What is the Best Way to Take Herbs?

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What is the best way to take herbs. In teas, capsules, or liquid extracts?

http://www.doctormurray.com/Qarchive/herbs.htm

 

The bottom line in determining the effectiveness with any herbal product is its

ability to deliver an effective dosage of active compounds. That being the case,

I prefer to use herbal preparations that have been standardized to contain a

specific level of key compounds. These products are commonly referred to as

" standardized " extracts (also referred to as guaranteed potency extracts) refer

to an extract guaranteed to contain a " standardized " level of active compounds.

Stating the content of active compounds rather than the concentration ratio

allows for more accurate dosages to be made. Most often, these products are in

capsule or tablet form.

 

Standardized extracts are different than simply crude herbal products in

capsules or tablets, or teas because they have been specially processed. One of

the major developments in the herb industry involves improvements in extraction

and concentration processes. An extract is defined as a concentrated form of the

herb obtained by mixing the crude herb with an appropriate solvent (such as

alcohol and/or water).

 

When an herbal tea bag is steeped in hot water, it is actually a type of herbal

extract known as an infusion. The water is serving as a solvent in removing some

of the medicinal properties from the herb. Teas often are better sources of

bioavailable compounds than the powdered herb, but are relatively weak in action

compared to tinctures, fluid extracts, and solid extracts. These forms are

commonly used by herbal practitioners for medicinal effects.

 

Tinctures are typically made using an alcohol and water mixture as the solvent.

The herb is soaked in the solvent for a specified amount of time, depending on

the herb. This soaking is usually from several hours to days, however some herbs

may be soaked for much longer periods of time. The solution is then pressed out,

yielding the tincture.

 

Fluid extracts are more concentrated than tinctures. Although they are most

often made from hydroalcoholic mixtures, other solvents may be used (vinegar,

glycerin, propylene glycol, etc.). Commercial fluid extracts usually are made by

distilling off some of the alcohol, typically by using methods that do not

require elevated temperatures, such as vacuum distillation and counter-current

filtration. However, some small manufacturers produce fluid extracts in a

similar manner to tinctures via a " cold percolation " process.

 

A solid extract is produced by further concentration of the extract by the

mechanisms described above for fluid extracts as well as by other techniques

such as thin layer evaporation. The solvent is completely removed leaving a

viscous extract (soft solid extract) or a dry solid extract depending upon the

plant, portion of the plant, or solvent used or if a drying process was used.

The dry solid extract, if not already in powdered form, can be ground into

course granules or a fine powder. A solid extract also can be diluted with

alcohol and water to form a fluid extract or tincture.

 

Any form of herbal product can be effective if it delivers an effective dosage

of key compounds. Therefore, determining the level of active components or key

biological markers is essential. My opinion is that regardless of the form the

herb is in, it should be analyzed to ensure that it contains these components at

an acceptable standardized level. More accurate dosages can then be given. This

form of standardization is generally accepted in Europe and is beginning to be

used in the United States as well.

 

Although referred to in terms of active constituents, it must be kept in mind

these are still crude extracts and not isolated constituents. For example, the

St. John's wort extract that has been shown to exert significant antidepressant

effects in over 25 double-blind clinical trials is standardized to contain 0.3%

hypericin but still is composed of a wide range of compounds constituting the

remaining 99.7%.

 

The effectiveness of any herb or herbal product from a pharmacological

perspective is dependent upon providing an effective dosage of active compounds.

Regardless of the form of the herbal preparation, clinical effectiveness

requires delivery of an active dosage. Standardization for the level of active

components or key biological markers is the only real assurance to the delivery

of an effective dosage. Therefore, the best form of herbal product is one that

contains a guaranteed potency or level of these key compounds.

 

The tremendous growth noted in the United States over the past decade is, in my

opinion, the result of the influx of high quality standardized extracts into the

marketplace. For years herbal medicine in the United States labored and

struggled because of the insistence of herbal practitioners to hold on to

outdated and unsubstantiated views. Now, more people than ever are getting

results with herbal medicines because they are using more effective products.

Unfortunately there is still a great deal of confusion among health

professionals and consumers. For example, when I write an article on the

benefits of saw palmetto extract in the treatment of BPH even though I stress

the importance of using the extract standardized to contain 85-95% fatty acid

and sterols at the proper dosage of 160 mg twice daily my friends who own health

food stores or mail order companies tell me that for every one bottle of the

extract is sold, ten bottles of crude saw palmetto berries or saw palmetto berry

tincture are sold.

 

Consumers, health food store personnel, and health care practitioners have

simply not gotten the message. While it is possible to achieve a dosage of

active compounds in crude saw palmetto berries as well as a tincture, it is not

cost effective nor would there be much compliance. To achieve the dosage of

fatty acid and sterols from tablets containing ground-up, dried saw palmetto

berries would require a minimum intake of twenty-four 500 mg tablets twice

daily. To achieve the dosage requirement from an alcohol-based tincture of saw

palmetto berries would require an intake of almost one ounce of alcohol per day.

 

While the future looks extremely promising for herbal medicine in the United

States, ultimately what will determine the degree of success will be the

acceptance of more reliable herbal products, i.e., standardized extracts, by

health care providers and consumers.

_________________

JoAnn Guest

mrsjoguest

DietaryTipsForHBP

http://www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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