Herbal Teas and Extracts: How Much Should I Use?

Determining how much of an herb to use is fairly straightforward, especially for acute and first aid uses.

  

Most of the time, herbs are measured in drops for liquid extracts and cups for teas.Capsules are another popular choice, but I don't cover them here because, although empty capsules can be filled at home, they have to be manufactured elsewhere. Extracts, on the other hand, can be made at home from start to finish with homemade fruit-based alcohol or apple cider vinegar. Herbal teas can also be grown at home from seed to harvest, so we will look at those as well. 

To determine how much of an herb to give, first determine whether or not it is considered safe for normal use or if it is a low dose botanical. A low dose botanical is an herb that has a traditional record of use in small quantities, but may or may not be considered safe according to modern research. Lobelia is one example. It is potentially toxic and can induce vomiting in large doses, but in small doses was traditionally used as an effective lung support herb for asthma. Normal herbs are given in 15-30 drop quantities, while the dose for lobelia was traditionally started at 5 drops. This is where it is important to have several good books on hand when you are becoming acquainted with a new herb, and it also pays to look up the herb in a more historical work as well. At least one of your reference books should be written by a fairly technical herbalist who likes to go into nitty gritty details such as dosage rather than simply leaving it to be implied. One excellent resource for this is Michael Tierra's book, Planetary Herbology, which briefly covers hundreds of herbs from several traditions around the world.

  

As stated above, most herbal extracts are given in 15-30 drop quantities. This is usually assuming a body weight of 150 lbs, or one to two drops per ten lbs of body weight. One drop per ten lbs is a good place to start for children, and it can be increased to two if needed.

It's been my experience that homemade extracts can have higher levels of sediment than store bought ones, so I'm not really a fan of storing my extracts with dropper top bottles. I use screw on caps but keep clean droppers stored separately- the droppers are convenient, just not when they clog repeatedly. Which they will do, especially on extracts you don't use everyday.

 

So, either store the dropper separately, or learn to use a quarter teaspoon measuring spoon. 1/4 teaspoon of extract equals roughly 30 drops. By adding the extract to a small amount of water and dividing the water in half, you will have approximately 15 drops, and in half again will yield about seven.

Teas are just as straightforward as extracts. One cup (8oz) of tea is enough for one serving for a person weighing approximately 150 pounds. Since there are 16 tablespoons in a cup, estimate one tablespoon of tea for every ten pounds of body weight, and adjust upward as needed

Frequency of use is another consideration. If you know that the herb you are planning to use falls under the category of normal use, next consider what type of problem you are addressing.

If it is an acute imbalance, such as a cold or something else that comes on suddenly, herbs can be taken every hour as needed for a few days. If the imbalance is chronic- something that has been around for months or years, it is generally best to use the herbs two or three times a day, and expect that they will need to be continued for one month to every year the imbalance has been experienced.

Six Herbs to Help Care for Cuts and Scrapes

Cuts and scrapes aren't much to worry about in today's relatively sterile environments. Clean water and soap are readily available for washing, tetanus shots are usually kept up to date. Well, barring any shortages- I distinctly remember being a teenager and going for my physical, only to have the doctor wring her hands and say she would have to check if they had tetanus vaccines available, because I was long overdue for a booster shot but there was a shortage. And that's in a very affluent, suburban area of the US, mind you.

Anyway, it's very easy for us to take it for granted that our cuts and scrapes are just minor inconveniences, and not the major health threat they can morph into under less than sanitary conditions!

In a bad situation, even a tiny cut can lead to dangerous infections if it comes into contact with another person's blood or body fluids, animal saliva, fecal matter, germs from the soil, or in germs in unsantized lake, river or well water. Germs that enter through a cut can cause all sorts of complications in an extreme setting: tetanus, rabies, gangrene, systemic infections that lead to organ failure and death. . . Yeah, none of that sounds fun. I think I'll pass, thanks.
 
So, keep those cuts clean and dry, and seek medical attention at the first sign that things might be going south! Stay healthy and keep those immune systems up to speed, too.   

In a less than ideal situation, or one with limited access to medical care, here's what to remember:

Keep it clean and dry.
Only use water that has been sanitized.
Keep it covered to keep stuff out.
Respect the scab: it's there for a reason. 

For more technical information on how to keep cuts and scrapes thoroughly clean, take a look at a good first aid manual; for now, let's focus on how to use herbs once the basic first aid is out of the way.

One of the easiest ways to use herbs to help care for cuts and scrapes is as a wash or compress: make an herbal tea and allow it to cool, then apply with gauze or a clean cloth to the desired area. Allow to air dry. Another great way is as a salve that can be applied after the area is cleaned. Here's a look at five herbs that can be used either as washes or as salves, and one herb that can be used as an extract or powder:

Yarrow: was traditionally used help stop bleeding, and an alcohol extract has the added benefit of containing, well, alcohol! Some herbalists use it as a styptic in its dried, powdered form.

Bee Balm: the leaves and flowers were used in the past as a wound wash, especially if the area was red and hot to the touch (in modern parlance, we know that this indicates that an infections may be setting in) but leaves aren't generally available at the stores, so that only helps if you are growing your own.

Rose petals: also make a good wound wash, or ingredient in salves.

Plantain and Chickweed: make really great salves for cuts and scrapes, especially when made with the fresh herbs.

Elder: the flowers and leaves of elder both have traditional skin care applications. They can be used as a wash, or made into a salve. Elder was believed to promote fast healing.  





  

Surprise Announcement!

So, some of you may have noticed that my regular articles have been on hold for the last few weeks. There was a good reason for this, and one that I am delighted to share with you now:

Starting in January, I will be teaching classes at our local health food shop, Mother Nature's Eden!

Classes will be held on Thursday nights from 7:00pm-8:30 pm, and their will be three classes per month.

January's menu includes:

Herbs 101: How to Use Herbs in Everyday Life;

Herbs for the Zombie Apocalypse: Herbal First Aid Basics;

and Herbal Master Class: Roses (devoted to the history and myriad uses of the well loved garden rose).

For more information check out our school page at Common Branch Community Herb School , and to sign up follow the links on the school page, stop by Mother Nature's Eden to sign up in person, or look us up on Skill Share.

Classes are $15, except for the Master Class which is $20. The master class includes a supply fee so that you can take home rose hips and rose petals to make recipes we will discuss in class. Participants of all classes will be able to sample herbal teas during class, and take home info packets with class notes and further resources.   

I spent the past few weeks devoting my spare time to developing classes and figuring out logistics, but never fear, this week we will return to our regularly scheduled programming.