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Age to Dose Dosing Guideline

Courtesy of Lotus Herbs, Inc.

The standard dose of herbal extracts for an average adult is 6 grams per day. However, not everybody is an "average adult." The fundamental concept in dosing is to realize that one size does not fit all. Every person is unique and must be treated individual.

The principle behind the Age-To-Dose Dosing Guideline is based on the maturity of the organs to metabolize, utilize and eliminate herbs. This chart is very detailed and is especially useful for infants and younger children. The recommendations are taken from "Herbology" published by Nanjing College of Traditional Chinese Medicine in 1986.

The principle behind Weight-To-Dose Dosing Guideline is based on the effective concentration of the herb after it is distributed to different parts of the body. This dosing strategy is especially useful for patients whose body weight falls outside of the normal range which may require an increase or a decrease in dose. All calculations are based on Clark's Rule in "Pharmaceutical Calculations" written by Mitchell Stoklosa and Howard Ansel and published by Lea and Febiger in Philadelphia.

These two charts provide every herbal practitioner with a handy reference for dosing for those patients who fall outside the definition of an "average adult." It is still important to keep in mind, however, that these charts serve only as a guideline - not an absolute rule. One must always remember to treat each patient as an individual, not as a chart!

AGE-TO-DOSE DOSING GUIDELINE

Age	Recommended Daily Dosage	Fine Granules	Capsules (0.5 gm)	Tablets (0.3 gm)
0-1 month old	1/18 - 1/14 of adult dose*	0.3 - 0.4 grams
1-6 months old	1/14 - 1/7 of adult dose	0.4 - 0.9 grams
6-12 months old	1/7 - 1/5 of adult dose	0.9 - 1.2 grams
1-2 years old	1/7 - 1/5 of adult dose	1.2 - 1.5 grams
2-4 years old	1/4 - 1/3 of adult dose	1.5 - 2.0 grams
4-6 years old	1/3 - 2/5 of adult dose	2.0 - 2.4 grams
6-9 years old	2/5 - 1/2 of adult dose	2.4 - 3.0 grams	5 - 6 capsules**	8 - 10 tablets**
9-14 years old	1/2 - 2/3 of adult dose	3.0 - 4.0 grams	6 - 8 capsules	10 - 13 tablets
14-18 years old	2/3 - full adult dose	4.0 - 6.0 grams	8 - 12 capsules	13 - 20 tablets
18-60 years old	full adult dose	6.0 grams	8 - 12 capsules	13 - 20 tablets
60+ years old	3/4 of adult dose or less	4.0 - 6.0 grams	9 - 12 capsules	15 - 20 tablets

WEIGHT-TO-DOSE DOSING GUIDELINE

Weight	Recommended Daily Dosage	Fine Granules	Capsules (0.5 gm)	Tablets (0.3 gm)
30-40 lbs	20% - 27% of adult dose*	1.2 - 1.6 grams
40-50 lbs	27% - 33% of adult dose	1.6 - 1.9 grams
50-60 lbs	33% - 40% of adult dose	1.9 - 2.4 grams
60-70 lbs	40% - 47% of adult dose	2.4 - 2.8 grams
70-80 lbs	47% - 53% of adult dose	2.8 - 3.2 grams	5 - 6 capsules**	8 - 10 tablets**
80-100 lbs	53% - 67% of adult dose	3.2 - 4.0 grams	6 - 8 capsules	11 - 13 tablets
100-120 lbs	67% - 80% of adult dose	4.0 - 4.8 grams	8 - 10 capsules	13 - 16 tablets
120-150 lbs	80% - 100% of adult dose	4.8 - 6.0 grams	10 - 12 capsules	16 - 20 tablets
150-200 lbs	100% - 133% of adult dose	6.0 - 7.9 grams	12 - 16 capsules	20 - 26 tablets
200-250 lbs	133% - 167% of adult dose	7.9 - 10.0 grams	16 - 20 capsules	26 - 33 tablets
250-300 lbs	167% - 200% of adult dose	10.0 - 12.0 grams	20 - 24 capsules	33 - 40 tablets

* Standard Adult Dosage is 6 grams of herbal extract per day. ** Capsules or tablets should be used with caution in young children due to possible difficulty in swallowing. Each capsules weighs 0.5 grams and each table weighs 0.3 grams.

Lotus Herbs, Inc.
1124 N. Hacienda Blvd.
La Puente, California 91744

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