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Herbal Tinctures
Herbal tinctures are more powerful, last much longer, and are cheaper than buying ready-made herbs. You can make about a quart of tincture for the price of a few ounces of the dried herb purchased at herb stores. Also, you control the quality of the tincture by starting with herbs that you harvest yourself or have purchased from a reliable source.
Tinctures are made by slowly extracting the essential oils from an herb over a period of several weeks. Tinctures are more concentrated and have a longer shelf life than infusions or decoctions. Tinctures are made by using a solvent usually alcohol such as vodka. The alcohol acts as a preservative
and helps to keep the healing properties active for a much longer period. If you avoid heat, sunlight, and exposure to air, your tinctures will retain their healing properties for as long as you own them.
There are many advantages to making your own herbal tinctures. By making your own tinctures, you are insuring that you get the full benefits of the herbs that you are using. Tinctures are a very convenient way of ingesting the herbs healing properties. Capsules are convenient also, but the herb's essential compounds are not as pronounced as in a tincture. A tincture is more quickly absorbed into the system than in capsule form. Capsules must be ingested and then digested in the stomach where tinctures begin to be
absorbed immediately upon ingestion.
CAUTION:
Various herbs should not be taken with prescription drugs. Check with your physician before taking any herbal medication to assure the medications will not negate each other or interfere with each other's healing properties.
A Basic Recipe for Making Tinctures:
Combine the ingredients in a clean, sterilized glass or ceramic jar, with a non-metallic tight-fitting lid. Set the jar in a cool, dry place for 2-6 weeks. Shake the jar daily to help extract the herb's active ingredients. Strain the liquid into another clean, sterilized glass jar with a tight fitting non-metallic lid for storage and place in a cool, dry place. Make sure you label the jar with the tincture's name, date it was made, and the ingredients used.
Keep a journal for your tincture preparations, (as with all other homemade preparations) with information regarding ingredients, what it's for and any good or adverse reactions, the date it was made, etc.
Proper dosage is very important. For the first time using your tincture, try a few drops just to see if you're allergic to the mixture. If there are no adverse reactions, you can increase the dosage by drops till you reach ½ to 1 teaspoonful. This is the usual dosage for tinctures. Understand what the effects of the tincture are before you ingest it.
Good luck with your tinctures and enjoy the benefits of them.
Herbal Tinctures ©
By: Wystira Moonsinger, February, 2004
I received this article in an email from a friend. If you want to read more by Wystira Moonsinger go to:
"Everywhere is walking distance if you have the time."
- Stephen Wright
Valerian (Valeriana officinalis): An assitant to sound sleep and a
treatment for insomnia, Valerian comes in tincture, extract, or tablet form. Use one teaspoon of the tincture in a quarter cup of water, or take one or two tablets at bedtime.
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