Herbal tinctures are a wonderful way to easily preserve and consume the medicinal benefits found in herbs, flowers, and even mushrooms. Here is how to take a tincture and why you might want to.
What are herbal tinctures?
Tinctures are concentrated liquid extracts made by steeping herbs, flowers, mushrooms, and other plant material in alcohol. We use alcohol because it extracts and preserves the active compounds and beneficial properties of plant material better than vinegar or water.
After the plant material steeps in the alcohol for 6-8 weeks, it is strained off and consumed in small doses. You can tailor your tincture blends to fit what you’re trying to support – whether that’s your immune system, inflammation, stress and anxiety, or something else. Tinctures are jam-packed with nutrients and, unlike dried or fresh herbs, they are shelf-stable for years!
Tinctures verse extracts
Tinctures are made with alcohol and extracts are made with store-bought apple cider vinegar, water, or food-grade glycerin. They also tend to be stronger than extracts and to last longer. This is due to alcohol being more effective at drawing out and preserving the medicinal properties in plant material.
Benefits of herbal tinctures
More potent – Herbal tinctures provide a higher concentration of medical benefits found in plants. Tincturing flowers, roots, herbs, mushrooms, and other plants concentrates the medicinal compounds in the plant material. By tincturing them, your body can access more of the compounds than you would by eating fresh herbs or making them into tea.
Long shelf-life – Tincturing fresh plant matter is an easy way to preserve the medicinal properties in plants for much longer than they would otherwise last. Fresh herbs go bad quickly but by tincturing the herbs, you can access the herb’s benefits for years after the plant is harvested. To ensure that tinctures last as long as possible, it’s important to store them away from direct sunlight in a cool dry place.
Ease of use and easy to store – Tinctures are convenient to use and store. They are small and portable and can be easily added to drinks or taken directly under the tongue. Tinctures stored in small bottles with dropper tops also make it easy to take the right amount of tincture and ensure consistent doses.
Rapidly absorbed – Because tinctures are liquid extracts, the active compounds are quickly absorbed by the body, so you can more quickly access the beneficial effects.
How to take a herbal tincture
There are many consumption methods for taking tinctures. Here are some of the easiest ways to consume herbal tinctures.
Sublingual consumption – The most popular method to consume tincture is to add the dosage directly under your tongue. Leave it there for 20-30 seconds and then swallow the liquid to ensure the best absorption. This will allow for the tincture to be rapidly absorbed into your blood stream and for your body to quickly access the medicinal benefits.
Diluted in juice or water – You can add a dropper full to a glass of water or juice to dilute the flavour. Some tinctures have stronger flavours than others (like clove tincture) and you may want to dilute it.
Blended in teas – Add the dosage to your favourite herbal tea for an added dose of medicine. But make sure to avoid pouring boiling water over the tincture as it will dilute the potency slightly.
Into medicinal extracts – You can add a few drops of the tincture to other medicinal extracts you’ve made such as elderberry syrup or fire cider.
Into salad dressings and sauces – Add the dosage into your favourite salad dressing. This is an especially good option if you’ve chosen to use store-bought apple cider vinegar to make the extract instead of alcohol. I like to add garlic tincture to my homemade wild garlic pesto.
Smoothies – Add the dosage into your breakfast smoothie for an added nutritional layer. I like to add elderberry tincture to my kefir smoothie in the morning.
Into your favourite drink – Some tinctures add a lovely flavour to homemade cocktails.
Into homemade body products – Some tinctures can be applied topically such as lemon balm tincture and rosemary tincture. You can add a few drops to a pump of lotion or shampoo and use the tincture topically.
How much tincture should I take?
For most of my recipes, I consume a full dropper full of the tincture once per day. For certain blends, I increase the dosage to one dropper full 2-3 times per day during cold and flu season or to help prevent or alleviate allergies. You can start with a low dose and increase based on your desired effect.
Types of tinctures
There are tinctures and herbal extracts that can support or help address all sorts of health problems. Here are some of my favourites:
Stress and mood support tincture
Disclaimer: I’m not a medical professional and do not intend to offer medical advice in any content I create. I offer information for educational purposes and, as always, do your own research and speak to your doctor, paediatrician, or health care provider. There are always possible unintended consequences of trying a new herbal remedy such as an allergic reaction or unexpected side effects like interactions with other medication. For example, if you have an allergy to the asteraceae family, it may be best to avoid dandelions.
What to read next
Make A Herbal Tincture With Dried Herbs
How To Remove Alcohol From Herbal Tinctures (Three Methods)
How To Use A Tincture (Simple Guide For How To Consume Them)
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