Thank you and Questions on Expiration Dates

June 24, 2006

Fisrt I'd like to thank those who sent in the ratios for boric acid and distilled water. I appreciated that. I need information on expiration times for herbs, tinctures, vitamins, etc. I know that by law, store bought herbs and vitamins have to have an expiration date. Never did really believe they were correct though. Also have many tinctures in the house that I've had for a few years. They are stored in a cool dry place but need to know if these things ever do expire or not. I should also include essential oils as I have many of these as well. LynnLynn

June 25, 2006

Hi Lynn!

You will find that although tinctyures and extracts do not really 'go off', they can start to loose their potency in regards to the effect of the active components. This is due to a few factors, that includes not only exposure to air and light, and general time (e.g genral degredation of vitamins) but also from an energetic point of view. Some parts are liekly to go rancid at times, depending on the amount of preservative ( such as alcohol/ glycerine) that was used to extract the constituents. Volatile oils will over time go rancid and loose their vaibility. This can easily been seen with essential oils - take a really old bottle of an essential oil, and a new one of the same plant and compare - you will be able to smell the difference, often with the top notes missing. Whilst even if theyy are a little outside the used by date, they can still be used, however, may not have the same pharmacological effect. Same goes with the tinctures. This means you may require more in dosage to have the same effect, you may not - depending on what is happening to the tincture/extract/ how old it is exactly/ etc. This makes dosaging very difficult - not so much when you are dosing yourself, but definaetly hard when dosing others. This may be of concern when using small therapeutic wondow herbs such as poke root, where a little to much will make you throw up - a little too litle, and you may not get your desired effect.You will also find that vitamins will not last as long. I experimented wiuth this myself with a few different forms of vitamins and minerals, such as old b vitamins and old magesium tablets. The older they are, the less they work. I know of people who had old guarana tablets, and they needed to use 4 x the dose to have the same effect. (they were about a year out of date)

Occasionaly when I have tinctures that go out of date, I use them for myself, usually for simple things such as a little indigestion. If I was treating myself for something that required me to know the exact dosage ( such as using chaste berry) I would want to know im taking something that is definately active. The higher in volatile constituents, the more likely I am to not use it as well.

I will still use them, Im just more careful about what for and how much. If they are a few months out of date, I dont worry, if it is years out of date, then yes.

Sorry if im wafflling.

Hania

Hania Trzaskowski BHSci.NatChirinka Natural TherapiesMuscle Management

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lynn sheer

group

Sunday, June 25, 2006 4:41 AM

Herbal Remedies - Thank you and Questions on Expiration Dates

Fisrt I'd like to thank those who sent in the ratios for boric acid and distilled water. I appreciated that.

I need information on expiration times for herbs, tinctures, vitamins, etc. I know that by law, store bought herbs and vitamins have to have an expiration date. Never did really believe they were correct though. Also have many tinctures in the house that I've had for a few years. They are stored in a cool dry place but need to know if these things ever do expire or not. I should also include essential oils as I have many of these as well.

Lynn

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