Monograph 02 · extract quality
Why standardized extracts outperform raw plant powders
The trials behind maca, ashwagandha and tribulus used defined materials: a known plant part, a known extract and often a stated percentage of an active marker. The Soda Boost supplement label states none of these for any of its nine ingredients, only a blend-wide note that 82 mg equals about 567 mg of dry powders.
Updated November 7, 2026Technical dossier
Three ways to describe a botanical
- Raw powder: dried, ground plant. Its active content varies with harvest, region and storage.
- Extract with a ratio: “10:1” means 10 g of plant made 1 g of extract. It says the material is concentrated, not that the useful compounds were kept.
- Standardized extract: adjusted so each batch contains a stated percentage of a marker compound, such as withanolides in ashwagandha, catechins or EGCG in green tea, or icariin in Epimedium.
Only the third lets you compare a product with a study. When a trial reports benefits from a “high-concentration full-spectrum extract of ashwagandha root” at 600 mg[1], a label that says “ashwagandha” with no part, extract or amount cannot be matched to it.
Why identity is the first problem
Before potency comes identity: is the plant what the label says? Catuaba shows why this matters. An analysis of products sold as catuaba found material from different botanical sources with different chemistry[2]. Muira puama and maca have regional and color variants with different constituent profiles[3][4]. The federal cGMP rule requires manufacturers to confirm the identity of every dietary ingredient[5], but the result is not printed on labels; you have to ask for it.
What the Soda Boost label provides
| Information | On the label? | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Common names of all nine ingredients | Yes | Lets you research each one |
| Latin species names | No | Distinguishes, for example, catuaba sources |
| Plant part (root, leaf, bark) | No | Ashwagandha root and leaf differ in chemistry and safety data |
| Extract ratio per ingredient | No | Needed to convert to plant weight used in studies |
| Marker percentage (icariin, EGCG, withanolides) | No | Needed to compare with dosed trials |
| Amount per ingredient | Caffeine only (5 mg) | Without it, only ceilings can be calculated |
| Blend-wide dry powder equivalent | Yes: about 567 mg for 82 mg | Implies roughly 7:1 on average |
Reading the 567 mg footnote generously
Suppose every ingredient were concentrated by the same 6.9 times. Maca at its 33.5 mg ceiling would equal about 230 mg of dry root, still well under the 1,500 mg of root in the lowest positive trial[6]. L-arginine is a pure amino acid; it cannot be “concentrated”, so its ceiling stays 5 mg against 1,500 mg or more in studies[7]. The footnote narrows the gap for herbs; it does not close it.
Five questions to ask of any herbal label
- Is each ingredient named with its species and plant part?
- Is there an amount for each, or a proprietary blend?
- Is a marker compound stated as a percentage?
- Does the amount match a dose used in a human trial?
- Will the seller send a certificate of analysis with identity results for your lot?
For the Soda Boost supplement the answers are: names only, a blend, no, no, and ask. That is not unusual for gummies, which have little room for active material, but it is worth knowing before you pay. The quality standards page has an email you can send.
Related: formula architecture · science dossier · protocol · all monographs
Sources
- 1Chandrasekhar K, Kapoor J, Anishetty S. A prospective, randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled study of safety and efficacy of a high-concentration full-spectrum extract of ashwagandha root in reducing stress and anxiety in adults. Indian J Psychol Med. 2012;34(3):255-262.
- 2Kletter C, Glasl S, Presser A, et al. Morphological, chemical and functional analysis of catuaba preparations. Planta Med. 2004;70(10):993-1000.
- 3Tian X, Guo S, He K, Roller M, Yang M, Liu Q. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of chemical constituents of Ptychopetalum olacoides Benth. Nat Prod Res. 2018;32(3):354-357.
- 4Gonzales GF. Ethnobiology and ethnopharmacology of Lepidium meyenii (Maca), a plant from the Peruvian highlands. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2012;2012:193496.
- 5Electronic Code of Federal Regulations. 21 CFR Part 111: Current Good Manufacturing Practice for dietary supplements.
- 6Gonzales GF, Córdova A, Vega K, et al. Effect of Lepidium meyenii (MACA) on sexual desire and its absent relationship with serum testosterone levels in adult healthy men. Andrologia. 2002;34(6):367-372.
- 7Rhim HC, Kim MS, Park YJ, et al. The potential role of arginine supplements on erectile dysfunction: a systemic review and meta-analysis. J Sex Med. 2019;16(2):223-234.