Raintree Nutrition, Inc., - considered one of the world’s experts on South American rainforest
plants - sustainably wild-harvests and exports worldwide over 60 sustainable rainforest plants,
resins and oils from the Amazon. Raintree has developed over 60 proprietary rainforest herbal formulas and
extracts utilizing these highly effective rainforest medicinal plants. In addition, Raintree is at the forefront in creating new markets and disseminating accurate
information, facts, science and research about these wonderful plants of the Amazon.
The process of formulating an effective Raintree formula begins with the thousands of years of
empirical indigenous knowledge passed down through the generations about the plants and their
properties. Then, modern research on the phytochemistry and pharmacological actions and
safety is complied and/or performed which, more often than not, validates the time-honored
indigenous use of the plant. The plants are then synergistically combined into specific
formulations using both modern science and the traditional Indian methods, and thus a new and
highly effective Raintree formula is created.
We repeatedly hear from our satisfied customers and health practitioners that, "There is
something special about your formulas; their effects are more profound, act more quickly, and are
broader in scope than any other products." In part our formulas' success originates simply from
the environment in which these rainforest plants grow. The richness and energy of the Amazon
biosphere environment is truly unique and dramatically different than anywhere else in the world.
Another piece contributing to our formulas' potency and efficacy is the unique manner of
harvesting. Most all Raintree Nutrition botanicals are harvested by the Indigenous Indian tribes
of the rainforest, specifically to our order as we need them. These tribes and their shamans are
the experts in harvesting and working with these plants and their ever changing life cycles.
Because we control the process from the time the plants are growing in the jungle until they are
placed into a Raintree labeled product (which oftentimes can be as little as a month in time) we
are assured of the quality, freshness and potency of our rainforest ingredients. Finally, is our time
honored and natural approach to processing, manufacturing, and formulation. All Raintree
formulas provide only whole natural plants that have not been chemically treated or altered in any
way. They are already rich in the natural and active plant chemicals naturally occurring in the
plants and in the ratios Nature made them to work synergistically together. None of our plants are
ever fumigated or irradiated. In manufacturing our capsule formulas, 100 percent natural ground
whole plants are delivered without any binders, fillers, excipients or synthetic chemicals added
in the process. Our liquid extracts are prepared based on the individual chemistry of the plants
and the best natural method to extract the plant without any chemical preservatives or other
man-made chemicals. The combination of all of these processes make Raintree’s products so
unique that they literally they stand in a class of their own.
Please note that there are two distinct product lines. The Amazon Support products (shown with this name at the top of the product pages) are available only through practitioners of the healing arts and from Raintree Nutrition directly. They cannot be found in retail stores. The remaining products can be found in quality health food stores, natural product stores and internet nutrition stores. Please see our Product Catalog in the link below where these two product lines are clearly differentiated.
Indigenous Knowledge
Long regarded as hocus-pocus by science, indigenous peoples’ empirical plant knowledge is now
thought by many to be the Amazon's new gold. Yet sadly, many seeking to tap this highly
profitable natural resource are now rightfully branded and outlawed as “Bio-pirates” in rainforest
countries due to their unethical practices. These include the pharmaceutical and biotech
companies which learn from the Indians which plants in the shaman’s medicine bag of natural
remedies have active properties in their ongoing search to find biologically active plants which will
yield new active plant chemicals. They virtually steal this indigenous knowledge and take the
discovered plant chemicals back to their laboratories where they synthesize them into patentable
and highly profitable billion dollar drugs. In this regard, nothing is given back to the indigenous
people for their knowledge and leads in targeting the right plant or to the country and rainforest
where the plant originated and was discovered. Yet, this wealth of biologically active rainforest
plants IS the true wealth of the rainforest, and the means by which it can be saved - IF
approached with the proper motives, methods and ethics.
Sharing the Wealth of Knowledge
Raintree founder and Board Certified Naturopath, Leslie Taylor, spends extensive time with
indigenous rainforest Indian tribes, shamans, local healers and rural herbal doctors throughout
the Amazon learning and documenting their extensive plant knowledge. Her mission has been
to publicize and publish this indigenous knowledge where it can be shared and used by all - even
among the indigenous people themselves. More importantly, publishing this type of information
legally puts this important knowledge into the public purview so that it cannot be patented or
exploited by any single company. If the knowledge is already public knowledge - then it cannot
be patented for the sole profits of a few. Ms. Taylor’s published book, Herbal Secrets of the
Rainforest, as well as the online Raintree Tropical Plant Database has been used several times
in the past and will be used countless times in the future as reason to deny U.S. plant-use
patents from being filed on tropical rainforest plants. In this manner, not only is the knowledge
freely shared and accessible to all, but profitable global markets are created for these rainforest
plants and many others will share in the profits realized in the sustainable harvesting of them.
Creating Solutions for Rainforest Conservation
Raintree Nutrition, Inc. was founded on the principle that sustainable wild-harvesting of rainforest
plants provides the best viable and economic alternative to destroying the forest for the income
provided by timber harvesting, large scale cultivation programs, subsistence cropping, and other
agricultural schemes like cattle operations. Since the forest is being destroyed for the income and
profits it yields; if we are truly prepared to preserve our remaining forests we must offer these
types of viable economic alternatives which addresses the real problem.
Since it’s inception in 1995, Raintree has been a leader in creating a world market for the
important sustainable plants of the Amazon Rainforest. Today, millions of acres of government
owned, privately held, NGO controlled, and Indian demarcated lands in the Amazon are
demonstrating through Raintree’s harvesting programs, that wild-harvesting plants on rainforest
land provides greater income and profits to the land owner and country than any other
unsustainable land usage. Raintree’s harvesting programs compete successfully and directly
with other interests in the rainforest like timber logging and results in higher profits for the land
while still preserving its biodiversity instead of destroying it. This IS the economic incentive and
encouragement necessary to protect the rainforest for future generations and it IS working to
protect rainforest lands today.
