How are herbs taken?
Each herbal prescription is custom blended
from a dispensary contains around 300 herbs. Herbs are
prepared in a number of different ways, whilst all forms
are effective, a judgement will be made on the most
appropriate form for you.
Alcohol-based tinctures are perhaps the most commonly
prescribed, being convenient to take and highly effective.
The therapeutic herb is macerated in a mixture of water and
alcohol to obtain the maximum number of constituents from
the plant. The resulting tincture is a concentrated form of
the plant which can be taken in small doses and which keeps
well without refrigeration. Some people find tinctures
unpalatable, but they can be mixed with fruit juice rather
than the usual water to make them easier to take. Many
patients have reported that despite finding the taste
unpleasant at first, they quickly become accustomed to it -
and some even like it.
Another excellent way to take herbs is dried in the form of
teas or tisanes. Some people find teas less convenient to
carry around and take than tincture, but they are
particularly useful in some conditions and always used if
alcohol cannot be tolerated for religious or health
reasons. When making herbal teas, it is important to use
enough herb – at least one teaspoon per mug or
boiling water (unless otherwise advised) and allowing
sufficient infusion time, usually five minutes depending
upon the herbs used. A days worth or herbal tea may be made
up in advance and stored in the fridge for up to 36 hours.
Most herbal teas taste pretty good, being a combination of
the leaves, flowers or roots of plants with no artificial
additives, however they can usually be sweetened with honey
or sharpened with a slice of lemon or lime.
Herbs are also very effective externally and are often used
as creams, lotions, ointments and oils. Essential oils are
often added to external preparations for maximum
therapeutic efficacy.
A useful short introduction to the concepts
and history of herbal medicine can be found here.