HOW HERBAL REMEDIES CAN BE USED – TEA (INFUSION)
Every plant contains various minerals, vitamins, ferments, enzymes, oils, resins and mucilage. All these components in their natural proportions have a specific effect on the body.
In many places it is still customary to make a herbal tea or infusion in order to treat health problems. In fact, this is the oldest form of preparing herbal remedies. Unfortunately, however, an infusion only utilises the water-soluble properties of a plant.
The preparation of a tincture using alcohol as a base, as opposed to water in the case of an infusion, is more advisable, since in addition to the water-soluble substances, those soluble in alcohol, such as resins, oils and other specific active ingredients (for example arnicin and petasin), will be extracted. What is more, an alcoholic tincture keeps well and can also be diluted, that is, to obtain homoeopathic potencies. The body is able to assimilate substances contained in an alcoholic solution better than those dissolved in water. In times gone by, only dried plants were used in the preparation of tinctures but today fresh plant extracts are preferred, since they contain a higher concentration of the active ingredients.
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