Herbal tinctures are liquid extracts made from herbs and they are mainly consumed orally as alternative treatments for
ailments, but also as tonics for the
general health of the body.
Tinctures are prepared after extraction of herbs in an aqueous alcoholic solution. In this way all the active ingredients of the herbs pass into the solution, while the alcohol presence functions as a preservative, maintaining the tincture for up to 2-5 years after its preparation. The best way to use tinctures is to take them directly under the tongue so they can enter the bloodstream directly. However, the prevailing method is to take 20 drops a day with water, juice or tea as well as to avoid simultaneous consumrption of dairy products half an hour before and half an hour after their receipt. A tincture is taken for 6-7 weeks, a two week interruption occurs, and as long as the health problem we are interested to heal does not resolve, treatment continues in the same way.
As aqueous alcoholic solutions, spirit drinks of known alcoholic content can be used. Vodka, for example, does not alter the taste and smell of tinctures and is an ideal solvent for preparing them. We can make a herbal tincture by placing 120 gr of dried powder, shreds or flowers of the particular herbs and cover with ½ lt of vodka in a glass jar ( if you use fresh herbs, place twice the quantity of herbs). Then we close the container and leave it for 4-6 weeks taking care every 1-2 days to shake it well. Once this period of extraction has ended, we drain and then pack the final product into small dark bottles. If we want to cover some unpleasant odor or taste, we can use some rum or other alcoholic beverage.
Because of the lack of safety tests and uncertified ingredients, pregnant women and breastfeeding women should be careful when using herbal tinctures or other similar products. Some herbs contain powerful active ingredients and some of them may be toxic or health threatening. In addition, before using any herb that you have picked up by yourself and you have not bought it from a herbal store, you need to be sure it is the right plant. If you are not absolutely sure, do not use the herb because bad identification of herbs has been the cause of numerous poisonings.