Eclectic Institute (EI)

The Eclectic Institute was founded in 1982 by naturopathic physicians, Edward Alstat and Michael Ancharski. At that time, Dr. Alstat was serving as the pharmacist for the Portland Naturopathic clinic at the National College of Naturopathic Medicine. Dr. Ancharski was the Clinic Director. In spite of having access to the latest botanical literature, research and practitioners, they could not find high quality, botanical preparations to use in their clinic. Most herbs on the commercial market simply were not pure, vital or fresh enough to meet their standards. They decided to develop and market their own line of botanical products using only organic herbs carefully grown and harvested and processed while fresh.

Doctors Alstat and Ancharski developed Organol, the only certified organic grape alcohol used in botanical liquid extracts. The company believes that organic grape alcohol offers distinct advantages over distilled grain alcohol. In addition to their line of organic alcohol extracts and alcohol-free glycerites, Eclectic Institute also utilizes freeze-drying to manufacture encapsulated products. They also grow many herbs on their own certified organic farm.