Ron Teeguarden

Who Is Ron Teeguarden?

Ron Teeguarden is the cofounder, with his wifeYanlin, and leader of Dragon Herbs. He is widely recognized as one of theforemost herbalists in America.Ron has been a professional practitioner and teacher of the holistic Asianhealth arts since 1971. He has been a powerful translator of Eastern philosophyand health care techniques to ten's of thousands ofAmericans for nearly four decades. He is recognized as the premier spokespersonfor Chinese tonic herbalism in America, having spent decades teaching theconcept that it is better to promote our health and well being than tobecome sick and then have to take remedial measures.

Ron has written two major books onChinese tonic herbalism. His first book, Chinese Tonic Herbs, published in1984 (Japan Publications), is a classic in the field. It is the book thatintroduced the art of tonic herbalism to the American public. The AncientWisdom of the Chinese Tonic Herbs (originally published as “RadiantHealth”), published by Warner Books (Time Warner) in 1998, is recognized asa major book on the subject of Chinese longevity-herbalism. It is a must-readfor those who have an interest in Chinese tonic herbs and the Asian arts oflongevity and radiant health. His most recent book, 30 Tips for Living aLong and Happy Life is available now. If you read it and apply the tips,you will probably live a long and happy life! Ron has been featured in articlesin Time Magazine, USA Today, the Los Angeles Timesand the New York Times, and many other newspapers and magazines, and innumerous news stories on television, including features on NBC, HBO and CNN.

Ronspecializes in the Chinese tonic herbs – herbs that have been used forcenturies to promote longevity and radiant health. Ron has taken special interestin the adaptogenic herbs and in the art of LifeCultivation by which one can develop radiant health (“health beyond danger”).

Ron frequently travels to some ofthe world's most exotic locations seeking the highest quality, mostextraordinary anti-aging, immunoprotective, cardioprotective life-enhancing, empowering herbs in theworld. For the past two decades, he has spent extended time in many regions of China, Japan,Central Asia, the Himalayas and Southeast Asia.These adventures result in the ever-growing repertoire of thousands of tonicherbal enthusiasts in this country. Ron has proven to have a knack for findingmiraculous herbs. As a result of his research and exploration, Dragon Herbsoffers the largest and most extraordinary range of tonic formulations in theworld. And Ron is incredibly dedicated to finding the BEST tonic herbs andsuperfoods available anywhere on earth. His customers can count on the factthat they are getting the best herbs and herbal products that nature andmankind can provide.

Ron hasvery close ties to a number of very senior phyto-pharmaceuticalscientists throughout the world, and particularly in mainland China. Theyprovide him with inside tips on where to find the most extraordinary herbsavailable. Ron is directly involved in the manufacture of hundreds of herbalformulations.

Ron couldnot do what he is doing without his wife and partner, Yanlin Teeguarden.She is the maestro who runs the operation, including the overseas procurementand production of the hundreds of formulas made by Dragon Herbs. She is alsothe person responsible for the beautiful "look" associated with theDragon Herbs stores, literature and packaging.

Ron’s History

MasterHerbalist Ron Teeguarden is well known as the “father” of the tonic herbalmovement in America.He first started selling tonic herbs such as Ginseng and Gojiberries in 1971, and teaching about the tonic herbs in 1974. Hundreds ofherbalists and health practitioners consider him their teacher and thousands ofothers have been influenced by his teachings. Over his career, Ron haspersonally worked with thousands of clients and has built a reputation as oneof the pre-eminent herbalists working in America today. In addition, Ron hasdeveloped hundreds of commercial formulations, including entire herbal productlines for prominent network marketing, direct marketing and retail companies.Ron and Yanlin live alternately in Los Angeles California and in FuzhouChina.

Ron is aproponent of the concept of “radiant health,” a degree of health that theChinese define as “health beyond danger.” This definition of radiant health, tothe Chinese, further includes increased longevity, emotional balance, strongresistance to disease, superb vitality and the maintenance of youthfulness. Accordingto Ron, “the Western mind-set emphasizes treating disease while the Chinesefocus is on the promotion of overall health and prevention.”

“There arebasically three levels of herbal practice in China,” explains Teeguarden. “Thelowest level is medicinal. This approach, based on medicinal herbs, is known inChinaas the inferior herbalism. The medicinal herbs used to treat diseasesand other disorders are prescribed by doctors. They are powerful and ofteneffective, but may have side effects if used for an extended period of time orincorrectly. The second level is known as the general herbalism andutilizes herbs that combat weaknesses and prevent ailments from occurring. Thethird level is known as the superior herbalism and utilizes the‘superior herbs.’ These superior herbs, also known as the ‘tonics’ build upevery aspect of your system, creating greater resistance, balance, adaptabilityand radiant health. These are the anti-aging, wisdom-enhancing, longevity herbsof China.“

Superiorherbalism is Ron Teeguarden’s specialty. “Thesuperior herbs have stood the test of time and have proven to offer long-termbenefits without harmful side effects if taken regularly. Superior herbs aregenerally as safe as food and many are good tasting as well. In fact, in China, superiorherbs are considered superfoods.

When Ronspeaks of the benefit of herbs, he talks from personal experience. Ron was bornin St. Augustine, Florida, on February 8, 1947. He attended the University of Michiganat Ann Arbor.He was a pre-med student on an athletic scholarship (tennis). In 1969, in hislast year of college, he contracted a viral infection for which doctors couldnot seem to find a cure. Plagued by extreme fatigue, deep depression andheadaches, he lost 55 pounds and showed no signs of getting any better.

Desperatefor an alternate solution, he tried a Chinese herbal tonic which wasrecommended by one of his friends. “I felt better immediately,” he recalls. “Ifelt my energy come back and I felt alive. I made a significant recovery withina very short time.

Theexperience changed his life, and he began to study with a number of Asianteachers who taught him Taoist health techniques, including acupressure and acompletely natural diet. He lived a pure macrobiotic lifestyle and worked inthe macrobiotic community for seven years. He was involved in the seminalfounding of Eden Organic Foods, a natural foods provider that is still aprominent organic foods company. He also learned about the healing propertiesof Chinese herbs. Then in 1974, he met the man who would come to have thegreatest impact on his life: Sung Jin Park, a Korean Taoist master.

Master Park took him on as his prime studentand taught him the inner secrets of the Art of Radiant Health. “The level of mylearning became so much deeper than before,” Ron explains. “He shared with mesecrets and fundamental knowledge that is extremely hard to come by these days,even in Asia. I have lived in China and Japan for extended parts of my lifeand have never met anybody with his depth of knowledge and understanding. Heshared with me knowledge that one is taught only if you are deemed dedicatedand worthy.“ Master Parkdirected Ron to teach ten people to be masters of the deepest Asian health artsand to instruct each of them to teach ten others, and so on, so as to spreadthe knowledge of these great arts throughout the Western world. Ron acceptedthese instructions and vowed to spend his life doing so.

When Sung Jin Park returned to Koreain 1976, Ron spent several months in Japanstudying Oriental health care and took a serious interest in the herbalismpracticed in Japan.The Japanese were just introducing the Kampo systemof standardized, modern formulations into the Japanese market and Ron saw anopportunity to apply the same methods in America. Ron returned to California and remained in Americadirecting a holistic health clinic in Santa Monica, California,where he practiced acupressure, dispensed tonic herbs and taught an endlessseries of classes. During that time, Ron co-developed a form of acupressurethat is now practiced throughout the world known as Jin Shin Do Acupressure.

In 1984,Ron wrote Chinese Tonic Herbs. It was published by Japan Publications,the very prestigious Japanese publisher of books on Asian health caretechniques. The book has become a classic and remains the best selling book onChinese tonic herbalism to date in America. Also in 1984, he journeyedto Chinafor the first time to immerse himself in a culture where herbalism was a partof everyday life. While in China,he met with everyone from farmers to pharmacists. His travels gave him an ideaabout opening “bars” to mix and sell herbal tonics. In 1986, Ron opened thefirst “elixir bar” in the United Statesat Charmer’s Market in Santa Monica.From that point on Ron Teeguarden devoted his time solely to the developmentand promotion of Chinese tonic herbs.

Charmer’sMarket was the precursor to the better known Tea Garden Herbal Emporium whichopened in 1988 in Venice,CA. “It was like a MASH unit – an 800-square-foot space that was packed wall towall with people from morning ‘til night. Frequently stopping by the Emporiumfor elixirs and to have their herbal programs replenished and reviewed weresuch luminaries as Mel Gibson, Darryl Hannah, Danny Glover, Sharon Stone,Jackson Browne, Wesley Snipes, John McEnroe, Wayne Gretzky, Dr. Andrew Weil,Warner Erhard (founder of EST), Reverend Michael Beckwith (“the Secret”) andMel Simon (owner of “the Forum” in Caesars Palace and the Mall of theAmericas), among many others.

He was thechief herbalist for the Emporium until 1993 when he shifted his efforts towarddeveloping and sourcing herbs in China. At that time, Ron beganspending most of his time in China.Ron had a highly fortuitous encounter on a flight to Beijingin 1993 with the Commissioner of Drug Approval for the People’s Republic of China, Xiao Pei-gen. They were seated together for the long flight. Ronhappened to have an article in his flight bag written by Professor Xiao entitled“The Antiaging Herbs of China.” Professor Xiao wascertainly surprised to meet somebody with an interest in the tonic herbs on anairplane, especially someone who had a highly marked-up article he had written.Xiao Pei-gen became Ron’s mentor in China. Ronspent considerable time at Professor Xiao’s world renowned Institute of Materia Plant Development, a direct branchof the Chinese Academyof Medical Sciences, and the cutting edge herbal institute in China.Professor Xiao gave Ron an insiders track into the whole herbal industry of China,including direct contact with major scientists, research institutions,manufacturing facilities, and most importantly, incredible sources of rawmaterials. Concurrently, Ron met his future wife, Yanlin, who was justfinishing up her studies at the prestigious Shanghai Institute of Foreign Tradein Shanghaiwhen the pair met. From the very beginning, she helped with sourcing andlogistics in China.

In 1996,Ron had a meeting and interview with Grand Master Xu Guo-Jun, Ph.D., in the presence of Professor Wang Zheng-Tao, Ph.D., and Professor Zhou Zhen-He, Ph.D.Professor Xu was then Professor Emeritus at ChinaPharmaceutical University in Nanjing, China; directorof the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association; a member of the Chinese Pharmacopeia Commission and the Chinese Academy ofSciences; a member of the Advisory Panel of Medicine, Academic DegreeCommittee, China; and a member of the Consulting Specialist Committee(Pharmacy), Chinese Ministry of Health. At that time, Professor Xu (who was in his late eighties) was the most respectedherbalist in China.He has since passed away. Professor Wang was then a professor at China PharmaceuticalUniversity, Department of Pharmacognosy; a member of the Chinese PharmacopeiaCommission; and Director of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences’Commission to Standardize Chinese Herbs. Professor Zhou was then president ofthe College of Traditional Chinese Medicine at ChinaPharmaceutical Universityin Nanjing, China. Thethree great men jointly wrote the Foreword to Ron’s book, The Ancient Wisdomof the Chinese Tonic Herbs.

At thatmeeting, based on Ron’s life work, published materials, and comments madeduring the interview, Ron was deemed a "Master Herbalist" by thethree masters.

RonTeeguarden left the Tea Garden Emporiums in 1996 and currently operates DragonHerbs, based in Santa Monica, California. There remains atremendous demand for his consultations and the demand for his herbal productshas been growing dramatically. Ron remains the herbalist for many topcelebrities and executives. He and Yanlin spend considerable time in Chinaoverseeing their manufacturing facilities and herb farms, and meeting withresearchers who are investigating the nature of the tonic herbs and developingnew herbal materials, technologies and products. And Ron continues to travel tothe most exotic regions of the world to find herbs that can benefit us all.

“More andmore, you see people in Western cultures embracing what’s actually verycommonplace in the East,” says Ron. “We don’t compete with conventional Westernmedicine, we compliment it. It is our intention to provide the knowledge andmaterials that can improve the lives of millions of Americans.”

DragonHerbs Dedication to Quality and Safety

DragonHerbs is dedicated to seeking out the finest herbal products in the world andproviding them to our clients. For over thirty years we have been researching,sourcing and producing tonic herbal products. It has always been our credo thatwe will sell nothing but the highest grade, most effective tonic herbalproducts in the world, no matter what the difficulty in obtaining them. We havebuilt our business and our reputation upon that credo.

Unlike thevast majority of herbal companies in America, Dragon Herbs sources everyherbal ingredient directly from its original source. Dragon Herbs is a Di Tao™company. Di Tao literally means “Earth Tao (Dao),” or “authentic source” inChinese, and it is a fundamental concept in Chinese herbalism, though theconcept is widely ignored in the American marketplace, mostly out of ignoranceand the price-driven nature of business here. Di Tao sourcing is vitallyimportant to you, the consumer of these products, because it is impossible tomake gold from straw. Most herbs used by other manufacturers in the United Statesare “commodity grade” herbs. These herbs are grown for the mass market and arepurchased by herb companies primarily based upon price and a chemical“standard” that the dietary supplement industry has deemed “acceptable andattainable” on a broad scale. It is similar to the way we grow corn in America.Dragon Herbs does not use commodity grade herbs as its raw material. We useonly ultimate grade herbs obtained by our own buyers around the world. Our processfor selecting these source materials is not based on price – it is based solelyon quality – and our standard of quality equates to the word “exceptional.”Sourcing any single herb can be a daunting process, often taking us years toidentify the best quality herb to be used in Dragon Herbs formulations. Theherbs we use meet the ultimate standards of herbal experts, scientists andconnoisseurs in China, Southeast Asia, Tibet, Japan and, of course, America.

DragonHerbs is a producer as well as a purveyor. We manufacture almost all of ourproducts in our own factories and workshops. We use special, advancedtechnologies to extract or otherwise process the herbs. We have completecontrol of the process from the mountain, sea or desert, through the manufacturingof the concentrated extracts, to final production of the capsules or liquids inAmerica.We meet and surpass every standard of the various pharmacopeias and healthagencies around the world. Dragon Herbs products are not equivalent to theproducts found on the shelves of most American natural foods stores, herb shopsor sold over the internet. That is why Dragon Herbs is regarded as the ultimatesource of tonic herbs and superfoods by people “in the know.”

Because weare the manufacturer of these products, from the ground up, we cut out a wholechain of middlemen that normally significantly impact the price of herbs. As aresult of our unique situation (no middlemen), we can provide higher gradeherbal products at prices that are equivalent to, or lower than, other herbcompanies. Therefore, our products are a great “value.” In Asia, the same gradeherbs sell for much more than what we are selling them for in America. Again, we have nomiddlemen, so we can pass the savings on to you.

We considerit our mission to serve as a flagship herb company for the entire dietarysupplements industry. We take this mission completely seriously and havesucceeded in achieving recognition for that service. Thousands of clients knowthe difference between Dragon Herbs products and the generic products widelyavailable.

Of course,“the proof of the pudding is in the eating.” It is the incredible efficacy ofthese amazing herbs that ultimately wins our clients over to become lifetimecustomers of Dragon Herbs. Our goal is to aid each of our clients in their pathto radiant health and longevity. Dragon Herbs is interested in fostering thegrowth and development of each of our clients, even beyond the use of tonicherbs. Tonic herbs are part of a lifestyle that is dedicated to lifecultivation. It is also part of a process to help restore balance to our worldand perhaps alter the path of history by helping reverse the trend toward theun-natural and dangerous use of synthetic products.

Tonicherbs, by definition, are herbs that may be safely consumed regularly andcontinuously throughout life to support the natural life functions and toprotect us from environmental challenges. We believe they should be part ofeveryone’s diet because they provide nutritional support and protection thatcannot otherwise be obtained. We continue to investigate the sourcing, use andpractical application of tonic herbs.

We selectour herbs from sources that we KNOW are reliable. Before we buy, we send ourrepresentatives to the growing site to review the conditions of the site. Wehave long since learned what to watch for. We know how herbs are collected andgrown. We know how they are processed. We test samples at various stage of theprocess to be sure that the herbs are totally free of pesticides, heavy metals,dyes or any other chemicals. Because we are so careful at the initial stages ofthe process, we rarely have to reject an herbal ingredient. However, in the twocircumstances in the past sixteen years where the herbs did not meet ourstandards when they reached our export site in China, we DID reject them. Theherbs you get from Dragon Herbs are not only the finest quality herbs from thevery best sources; they are also perfectly clean – guarantied.

We do notbuy herbs from regions where it is even possible to be polluted. Our herbs aregenerally mountain grown, at high altitudes. They grow on mountain springwater, and in some cases on glacial melt. Our sea products are collected wherethere is no pollution. We test for pollutants just to make sure. You will notbe in any danger of consuming lead or mercury or DDT when you consume any ofour products. We’ve never once produced a product that tested positive forthese or any other similar pollutants or toxins. Our products are designed torid your body of these substances, not contribute them to your body.

It is notyet possible to make herbal products from strictly organic materials. The“organic” system has not been implemented extensively in China or other Asian countries yetfor herbs. That does not mean that the herbs are not grown by organic methods,however. In fact, all of our herbs are grown by methods that would make themcertifiable in America.All of our herbs are grown in pristine regions without the use of chemicals,chemical fertilizers, or any form of genetic engineering. Water sources arenatural and clean as a result of the mountain sources. Also, many of our herbsare wild crafted, and this is a type of growing that cannot be easilyclassified as “organic.” These herbs are grown from seed thrown into a naturalenvironment (a mountain forest or a desert, for example) and allowed to grownaturally without human interference. And of course, some of our herbs are truewild herbs (Ginseng, Rhodiola, Schizandra, Snow Lotus, Wild Reishi, etc.). Wildherbs cannot be termed “organic” because they are not cultivated. But they areoften better than the cultivated varieties.

RonTeeguarden is as interested in being “organic” as anybody in the world. He wasa seminal founder of one of the first organic food companies in America,Eden Organic Foods, in 1969. He co-authored a natural foods cookbook in 1971and worked on several organic farms in the 1970s. Clean food, free fromchemicals is an absolute necessity in his world. That is why Dragon Herbsmanifests the mandate to provide non-polluted herbal products. That is why theowners and executives from other herbal companies buy their personalherbs (for themselves and their families) from Dragon Herbs.

We are veryaware of the pollution issues that the world currently faces. Every country inthe world (with the possible exception of Bhutan)has serious pollution problems – including the United States. Certainly China, Indonesia,India, Germany, Great Britain and other countrieshave seriously polluted areas. But we DO NOT use herbs that are from pollutedareas. Heaven Mountain,Chiangbai Mountain,the Himalayas, the western (windward) coast of Indonesia,the Catskill Mountains, and similar sourcelocations for Dragon Herbs are PRISTINE. They are not in any way related to thepollution issues famously described in the popular press.

Also,contrary to the impression presented in the press, the Chinese government isVERY interested in purity of Chinese herbs. Herbs in China must meet strict standardsand factories are modern and excellent. They have advanced machinery, superbwater purification systems, and state-of-the-art procedures that meet U.S. FDAcriteria. Our factories are extremely advanced. They are extremely clean. Theyare strictly pharmaceutical grade facilities. These facilities also meetEuropean and Japanese standards, since they also supply products to thesecountries. The standards in Europe and Japan are extremely strict.

DragonHerbs is subject to oversight by the U.S. FDA, the U.S.D.A., the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Agency, U.S. Customs, and other governmentagencies. All of our shipments from overseas are delayed at Customs for FDAinspection and possible inspection by other agencies. These agencies almostalways take samples for laboratory analysis. We are very proud of our record inthis regard, as our goods are always passed.

We do notuse endangered species of anything. We are extremely eco-conscious. We pay fairprices to our indigenous suppliers. We recycle everything possible, in America and in China. We will be graduallyswitching to a new production technology over the next two years that willreduce our carbon footprint from production to almost zero (you’ll here moreabout this in the coming months). Our factory has one of the world’s mostadvanced water purification systems, assuring the ultimate purity of ourproducts. All of our products are tested for purity and to assure that thereare no contaminants. In the 18 years since we have been producing herbalproducts in China,we have never had a recall.

We willcontinue to pursue quality and safety with gusto. The herbal world is complexand sources do change. The world’s environment is in flux and we are keepingconstant watch with all of our sources and products. We would not be yourultimate source of tonic herbs and superfoods if we did anything less.