalised geographically, socially and economically. They often do not own land and are dependent financially on annual wild herb harvests. However, such unregulated harvesting, coupled with the modern pressure on ecosystems, is putting the sustainability of herbal medicines at risk. Yes, the need for new antibiotics is huge, but it makes more financial sense for the pharmaceutical industry to develop new drugs that will be widely used for decades such as heart or diabetes drugs,” he says. What’s the evidence? Menopause Serenity is a nourishing, organic blend of botanicals with Iodine from Arctic fresh seaweed. It is a case of needs must – as antibiotic resistance “poses a threat as big as climate change”, according to Dame Sally Davies, chief medical officer of the NHS. How can we reduce use of antibiotics? So what’s behind this interest in traditional remedies that have been dismissed by mainstream medicine until now?