THE MOISTURE

The effectiveness and potency of products based on extract from Tribulus terrestris L. is greatly undermined to the point of worthlessness if exposed to moisture. If you are offered Tribulus based product in a capsule form, or in a bottle, as opposed to tableted product placed in blister sheets do not waste your money.

THE HERB

Number of companies will claim that they are using Bulgarian Tribulus and will sale it from $7 to $15. The herb itself costs $2.50 to $8.00 per kilo (~2 lb.) They will even elaborate on the cultivation methods even if it is a wild plant. Tribulus terrestris also called Puncture Vine, Small Caltrops (Goats Head), Ghota gokhru (Hindi), Bhakri ((India), Hamabishi (Japan), or Chili (Chinese) grows world-wide.

We've tested the herb from all available sources and it simply is not capable after processing to deliver furostanol saponins of 45% or over, which is a minimum requirement for an effective product. Even in Bulgaria not all the sites where the plant is collected meet the requirements. The herb bales are being selected for use in Tribestan production.

The results of some of our tests: Comparative analytical investigation of tribulus terrestris preparations

THE EXTRACT

For an effective extract it takes approximately 2,000 lb. (905 kg) to produce 36 lb. (16 kg) extract where 250 mg are used per tablet. The process itself is much more complex, but to simply describe how the actual extract is obtained, after the herb is boiled only the saponins (soapy lathers) are being used in Tribestan. The herb itself does not work.

THE RETAIL PACKAGING AND FORM

We do not claim to have the most sophisticated retail package in the world. Tribestan has been available for the benefit of the people since 1982 and we are committed to remain true to its original features. That is the distinctive logo, the word Tribestan with extended right arm of the letter "T" across the entire word. Lighter color strips form a rectangle with round corners around the word Tribestan. Illustrated at the top of this page under the Sopharma logo. The finished form of Tribestan is filmtablets in a blister sheet of Ten (10) tablets. Six blister sheets or Sixty tablets per retail package.After December of 1997 and until around April, 20 1999 there were three other varieties of labels licensed for use by Weider Nutrition International, Inc. of Salt Lake City, Utah under their product lines Metaform, Victory and American Bodybuilding. These labels are long gone and the product would have expired.