May 23, 2008 1:28 PM
How To Stir The Pot
Botanicals and herbs all have their own unique consistency and contain different vitamins, supplements, medicinal ingredients, chemicals and some even poisons! So be careful before you resort to them.
When you do, make sure to stick to the recommended dose and the preparation methods. There are several ways how botanicals and herbs can and should be used.
Below are some of the terms explained, you may encounter.
"Tea:
Tea is one of several ways botanicals are sold. Also called an infusion, tea is made by adding boiling water to fresh or dried plant products - stems, leaves or flowers, usually - and steeping them to release their active ingredients. Tea isn't the only way that botanicals and herbs can be used.
Concoctions and Decoctions:
Tea requires just a few minutes of steeping but some plant products require a little more time for their active ingredients to be released. A concoction is simply a mixture of herbal ingredients that can be prepared in a variety of ways, usually with heat. When the heating method is boiling, the mixture - usually of roots, bark or berries - is called a decoction.
Liquids, Extracts and Tinctures:
Botanicals are sold in liquid forms, such as oils, extract-containing drinks, syrups and tinctures. Tinctures are preparations made with alcohol and water. Extracts can be made with many different liquids (solvents), and that liquid is often evaporated to make a dry extract. Dry extracts are put into capsules and tablets. Tinctures and extracts are usually more concentrated than teas. When looking at the recommended dose, it is important to notice the form of the product. For example, a dose might be three cups of tea per day or one to three teaspoons tincture per day.
Fresh or Dried Herbs:
Herbs can be grown at home or purchased fresh-cut at a market. Air-dried, freeze-dried or fresh, herbs can be used in cooking or for making tea.
~Arthritis Today, Arthritis Foundation." Although it may seem, because all these herbs and botanicals are natural, you can't go wrong with it, I have to emphasize again... you can! Taking too much, or not preparing it the way it should, can lead to either results to the contrary, or no results at all. So, read up on it before stirring the pot.
It is not good to "wander off" on your own. Even though you may have the best intentions in mind, you might think you are doing one thing, while you actually are doing another. You may not achieve your goal, if you don't know what guidelines to follow and might end up hurting others as well as yourself.
POSTED BY corryc AT May 23, 2008 1:28 PM
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