12.02.06
Other Medicinal Recipes:
Syrup: Honey-based syrups preserve the healing qualities of some herbs and can be used to soothe sore throats and provide relief from coughs and colds. To make an herbal syrup, combine two ounces of dried herb(s) with one quart of water in a large pot. Boil down until it is reduced to one pint. Add one to two tablespoons of honey. Store all herbal syrups in the refrigerator for up to one month.
Compress: Soak a towel in a hot herb tea and lay it on the affected area. Be careful not to burn yourself when you wring out the towel thoroughly or the "patient" when you lay it on the area to be treated. Cover the compress with a dry towel. Leave it in place until it no longer feels warm and then replace it with another. Keep the area under compresses for up to 30 minutes, depending on the condition and the herb being used. Generally, stop the application when the skin becomes uniformly flushed, or a tingling sensation or feeling of relief develops and interrupt the regimen if the area becomes red or the patient feels discomfort. Some herbs are stimulating and warming (such as Cayenne or ginger) and are used to increase circulation and energize areas of the boday that are congested or debilitated. Other herbs are soothing and cooling and dissipate excess heat or nerbous energy or calm swelling from sprains or bruises.
Poultice: Mix dried, powdered or macerated herbs with hot water or herb tea. If you want a paste like mixture, add flour or oatmeal. Place this herbal mixture right on the skin. A warm cloth, or bandage should hold the herbs in place. These are effective for drawing out infection and foreign bodies and relieving muscle spasms and pain. Burdock, comfrey, crab apple, flax seed and slippery elm are safe and traditional poultice herbs.
Plaster: Cayenne and mustard are best applied as plasters rather than poultices so they don"t actually touch the skin. Other herbs work well as plasters when you want an antiseptic and healing effect on an injury. Make an herb paste (as described in "Poultice") and place within folds of cheesecloth or muslin. Apply to the injured area.
Herbal Oils and Ointments: Aromatic herbs contain active ingredients in essential oils. Manufactured oils are extremely concentrated, extracting oils from many pounds of plants to produce a few drops. There are lots of carrier or base oils to choose from. For medicinal purposes use olive oil. For bath, massage, or cosmetic oils, use apricot kernel oil, almond oil, or grapeseed oil because these are light and easily absorbed by the skin. Grapeseed is the lightest of the three. You can use fresh or dried herbs. Fresh herbs should be placed in a shaded, warm place for several hours or overnight, after picking. This allows most of the moisture to evaporate. If you don't do this, the oil will look milky, allow mold to grow, and could even sour.
You can make a less concentrated (and safer) oil yourself by macerating two ounces of dried herb(s) and mix with one pint of olive oil (or safflower or one of the oils mentioned above). Keep in a warm place. Shake this mixture twice daily for a few days to six weeks depending on the potency you want. Strain and bottle the oil.
For a quicker process, heat the herbs and oil gently, uncovered, for one hour. Do not boil. Strain and bottle when cooled. For ointments, add one to one and a half ounces of melted beeswax (or tallow) to any herb oil.
If using tallow (rendered lard), simmer one ounce of crushed dried herbs in three quarters of a pound of fat. When the herbs break down well, strain and allow to set. For a firmer ointment add melted beeswax while this mixture is still warm. Calendula or comfrey ointment is widely recommended as a first aid cream.
Standard portions for infused oils are 2 to 3 ounces of dry herb to 2 cups oil, but if you wish to use a simple method: fill a glass pot with the chosen herb or herb blend, and cover it with oil plus 1 more inch. Then choose which method you are going to use: hot or cold.
Cold Method
1. Let the herb you want to infuse sit overnight, so it will lose water.
2. Fill a jar with as much herb as you want to infuse to 3″ from the top.
3. Fill the jar with oil enough to cover the herb, plus 2″. Because herb exposed to air will mold, make sure all the herb is covered.
4. Let sit in the sun or in a greenhouse for six to eight weeks.
5. Strain into a clean, airtight, dark jar. Label, date, and store in a cool, dark place. Don't be surprised if the oil doesn't smell like the plant. It most often doesn't. For a stronger oil, repeat the process. Double oleate oils are twice as strong, and triple oleate, three times as strong, etc.
Hot Method
1. Let the herb you want to infuse sit overnight, so it will lose water.
2. Fill a pot with as much herb as you want to infuse. Use a non-reactive pot. Glass is my first choice. You also can use stainless steel, enamel, or cast iron. Do not use aluminum or copper.
3. Cover the herb with oil and add two more inches of oil.
4. A double boiler is convenient, but if you don't have one, put the pot in a bigger pot that has water in it. The oil should heat slowly over low heat for three hours. Do not overheat because too intense heat will destroy the volatile oils you are trying to collect. You can do this in a crockpot on the lowest setting also.
5. Strain into a clean, airtight jar, and store in a cool, dark place.
Another quick and easy method to prepare salves or ointments is to:
Prepare the herbal oils needed for the type of
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12.02.06
Learning how to dry herbs is easy. The method that you use depends on your available materials and the usage of the particular herb. The basic idea is to place the herbs in a dry, dark place where they won't be disturbed or contaminated.
Excess heat or too much light can diminish the medicinal properties of some herbs.
The best method is to hang them to dry. Gather several plants of the same species together and bind their roots with string. Tie a longer string to the bound roots and fasten the other end of the long string to the ceiling or any other overhead structure that allows them to hang without being obstructed.
The reason why it is best to hang herbs of the same species is because of the drying times. Some herbs take longer to dry than others. If you have the entire bundle the same type of herb, you won't have to break it apart each time one herb dries, because they will all dry more or less at the same time.
Another way how to dry herbs is on a rack or a screen. If you are handy, you can build a rack with screens yourself. Use a non-metallic window screen and fasten it to a frame made of four thin strips of wood. You can make several screens and put them into a rack that you can build that holds several screens on top of each other, with enough space in between to allow for good air circulation. If building this is too much for you, drying racks and screens can be purchased.
A third method how to dry herbs is in the microwave with a desiccant, or drying agent, such as silica gel to absorb the excess moisture. While this method dries herbs quickly, it is not recommended for medicinal herbs for two reasons. First, the excess heat from the microwave may destroy much of the medicinal properties of the herb. Second, any artificial desiccant such as silica gel should never be used because it may be absorbed into the herb. You do not want to ingest any foreign chemicals along with your herbs.
Possibly Related: herbs, herb, dry herbs, drying herbs, medicinal properties Posted in Herbs Guide, How To Use Herbs
12.02.06
There are many ways to prepare herbal remedies. Though the ones you will find here were developed through trial and error over the course of centuries of use. Herbalists have found that each herb releases its healing powers in different forms. Some herbs are most productive when they are prepared as infusions while others prove to be more appropriate in extracts or tinctures. If you wish to prepare your own herbal remedies, you should do a little reasearch. You should know which preparation is best suited for the herb you have chosen and what dosage is most appropriate. You could easily do this by visiting your local health food store and see how herbs that you are interested in are packaged for sale and what the recommended dosages are.
The following recipes are made from fresh or dried herbs. Keep in mind that it normally takes twice the amount of a fresh herb as dried. You can grow your own herbs, pick them from the wild or purchase dried herbs from your local health food store or online. Below you will find the various types of preparation for herbal remedies and give you tips on how to make them yourself. The methods are arranged in order of potency, from the weakest to the strongest. Measurements suggested are general and not herb specific. Be sure to research the strength and effect of herbs you are unfamiliar with.
Also, the part used makes a difference, leaves, roots, flowers, seeds, etc., and can require an adjustment in the amount used. Generally speeking however, one ounce of a single herb or one ounce of combined herbs is what you will need to use. Remember that herbs are not like prescription medicines and usually do not have immediate effects. Continue drinking the teas, infusions and decoctions until you feel better which should be no longer than three days or so. In all cases, the effectiveness of herbs is based on a gradual action to restore the natural balance of healthy bodily functions. Very few plant remedies produce lasting beneficial effects after one or a few doses. In the case of treating prolonged problems, consider that, as a rule of thumb, it takes one month of an herbal treatment for each year that you've had the problem. In other words, if you have had a problem for three years, it would take about three months to effect a healthy repair.
When Making Teas, Infusions and Decoctions keep the following in mind:
Not all herbs are suitable for making medicinals.
It is important to cover your pot while boiling or steeping to prevent the aromatic oils from evaporating into the air. A lid will cause the steam to condense back into the water.
Use a glass or ceramic container. Aluminum, iron, tin or other metals will leach into the tea. Although copper and stainless steel may be okay, herbalists recommend you use clean glass, ceramic, pottery or unchipped enameled pot.
Use pure water. Fresh spring water or distilled water is best.
Boil the water first, then remove it from the heat and add the herb or pour over the herb.
Strain the finished tea before capping and storing.
Refrigerate if kept for more than a few hours.
Tea: Herbal teas are quite pleasant and a healthy addition to your diet. They have a mild relaxing or invigorating effect, depending on the character of the herb. They don't, however, have the potency, the medicinal dose, of the active constituents in herbs.
The easy way to make a medicinal cup of tea is to triple up on herbal tea bags or the loose tea leaves that you would normally use and steep them in one cup of very hot water, covered, for ten minutes. By tripling the amount of tea you come very close to the medicinal value of an infusion.
Dosage is in cups per day. Single strength herbal teas can be taken as often as you wish. To use bulk dried herbs, toss a quantity of the herb in a nonmetallic container, pour in boiling water and allow to steep for ten to 20 minutes. Most herbalists prescribe an ounce of dried herb (you should invest in a small scale) in a pint of water. Strain the herb parts. Usually, the tea is consumed at room temperature. Drink the tea hot only if the goal is to induce a sweat or to break up a cough or cold. Sip throughout the day, the cumulative dose would be one to four cups a day depending on the herb.
To make beverage teas:
1. Boil water in a non-reactive pot (glass, stainless steel, cast iron, or enamel-do NOT use copper or aluminum because harmful metals from these materials can contaminate water) and remove from burner.
2. Use 1 teaspoon of fresh herb to 1 cup of water, cover, and steep for at least 20 minutes, overnight if possible.
3. Strain before drinking.
Medicinal teas are not cures for anything, but they do make you feel better. They're not as strong as tinctures, but can be very effective for chronic problems when used with consistency over an extended period of time.
To make medicinal teas:
1. Boil water as above.
2. Use 1 tablespoon of fresh herb (1 teaspoon of dry) per cup of water, but make a quart at a time. Add herb, cover and steep as above.
3. Strain and drink small amounts throughout the day-3 to 4 cups total.
Capsules: You can buy empty gelatin capsules from your health food store. There are varying sizes of capsules. Simply fill the capsules with powdered or finely cut dried herbs. The reason capsules are not as beneficial as the following liquid remedies is because no extraction process is performed and thus the active constituents of the herbs are not as readily available to your body. Digestion alone does not guarantee the release of the healing agents of herbs. Capsules are, however, preferrable when you want the herbs released in the intestines rather than the stomach. Many people prefer capsules and pills for convenience
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12.02.06
The goal of the herbalist is to release the volatile oils, antibiotics, aromatics, and other healing chemicals contained by the herb. Herbs can be taken in the following forms:
Juice: Juice is squeezed from herbs.
Ointments: Salves and ointments made by adding herbs to a medium such as petroleum jelly.
Paste: Mashing herbs into a paste.
Powder: Herbs ground into a powder and used as such or as compressed into a pill.
Extracting: Decoction or extracting the active ingredients by boiling down the herb in water.
Syrups: Made by adding herb to a medium such as honey, sugar or glycerin.
Hot infusion: (like hot tea) Herb is steeped in hot water.
Cold infusion: (like sun tea) Herb is steeped in cold water.
Wine: Herbal wine made by adding the herb to water and sugar and letting it ferment.
Tincture: Herbal tincture is made by combining ground herbs with alcohol, glycerin or vinegar and used internally.
Liniment: Made like a tincture except it is used externally.
Poultice: Herb is applied directly to a wound or body part and held in place with a cloth.
Herbal Oil: Usually made with common base oil, such as olive, almond, grape seed, or sesame oils. The herb is allowed to sit in the oil for a week. It is strained and bottled. In general, delicate leaves and flowers are best infused. Boiling may cause them to lose the volatile essential oils. Roots, barks, and seeds are best made into decoctions.
Standardized or Whole Herb
As the herbs are getting more and more popular, more and more manufacturers are supplying standardized herb extracts.
A standardized extract means that the manufacturer has verified that the active ingredient believed to be present in the herb is present in the preparation and that the potency and the amount of the active ingredient is assured in the preparation.
The problem is that, the action of the herb may be from a number of constituents and not from just one or two ingredients. Thus, the standardized preparation may omit some of the ingredients and we will lose out on the effect from the complex combination of the constituents.
Herb Quality in the United States
By contrast, herbs in the United States are unregulated and not standardized. As a result, many cases of fraud have been reported.
One study on Ginsing products showed that over half of them had too little ginsing to be effective and another 25% were not really ginsing at all.
In another report in 1998 on St. John's Wart, investigators discovered that one-third of the bottles had only about half of amount that was stated on the label.
A Canadian study showed that none of the feverfew products made in the United States contained enough of the active ingredient needed to be effective.
Since there are no standards set in this country, buying herbs can be risky. One way to reduce that risk is to have the herbs prescribed by a physician. Although there is no guarantee, the chances are better that a doctor will deal with a reputable company and be more knowledgeable about giving the correct doses and know about interactions with other herbs and drugs.
When purchasing your chosen herbal remedies follow these tips:
Look for the words "standardised extract" on the label, which guarantees the potency of the active ingredients.
Always check for the percentage of active ingredient on the labels. The supplement isn't likely to be effective if there isn't one.
Make sure they're in clearly labelled containers from reputable suppliers.
To determine the correct dosage, check recommended levels on the product and follow them carefully. You should also check to see whether the herb should be taken before or with food.
Herb effects may be altered if combined with prescription drugs. Always consult a practitioner for reliable advice if you're already taking medication.
Many herbs shouldn't be taken while pregnant or breastfeeding. For herbs safety guidelines please visit our Precautions page.