Health Viewpoints
Our modern societies have been inundated by pharmaceuticals, and science often has a long list of issues regarding herbal medicines, as portrayed in a 2013 article published in Frontiers in Pharmacology. Nevertheless, traditional remedies have a millennia-long history in cultures around the globe and are becoming increasingly germane to those interested in more holistic and natural approaches to health care and well-being.
The authors of a 2020 worldwide study see plants as valuable and significant and “a source of research in the search for active compounds for medicine.” According to their research, “Ten percent of all vascular plants (between 350,000 and nearly half a million) are used as medicinal plants.
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How do we access all this ancient wisdom?
The Search for Ancestral Knowledge
Many of us have lost the traditional knowledge of our ancestors. I remember my grandfather taking me on walks through forests in Germany, explaining to me the different kinds of mushrooms, which ones I could harvest and eat safely, others that could only be used medicinally, and the rest that I “better not touch.” Now, 40 years later, I find myself reading many books about mushrooms to relearn knowledge passed on by a family elder when I was a child.However, there is hope for those interested in learning more—utilizing the medicinal properties of plants in basic herbal and natural preparations is not rocket science and can be learned with a keen mind and attention to the plant world.
Barefoot Doctor Way of Health Care
Some of this new revival of interest in herbal remedies is based on the “barefoot doctor system,” a bright spot employed during the dark cloud of the Cultural Revolution in China (1966–1976). According to an article posted in Nursing Digest, briefly (3–6 months), but intensively trained health care workers performed medical services in rural areas.A 2018 Harvard report states:
“The barefoot doctor program was a low-cost strategy that achieved high health outcomes. Its core principle was to keep people healthy. And the program reached everybody—it was universal health care at its very core. Just as impressive, barefoot doctors were part of the community, understood the community, cared about the community, and were trusted by the community.”Barefoot doctors were even suggested as a solution to the COVID-19 dilemma for rural areas in a 2022 opinion article posted in Frontiers in Public Health.
Today, community herbalists—people who have undergone a multi-year training by seasoned herbalists and practice the use of herbal care in the traditional and historical sense—often work based on the same principle—and not only in low- and middle-income nations—but also here in the United States. We know our communities because we are part of them and pass on traditional knowledge to bring affordable health back to the people.
Basic Herbal Preparation Methods at a Glance
Therefore, the goal of this article is to introduce the most essential techniques on how to decoct and extract medicinal plants in your kitchen.Story continues below advertisement
Depending on the chosen herb, plant, shrub, or tree, the parts utilized include the aerial parts (leaves and flowers), the bark, or the root.
The most common extraction methods comprise oil extractions (cold/warm), water extractions (cold/warm), or alcohol extractions. These processes have a series of names:
- Decoction—the extended boiling of herbaceous material.
- Cold maceration—a cold-water process.
- Hot maceration—a tea or bath brew.
- Tincture—an alcohol extraction.
- Extraction (warm or cold)—plant material processed in oil (“extraction” is also sometimes used as a general term for preparing an herbal remedy).
The Basic Recipes
Prepare your herbal matter before extracting it, breaking up plant material into ¼-inch pieces. Use a mortar and pestle to bruise and gently crush harder materials like roots, bark, or dried berries.Oil-Extraction–Cold
Extracted herbal oils are used as foundations for cremes, skincare preparations, and massage oils. Warm extraction is simply a quicker version (1 hour) of cold extraction, which takes 3–5 weeks.- Add to a jar that you will be able to close tightly with a lid.
- Pour oil over entire plant material. Olive or almond oil are preferred, but sunflower seed oil or jojoba oil (which is actually a liquid wax and not an oil) work as well. The advantage of jojoba oil is its long shelf life and stability.
- Use a 1:10 ratio with fresh and a 1:20 ratio with dried plant material. Ensure that all herbal matter is completely covered.
- Place in a warm and bright (but not sunny!) spot—except for St. John’s Wort, which should be placed into the sun for extraction.
- Shake regularly and examine diligently for the formation of mold.
- Allow to infuse for about 3–5 weeks.
- Strain and fill into dark glass bottles.
- Store in a cool place away from light.
Oil Extraction–Warm
- Add plant material to a heat-proof container.
- Use the plant/oil ratio as mentioned above in the cold-oil extraction.
- Set up as a water bath and heat oil/plant mixture very gently for about one hour at a maximum temperature of 104 F.
- Allow to cool. Strain and store as described above.
Water-Extraction–Cold/Warm
Decoctions work best for the release of active components from roots, bark, hard leaves, and dried berries.- Put into cold water (1 Tbsp fresh or 1 tsp dried plant material to 6-7 fl. oz water).
- Bring to a continuous boil for at least 10–20 minutes (if necessary, add water).
- Cool and strain.
- Follow the first step above.
- Allow to extract anywhere from several hours up to three days (shake or stir daily).
- Strain.
A warm maceration is simply brewing a classical tea or a bath brew.
- Use 1 Tbsp fresh or 1 tsp dried plant material.
- Pour 6-7 fl. oz hot water over the matter.
- Cover and steep for 3-5 minutes—some medicinal teas require a longer brew time of 10–15 minutes.
Dosage: The usual recommendation for medicinal teas is to drink 1–3 cups per day.*
Alcohol Extraction
A tincture is an alcohol extraction from fresh or dried plant matter.- Add herbal matter to a jar that you will be able to close tightly with a lid.
- Cover entire plant matter with alcohol (40 percent or somewhat higher). Although vodka is the barefoot doctor’s go-to, you can use your favorite liquor, such as brandy, gin, rum, tequila, bourbon, or whiskey.
- Use a 1:2 ratio with fresh and a 1:5 ratio with dried plant material.
- Shake.
- Keep jar closed and place in a warm and sunny spot.
- Allow to brew for about 2–4 weeks, shake daily.
- Strain and fill into dark glass bottles.
- Store in a dark and cool place. It keeps well for approximately two years.
How to Strain the Herbs
Straining is the simple process of separation of solid and liquid matter. Set up a bowl or jar that matches the size of your strainer/colander and line with a clean cotton muslin or linen cloth. Pour the liquid including the solid plant matter into the lined strainer. Liquids will filter into the bowl/jar, solid ingredients will stay in the cloth. Wring the cloth out tightly to extract all solute herbal constituents into the oil or water.Story continues below advertisement
Note: For all individualized herbal recommendations and dosages, please consult with your local herbalist.*
More Research on Herbal Remedies Is Needed
The use of plants as a source of research in the search for active compounds for medicine has been proven to have a significant scientific output. An analysis of the scientific literature indexed in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health concerning medicinal plants clearly shows that in the last 20 years, progress has been rapid, with a peak in 2010. From that year onward, publications have stabilized at just over 5000 per year.However, some scientists call for increased research to promote the use of herbal medicine on a broader scale. Seldom do botanicals make it to clinical trials and funding for research on the efficacy of herbal medicine is still lacking.
The attention of modern health care is elsewhere, which is why individuals must fend for themselves to gain an understanding of the use and preparation of phytopharmaceuticals.
A 2020 article published in the Journal of Pharmacy and Bioallied Sciences on the preparation of medicinal plants explains the above subject matter in greater detail, provides a detailed explanation of terms, and may be helpful for interested individuals to educate themselves one step further.
*This statement has not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease.
The author encourages readers to continue to visit and to be treated by their health care professionals, including physicians. The author is not acting in the capacity of a doctor, licensed dietician-nutritionist, psychologist, or other licensed or registered medical professional. Accordingly, the author is not providing health care, medical, or nutrition therapy services and will not diagnose, treat, or cure in any manner whatsoever any disease, condition, or other physical or mental ailment.
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