Guest guest Posted June 17, 2005 Report Share Posted June 17, 2005 Hi Everyone, How many herbs can you use at one time. What i mean is, if i want to use herbs in a formula. What are the maximum number of herbs i can use. I usually use the herbs as a poweder form. Also can you use few formulas together to make it easier and save time. If you use too many herbs at one time, will it reduce it's effects. Thanks M/H/S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 20, 2005 Report Share Posted June 20, 2005 Ive heard that putting herbs together actully makes them work better. I take a zillion of them every day and I'm pretty healthy after having colon cancer last year. gms... herbal remedies , " mhsarwar " <mhsarwar> wrote: > > Hi Everyone, > > How many herbs can you use at one time. What i mean is, if i want to > use herbs in a formula. What are the maximum number of herbs i can use. > > I usually use the herbs as a poweder form. > > Also can you use few formulas together to make it easier and save time. > > If you use too many herbs at one time, will it reduce it's effects. > > Thanks > M/H/S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 21, 2005 Report Share Posted June 21, 2005 I am not a big fan of mixing large numbers of herbs randomly together. Formulations are an art/science using complementary actions to produce in synergy a whole that is much greater than the sum of the parts. The more herbs you have in one formula as you take the dose the less of any one herb effect you are getting. Thus you can dilute an effect that you need with too many other herbs. This is called shotgunning, shoot a bunch of herbs at a problem and hoping one or two might hit. That usually doesn't work anywhere near as good as a simple infusion with a plant you know. Additionally, it is very difficult to figure out which of those herbs is actually doing the healing action matching the patient/situation thus by habitual shotgunning you cut yourself off from deeper experience and understanding of herbal interactions. Michael Tierra's book, The Way of Herbs, has an excellent chapter on how to make formulations. A rule of thumb for acute conditions is 1 to 3 herbs providing the effect you need (demulcents, liver cleanse, diuretic, etc.) make up 75% of the formula and the rest are supporting herbs helping to balance it out. Chronic conditions tend to be more complicated and the Chinese have some brutally long combinations but are designed that way with 5000 years of experience behind it. Read that chapter, or other similiar ones, spend time working with herbs one by one, and build experience with some of the great formulas that others have put out. You'll then grow naturally into making your own formulations that work well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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