How Forest Prana Pine Pollen and Nettle Root Elixir Tincture Came To Be
It started in 2011, with a question we kept circling back to: how could we make Pine Pollen more supportive for everyday use?
At the time, our pure Pine Pollen tincture had become something of a staple. People loved it. We did too. But we also knew it was best used intermittently, because of how it affects hormones like DHT and E2—two that play a powerful role in the body’s balance, and can easily tip too far if not supported thoughtfully.
That left a gap. Something was missing for those who wanted consistent, daily support.
That’s when we turned to Stinging Nettle Root.
We’d been working with it separately for a while, but pairing it with Pine Pollen just made sense. Stinging Nettle Root brought a kind of balance Pine Pollen couldn’t hold on its own—not over time. It helped the body modulate rather than overcorrect. It grounded the formula. Made it steadier.
So we brought them together.
And that’s how the Forest Prana Pine Pollen and Nettle Root Elixir Tincture came to be.
This tincture is intentionally formulated with male physiology in mind. It includes isolated phytoandrogens, plant compounds that closely mirror the body’s own androgens.* This makes it particularly suited to support testosterone levels, prostate health, and overall hormonal balance in those with male biology.*
While other forms in the Forest Prana Elixir collection, like the powder and capsules, are crafted to support all physiologies through their adaptogenic and nutritional benefits, the tincture is more specific in its purpose. And that difference is part of what made it so needed.
It was the first of its kind back then. And over time, it’s become something you don’t just take—but trust.
What Forest Prana Means to Us
We didn’t call it Forest Prana just to give it a beautiful name.
We called it that because it felt true. Because it held everything this formula stands for—where it came from, what it honors, and what it’s meant to give back.
This formula is rooted in something older than us. In traditions that saw plants not as products, but as living allies. In the belief that nature knows, and that we’re part of it—not separate from it.
“Forest” is more than our name or brand. It’s a way of being. It reminds us of what takes time. What grows slowly, deeply, with intention. It speaks to the wild places we source from, yes—but also to the wild places within us. The parts that know how to restore, if given the right support.
And “Prana (प्राण),” the Sanskrit word for life force, is something we’ve all felt. It’s the pulse in your chest after a deep breath. The warmth in your belly when you finally feel safe. The energy that moves through all of us no matter what name we give it.
It’s always there. And when it’s nourished, something shifts.
This formula was made for that. To support what’s already within you. To meet you where you are, without pushing or pulling. And to remind you that your vitality isn’t lost. It’s just waiting to be remembered.
The Forest Prana Pine Pollen and Nettle Root Elixir was never just about combining powerful herbs. It was always about relationships—between plants, between body and spirit, between tradition and what you personally need today.*
We craft it through the Jūn-Chén-Zuǒ-Shǐ framework, an ancestral system of formulating herbs that teaches us how each ingredient plays a role: the leader, the support, the harmonizer, the guide. It’s a method that brings depth and intention to herbal formulation by allowing the herbs to not just work, but work together.
When we first created this elixir, it centered around Pine Pollen and Stinging Nettle Root—two foundational herbs that support strength, vitality, and balance.* But as we deepened our practice, we felt the formula could offer more.
So in 2017, we introduced Aged Citrus Peel (Chén Pí) and Cape Jasmine Fruit (Zhī Zǐ). Just 5% of the formula, but enough to transform the energy of the whole. They help regulate Qì, move stagnation, and gently harmonize the body’s response.*
As a tincture, this formula carries a certain kind of energy. It’s active, quick, direct. It’s for moments when you feel the need to shift something now. That’s the nature of Yáng. But it’s also part of a larger rhythm: our Mountain Harvest Pine Pollen™ Collection, which includes powders and capsules for deeper, more sustained nourishment.
At RAW Forest Foods, we don’t believe in one answer for everyone. We believe in listening. In cycles. In choosing what supports you now, and letting that change as you do.
So if this is your first time with us, welcome. You’re not just trying a product. You’re stepping into a practice. A lineage. A way of working with the body that honors both immediacy and longevity.*
We’re glad you’re here. Welcome to the Trail family.
