Tinctures

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This article features Medicine

Please remember that natural medicines can have a lot of potency. Please use them responsibly: make yourself aware of potential effects and consequences before administering medicine.

Contents 1 Introduction 2 Materials 3 Marc Selection 4 Menstruum Selection 4.1 Glycerin 4.2 Vinegar 4.3 Alcohol 5 Preparation 6 Measurements 6.1 Standardized Method 6.2 Folk Method 7 Maceration 8 Strain 9 Bottling & Storage 10 Administration & Dosages 10.1 General Dosages 11 Common Herbal Extractions 12 See Also 13 Reference 14 Disclaimer

[edit] Introduction

Tinctures are therapeutic medicines made when a solute (leaf, bark, root, etc.) is submerged in an extractive solvent (Alcohol, Glycerin, or Vinegar). Tinctures are widely known to be an incredibly effective method for administering a medicinal herb. The potency and lifespan of tinctured medicines are considerably more than other oral or topical application methods.

[edit] Materials

The following materials should be cleaned and ready to use.

• Plants or other medicinal substances—Roots, Leaves, Flowers, Bark, Etc.
• Sealable impermeable container—The container ought to be easy to sterilize, and non-reactive. Glass mason jars work well to this end.
• Knife
• Cutting Surface
• Mortar and Pestle
• Menstruum—See Below.
• Cloth Sieve or other straining device—Thin cloth or brewer's strainer-bags will work well.
• Scale— to weigh the marc for the standarized methods
• Measuring Cup— to measure menstruum.
• Notebook— to record your thoughts, observations, and feedback regarding your medicines.

[edit] Marc Selection

Marc is the solute-material to be submerged. Marc is most commonly herbal material—though, some tincture medicines do not come directly from plants: propolis, for example. Tinctures are most useful because they help to preserve the medicinal properties of plants or other substances that may only be available at certain times of year. The medical conditions you intend to treat should determine which medicinal material you are extracting from. Information may be availble on local plants and their medicinal properties, and consider reverse-engineering information from recorded data on specific ailments. Be mindful of effective methods of administration—some herbs, for example, are more effective when eaten, or applied externally—some treatments may not warrant a medicinal tincture.

The availability and potency of medinces you wish to extract can be affected by their seasonal life cycle (see Wildcrafting Herbs).

[edit] Menstruum Selection

The extractive solvent is called the Menstruum. There are three commonly used menstruums in tincture making. Each has benefits and drawbacks: when choosing a menstruum consider who will be ingesting the medicine, any special needs they may have, the medicinal substances you are extracting, and which menstruum will most effectively extract its active constituents.

[edit] Glycerin

Glycerin is a sweet water-soluble viscous liquid that is usually vegetable-based. It is more extractive than water, though not considered to be a very effective solvent for oily or resinous material. It is naturally antiseptic, gentle on the digestive tract, and a suitable choice for people who can not tolerate alcohol for whatever reason. Many herbalists use it as a base for childrens remedies and cough syrups. When using glycerine as a menstruum you may want to dilute it to half strength using water.

[edit] Vinegar

Vinegar is a sour-tasting liquid containing a small percentage of acetic acid: vinegar is a powerful astringent and serves as an effective preservative. Vinegar menstruum solutions are most effective at extracting plant alkaloids and are quite ineffective when extracting acidic properties from herbs and other material. Although most people find vinegar less palatable than glycerin, it can be compatible with many styles of food preparation. Apple Cider Vinegar offers is own independent health benefits, and is considered the most attractive mentsruum vinegar for that reason.

[edit] Alcohol

Alcohol is the most extractive menstruum for tincture making. Alcohol effectively extracts alkaloids and volatile oils, and it can dissolve most medicinal resinous materials. Grain Alcohol is the most commonly used alcohol in tincture making, though rum, whiskey, vodka and other high-proof simple alcohols can be used. Rubbing Alcohol can be used when tinctures will be applied externally. Alcohol is not a suitable menstruum for people with hepatic damage, a history of alcoholism, and it is contraindicated in pregnancy. When using alcohol as a menstruum you will need to consider what percentage of alcohol is most suitable for the marc you are tincturing. Keep in mind that using fresh plant material will result in a higher percentage of water due to the water content of the plant. This may change the percentage of alcohol that you need to use. An alcohol based tincutre should have a minimum of 25-30% alcohol content.

[edit] Preparation

Use fresh ingredients whenever possible—it is much more reliable to determine the quality and potency of a fresh herb, for example. Inspect and clean all material thoroughly.

Crushing fresh ingredients activates constituents and increases the effectiveness of the extraction by weakening the cell walls of the material—a mortar and pestle is an effective tool for this, although chopping, crushing or grinding (coffee or spice grinder) achieves a similar effect.

[edit] Measurements

There are two schools of tincture making—the standardized method and the folk method. If you are making tinctures for the first time and they are for personal use, consider using the folk method: it is less confusing and easier for beginners. Developing a foundational knowledge of tincture making through the folk method will make experiments with the standardized method more fruitful.

[edit] Standardized Method

The standardized method is important to follow if you are making medicines for clinical purposes and you are wanting to keep detailed notes on your tinctures' quality and effectiveness. This method involves weighing and measuring the marc and the menstruum in order to determine and record the ratio. Having this information available also allows someone to theoretically reproduce a replica of the tincture.

There are two basic ratios: 1:2 and 1:5 [marc:menstruum]. The 1:2 ratio is most often used with dried material, whereas the 1:5 ratio lends itself well to fresh material. The ratio is relatively flexible, so long as you record it as to document and recreate the same measurement—and approximate potency—in your next batch. The marc is measured using grams and the menstruum is measured using milliliters.

For example: if you are crafting a fresh nettle tincture, you will want a 1:5 ratio. If you have 100g of processed nettle you will want 500ml of menstruum. Once you measure both ingredients, place them together in an appropriate container and shake well. Allow the tincture to settle. If the marc isn't fully submerged in the menstruum, consider adjusting the ration—1:5.5, 1:6, etc.—to completely submerge the marc. This—along with a daily shake—will discourage mold growth.

[edit] Folk Method

The folk method is considered much easier, and is acceptable for tinctures that will be used within your family or circle of friends.

Measuring the marc and the menstruum is not necessary in this case. Once your marc is prepared, place it in an appropriate container and completely cover it with the menstruum. Shake the mixture and allow it to settle: if the marc is sticking above the menstruum add more menstruum to the jar to ensure it is completely submerged. Remember to shake daily.

[edit] Maceration

Maceration is the process of softening and breaking up that the medicinal marc goes through while submerged in the menstruum—this process can take from 2 to 6 weeks. Label the container with the date, ratio (if recorded), all ingredients, and any other relevant information and place it out of direct light. The container should be accessible to allow for a daily shake and mold inspection. If you suspect your tincture has been contaminated with mold it should not be used and should be composted. Tinctures can be "over-extracted", resulting in an extremely potent medicine which may not be safe at regular dosages. If you find your tincture is very strong, consider lowering the dosage accordingly.

[edit] Strain

Once your tincture has finished macerating—and the extraction has reached the desired quality/potency—seperate the marc from the menstruum. There are a number of different strainers available: use what you have access to, and try to squeeze as much liquid out of the marc as possible. Make a note of how much menstruum has been absorbed by the marc or otherwise evaporate for the next time: you'll find that the more you crush, grind and otherwise process the marc when preparing the extraction, the more liquid you'll be able to remove from the soggy post-macerate.

After straining, compost the marc and pour the menstruum—now a tincture, pat yourself on the back—into a labeled container.

[edit] Bottling & Storage

Dark glass jars are the best option for storing tinctures, because they are non-reactive, easily cleaned, and will protect against light, which can lessen the quality of your medicines. If you do not have tinted glass, consider keeping your tinctures in a cupboard or make a label that covers most of the jar. All of your tinctures should be labeled with relevant information: date, menstruum, marc, relevant details regarding both the marc and the menstruum (ie: wildcrafted, organic, ratio, percentages, etc.), dosage, functions, indications, and any other information you may find helpful.

Most tinctures can retain their potency for 10 years — There are some common herbs where this is not the case: shepherd's purse, etc. — If you are extracting from these herbs consider making smaller batches yearly. It is OK to store your tincture in a bottle that has a dropper lid: if the tincture is going to be stored away for a long time you may want to use a non-dropper lid as the rubber in the dropper can adversely affect your tincture if left for an extended period of time.

[edit] Administration & Dosages

Tinctures can be ingested orally or applied topically. Tinctures are usually ingested by adding drops to a small glass of water.

Dosaging can be difficult to determine due to variable characteristics of ingester and medicine: constitution, strength of tincture, treatment principles, and the kinds of medicines you are using. If you are using medicines that you know to be potent, consider beginning with a low dosage. If you are using very common, gentle remedies you can be more liberal with your application. Always pay attention to how your body reacts to medicine: should you notice adverse side effects lower the dosage or stop taking the medicine all together, depending on severity of effects. Check published and folk resources for specific dosaging information for individual medicines.

However, there are general dosage guidelines: dosages should be modified gradually and according to the ingesting individuals response to the medicinal properties of the tincture. In many cases, week long breaks should be scheduled monthly during long-term usages of tinctures—or other preparations, such as tea or capsules—this allows the body to cleanse and keep up with any additional stress it may be under.

Potency in relation to body size and organ health is generally the largest factor in determining an effective tincture dosage. It is generally accepted that the menstruum solvent does not seriously affect the dosage.

[edit] General Dosages

• Children—5-10 drops 2 times a day
• Adults—10-40 drops 2-3 times a day

[edit] Common Herbal Extractions

This is a list of common herbs that tincture well. The percentage listed is the strength of alcohol that the herbs extract best with.

• Black Cohosh — 50-60% root
• Black Walnut — 50% hulls
• Calendula — 50-70% flowers
• Chaste Tree — 40% seed
• Cleavers — 40% aerial portions
• Comfrey — 40% root & leaf
• Cramp Bark — 50-70% bark
• Dandelion — 40% root & leaf
• Echinacea — 50% root
• Elecampane — 50% root
• Hawthorn — 40% leaf & flower, 50% fruit
• Horsetail — 40% stem & leaf
• Lobelia — 40% leaf, combine alcohol with approx. 10% vinegar.
• Milk Thistle — 90% seed
• Mugwort — 50% leaf
• Mullein — 40% leaf & flower
• Myrrh — 90% resin
• Nettle — 40% root & leaf
• Oregon Grape — 40% root
• Plantain — 40% leaf
• Propolis — 90% resin
• Shepherd's Purse — 40% leaf
• St. John's Wort — 50% flowers
• Usnea — 90% lichen, see Usnea entry for special instructions.
• Willow — 40% leaf & bark
• Wild Lettuce — 40% leaf
• Yarrow — 50% flowers
• Yellow Dock — 40% root

[edit] See Also

• See Category:Tinctures for specific tincture recipes.

[edit] Reference

• The Holistic Herbal by David Hoffmann
• The Herbs of Life by Leslie Tierra
• Common Herbal Extract Information by Don Ollsin

[edit] Disclaimer

Disclaimer

Rewild.info, its parent company Mythmedia, and Rewild.info contributors are not responsible or liable for any of the information used on this website. Practice at your own risk!