The Power of Plants: How Herbal Medicine Can Improve Your Health
If you are one of my clients, you have probably been sent home with a dark bottle containing a mysterious mixture and instructions to take it twice daily. Behold, liquid herbs! Liquid herbs are the end result of raw plant material that has been soaked in a mixture of water and alcohol in a particular ratio so that all the amazing nutrients from the herb diffuses into the fluid. The resulting fluid is called an ‘extract’ or a ‘tincture’ depending on the strength or potency. An extract refers to a very strong liquid (e.g. 1ml of liquid to 1g of plant material) and a tincture is is more diluted (e.g. 5ml liquid to 1g of plant material). I use various tinctures or extracts to create individualised herbal formulas based on their therapeutic actions and my client’s case. For example, I use herbs to support the needs of my clients through improving sleep, stress adaptation, energy balance, digestive health, hormone support and many more.
Some of the benefits of herbal medicine include:
A liquid formula that is blended for you based on your case.
They have therapeutic actions e.g. anti-inflammatory, immune modulating, trophorestorative, nervine tonic.
They have a high potency and have been shown to be very effective.
Liquid herbs allow for optimal absorption rather than other forms such as tablets.
They work by healing various body systems.
They have synergistic effects when pairing various herbs together.
They are very safe when used appropriately i.e. always seek advice from a qualified naturopath before commencing any form of herbs.
The down side of liquid herbs is the taste for many people. However, you will get used to the taste once you start taking them every day and I bet you, you will end up loving them after a few months of consistency! When starting out, I often suggest to my clients to either water it down in a glass of water or measure the herbs out in the measuring cup and then fill the rest up with water and take it as a shot. If that is unbearable, then mixing it with some juice should mask the taste. However, if you are taking bitter herbs, it is likely that I have prescribed them to stimulate your digestion and therefore, would be pointless in trying to mask the taste as the bitter taste of the herbs will stimulate the production of gastric juices.
In my opinion, liquid herbs are a great holistic way to get your health back on track as they are so versatile and can be individualised to YOU and your case!