Re: comparaison: herbal delivery methods: water,oil,alc,vinegar,glycerine--ingestion inhalation absorbtion

im wondering about the effectiveness, BIOAVAILABILITY, and safety of using alcohol tinctures, herbal decoctions, essential oils, water extracts (distillation), and other delivery methods.

i understand there are many ways to deliver medicine so i was wondering if we could make a pro-con comparaison.

i understand water extracts will probably not remain as critical extracts for long, that is without preservatives they will degrade, wheras alcohol tinctures or vinegar extractions may not.
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LL: This is true--
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but if made fresh and ingested fresh i would think water preparations are powerful enough...
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LL: Yes they often are--
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or even combination water/oil/ glycerine/alcohol extracts might be best, or maybe it would interfere with each other...or maybe it depends what compounds are soluble in what and knowing what you want precisely???
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LL: (.."or maybe it depends what compounds are soluble in what and knowing what you want precisely???")
This is the way it is, yes--
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i am sensitive to alcohol and vinegar, so maybe this is why i ask... i am not sure of their health benefit, or if they may be harmful (moreso alcohol than vinegar)..or maybe that is just an inconsequential small detail that i may not need to fret about, because their are natural alchols occuring in fruit? cheeses, chocolate? yogurt? is this true? and i seem fine with them
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LL: I wouldn't fret about it Ruff, unless you have a life- threatening reason to do so.
About using different solvents:
Each herb contains different beneficial chemical components. Certain components will only come out when particular solvents or methods are applied to the herb.

Some components are soluble by water, some only by oil, some by alcohol, some by Glycerine or vinegar (Vinegar and alcohol are somewhat interchangeable in my training, although they are not totally equivalent. There are still differences).

Likewise, certain herbs require extraction by a particular solvent in order to extract their particular therapeutic benefits, IOW the benefits of some herbs are best extracted by alcohol, others by oil, etc.
It depends upon which herb you are talking about using.

So you have to know which herb you're going to extract, determine the best solvent for that purpose, then apply your chosen method using the correct solvent to end up with what you want.

About using an alcohol extract:
If you are alcohol sensitive, when you add the extract to a small amount of hot water and leave it for a few minutes, the alcohol will evaporate off and should not cause trouble. If one is a member of AA and thus wishes to stay totally away from alcohol, sometimes a Glycerite extraction may be used.
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what about delivery methods, ingesting is the most popular...but i hear good things of suppositories (being able to bypass liver, skin poultices, baths, foot soaking, or even inhalation/vaporization, mouth absorbtion (capilaries or lymph glands?)...
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LL: I'd be careful about the suppository thing, but the rest of the delivery methods you mention are usually pretty safe. Your choice of method would usually depend upon what you want to accomplish. A skin poultice using a tea is a good way to go, for many things.

The best place to start with herbs, in my opinion, is to use herbs by making a simple water extraction (Technically called an infusion), which means to make a tea out of it. Amazing things can be accomplished using a simple infusion.

The rule-of-thumb is: Use 1 teaspoon of dried herb to 1 cup, pour boiling water over the herb, cover the cup and let it steep for ~20 minutes, then drink. There are variations on this, but it is a starting place.
I make herb teas in an electric coffeemaker with distilled water, and let it sit in the pot and steep with the lid on.

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what are opinions?!
im sure knowledgable people have important things to share...
thanks for the-- knowledge is power is livity with humility
PEACE ABUNDANT for us all to partake for we are practicing sharing and there is nothing more sacred
LIGHT!

~ruff
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LL: your inquiry is full of *great* questions, Ruff-

My favorite herbalist instructors are:
Dr. John Raymond Christopher
Dr. Richard Schulze (Still living)
LaDean Griffin
Maude Grieve (Herbal in 2 vols.)
Dr. Alfred Shook

Anything you can find by any of the above authors will steer you right, and there are others as well whose names I don't remember right now..

User Tharrels(sp?) on some of these forums can probably steer you to some good sources of teachings for the above.

I applaud you, Ruff- Go for it!

Good Health to All of Us,

Ladylove :)
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