A:
We have had a great many questions about the Padma products.  You may have heard about Padma 28 from the film, Knowledge of Healing, Director Franz Reichle.  Padma 28 is not available in the United States.   It is widely available in Europe.  You can obtain information directly from the Swiss company, Padma AG: http://www.padma.ch/
on how to obtain it in Hong Kong and about possible drug interactions.

The product that is available in the United States is PADMA BASIC and you can find out about it from the US company, Padma Health Products, Inc:   http://www.padma-usa.com/

Both products have a fascinating history.  They are derived from an ancient Tibetan formulation, known as Gabur, or the "camphor formula", which is one of many preparations that were reformulated and standardized at the beginning of the 20th century using information from monastery documents and lama doctors.  As the formulas traveled throughout the Himalayan region the emchis (traditional Tibetan practitioners) were not always able to obtain the herbs used in the original formulas, so they substituted and added regional plants with the same properties.  Consequently the formulas have continued to change and evolve. 

There is a great deal of high quality research behind the Padma products.  Copies of publications can be obtained from the Herb Research Foundation (303-449-2265).  Beware of copycat products on the US market and companies that use Padma research publications and change the name!  These other products have not been tried and tested and are unknown in the rest of the world.