“What is a tincture?” is definitely one of the questions I am asked the most. The most basic explanation of this is “herbal drops”.
Tinctures are potent herbal extracts, usually of plant or animal material, dissolved in ethanol (alcohol). Vinegar or vegetable glycerin can also be used for tinctures, however, at present I use grain free alcohol in all of my tinctures at Herbal Medela.
The alcohol draws out the active ingredients from the plant parts used, forming a concentrated liquid. This liquid is then taken sublingually (under the tongue), which is thought to be the most effective way to get the herbal preparation into your system.
Another great benefit of alcohol based tinctures is that they half an extremely long shelf life; anywhere from 1-10 years depending on the alcohol used!
So, the plant parts used for the tinctures are soaked in alcohol for an amount of time (usually between 2 and 4 weeks). Once this time is up, the tincture is then strained and separates the liquid matter from the plant matter and bottled ready for use.
Plant parts such as barks, roots and mushroom tinctures are doubled extracted at Herbal Medela. This means that the water soluble active ingredients are also included in the tincture for added potency. This is done by adding the plant matter, after it has been soaked in the alcohol, to hot water and simmering and reducing down the volume.
Due to the alcohol in the tinctures, many people find they don’t like the taste, however, tinctures can be added to your water, juice or smoothies without necessarily reducing the efficacy of the herbs!
If you’d like your children to take herbal tinctures and you’re concerned about the alcohol content, you can simply add the drops to a small amount of boiling water. The heat from the water evaporates the alcohol and drastically reduces the alcohol content. This can also be done for people with liver disease.
Although they may not taste great, tinctures really are an effective way to take your herbs.
I hope this has answered any questions surrounding these magical little drops.
Which tincture are you going to try first?
Laura x