Infusions
Historically, teas, or more properly infusions, are the dosage form of choice. If you look at any country with a long tradition of herbal medicine such as China or India, infusions are the preferred way of administering herbs. Or they might be incorporated into the diet as part of a food dish such as the famous curries of India. In China, the patient gets a large packet of herbs which are used to make a pot of an herbal infusion and that potful is consumed throughout the day. Many Americans don't like the taste of the herbal infusions and consequently don't take enough to achieve a therapeutic effect. Infusions of leaves and flowers are made by pouring one cup of boiling water over 1 to 1 1/2 heaping teaspoonsful of herb and letting sit for 10-15 minutes. Infusions of barks or rootsneed to be gently boiled for about 10 minutes to soften the fibers and release the useful constituents.
Tinctures and extracts
Most professional herbalists feel that herbal tinctures are the best dosage form. These are most often hydro-alcoholic extracts of an herb using varying amounts of alcohol depending on the nature of the herb (leaf or bark, etc.) and the types of constituents that need to be extracted. Other extracts are made using glycerin, vegetable oils and sometimes vinegar. The advantages of extracts include a long shelf life (in the case of alcoholic extracts as long as 5-6 years or more. I spoke to an herbalist once who claimed he found a 60 year old extract that was still effective!), good absorption of nutrients, easy dosage adjustment (as few as 5 drops to as much as 60-80 drops per dose) and faster action for herbs used for acute situations. Tincture strength is denoted by a ratio of amount of herb to the amount of menstruum (alcohol/water mixture). A 1:2 tincture contains the extracts of 1 gram of herb per 2 ml of tincture. This means that a 1:2 tincture is stronger than a 1:4 or 1:5 tincture.
The usual method used to make tinctures is maceration.
- Put 4 ounces of finely chopped or ground dried herb into a container that can be tightly closed. If fresh herbs are used, 8 ounces should be placed in container.
- Pour 16 ounces of alcohol/water mixture (see below for strength) or 60 proof or better vodka or brandy over the herbs and close jar tightly.
- Keep the container in a warm place for two weeks, shaking it well twice daily.
- After decanting (removing) the bulk of the liquid, pour the remaining mash into a muslin cloth suspended in a bowl.
- Squeeze out the rest of the liquid. The residue can be composted.
- Store the tincture in a dark, well stoppered bottle. It’s a good idea to label the bottle with herb name, percentage alcohol and date of production.
The percentage of alcohol content can be varied to assure the extraction of different types of active constituents in the herb. Typical alcohol contents are:
- 25% for water-soluble constituents such as mucilage, tannins and some glycosides
- 45-60% for essential oils, alkaloids, most saponins and some glycosides
- 90% for resins and oleoresins
Capsules and Tablets
Solid dosage forms such as capsules and tablets are the most popular way for most Americans to use herbs. Many of the scientific and clinical studies that are done with herbal medicines use solid dosage forms. The advantages are obvious - ease of administration and no taste problems. But there are disadvantages. Because the herbs are powdered or finely chopped, their shelf life can be greatly shortened. For some herbs it is important to taste the herb because the stimulation of taste buds is vital for the medicinal effect. And often people don't take enough capsules. A heaping teaspoonful of herb can often fill 3-4 capsules so an herb that needs to be taken 4 times daily would require consuming a total of 16 capsules.
Other
Syrups are used because of their soothing action for throat and stomach problems. Suppositories and enemas are rarely used but offer a means of providing herbal medication when oral routes are not possible or for rectal problems
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