The Best Processing Techniques of Supplements, herbs etc..

[LightLover]

This is not a discussion about raw food itself, we all know this is in
most cases the best and favorite . This is about the best processingmethodes of supplements, herbs etc...which are being offered
in shops/Internet.

So I have the following list; if you think something has to be corrected, or if
this list is incomplete, or if you know other techniques, please reply to this thread.

Product Favorite Processingmethode

Multi-
Herbs product Tincture or lotion

Supplements* Low temperature dehydrating
or when not possible: freeze-drying



*: like green powders, acai powder, aloe vera powder etc....

LL :)

[LightLover]

Forgotten: also important is the amount of organic nutrients, as FG
states in another thread.


ll

[FirstGarden]

Hey LL, here's a bit of info I dug up that I hope will be helpful. Not meaning to promote any company, of course. I'm not so sure about alcohol extraction. What do you think? And do you sense in hype in the following?

FG :)

Liquid Dietary Supplements**

Single Herb Tinctures - Liquid Extract

The Common Wisdom Is: Liquid extracts/tinctures work faster and more completely than other forms of supplementation. Additionally, our liquid extracts are the best quality available requiring less quanity per dosage.

The certified organically grown herbs in these tinctures are never fungated or irradiated. There were no fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides used or they are wild crafted in their natural habitat. The herbs have been hand-harvested at their optimal potency and shade dried. Liquid herbs are the “king of value” as they cost less per dose and are better assimilated than the same herbs taken in other forms.


Tincture Herbal Extraction Process and Benefits
Of the five most common ways of taking herbs

1. Eaten fresh
2. Dried, powdered and then encapsulated
3. Brewed as teas
4. As tinctures
5. As low-alcohol, live-concentrated tincture/extracts

The concentrated tincture/extract method is the most effective. Why is this?

Eating fresh herbs is difficult for several reasons. First, it is nearly impossible to get or even find many of these herbs in fresh form. Second, you would have to consume massive quantities of the fresh herb to obtain significant results. And, lastly, we must rely on our digestive systems to digest the herbs so we can access their beneficial properties. Many of us have less than optimal systems which cannot adequately digest some herbs. Some herbs, in fact, are very difficult to assimilate. Result - we do not get full benefit of herbs eaten fresh, or (for many of the same reasons) from herbs taken in capsule form.

Tea is a good method to use when taking herbs. During the brewing process, many of the beneficial properties of the herbs are liberated and made available for absorption into our system. However, there are some disadvantages to teas: all the properties are not liberated and the heat destroys valuable enzymes.

The “king of value” and the state-of-the-art delivery system in herbs is liquid herbs. Herbs taken in this manner:

- cost less per dose
- are easier to use (by simply placing a drop or two under the tongue or adding to water or juice)
- are better assimilated than the same herbs taken in other forms.

The two main categories of liquid herbs are extracts and tinctures. Within these categories you will find liquid herbal drops, fresh plant, non-alcohol, glycerin or standardized forms. Better equipment and methods to break down botanicals has resulted in new and more potent medicines!

After years of research Master Herbalist, Truman Berst, has developed a special method of preparation yielding low-alcohol, live-concentrated tincture/extract that contains an enzyme active product like no other ever available.

Low-alcohol, live-concentrated tincture/extracts have none of the disadvantages of fresh or encapsulated herbs or of herbs taken in teas. They are made by placing the finely ground fresh or dried herb into a solution of distilled water and alcohol (which acts as an extracting agent). The process takes approximately 3 weeks (some herbs require more time) of soaking and agitating before pouring the liquid into a reserve chamber. The bulk that remains is then placed in a cold-process vacuum extraction chamber. The rich reserve gained from this extraction process is then combined with the original reserve.

After much testing with many different natural extracting agent, alcohol has been found to be both the safest and the most effective method of extracting the essence from herbs. The other options which are not as effective are Glycerin, which grows bacteria too easily, and vinegar is not an effective extracting agent with many herbs. If prefered, the small amount of alcohol remaining in the final tincture may be removed by lighting the tincture like a flambé in a restaurant, or by adding the tincture to water or tea that is warm enough to have steam rising from it. Do not use boiling water or a high heating process which will destroy the precious herb enzymes in the tincture.

Important Fact: During digestion you get less alcohol from 2 oz. of our low-alcohol tinctures than is obtained eating one soda cracker. You will generally find five to ten times the alcohol content in other herbal tincture products.

[LightLover]

FG: I think the productdescription of your example is awesome.
Very complete also. The only thing we can't check if it is true.


I don't like capsule's: see the "cayenne"-thread: the nutrients have to be
"felt" by the mouth, in order to prepare the body for reactions.

only: "like a flambé in a restaurant" is a little bit against the rules..:D
So I changed the info a little bit:

------
Product & Favorite Processingmethode

Multi-Herbs product:

(low or high alcohol ) Tincture or Extract

Supplements*
Low temperature dehydrating
or when not possible: freeze-drying



*: like green powders, acai powder, aloe vera powder etc....

LL :)

[FirstGarden]

LL - you are the master of putting things in order.

Sounds good to me. ;)

[LightLover]

LL - you are the master of putting things in order.

Sounds good to me. ;)

Well, i am doing nothing..just passing through what I read.
There are some women here doing this better, I don't name them
you will know I think who they are ..:p

* I am gonna read today the subject Herbalism
at Wikipedia.org. Seems interesting.

* In the future I will add a point about ethical behaviour of the company, the amount of information on the website etc, environmental behaviour, the grade of communication etc...So everything that is not immediately hitting the product itself, but it's wider context with society

* Of course in tinctures you only get the nutrients which are solved in the alcohol

LL

LL

ll

[LightLover]

A little bit more detailed now:

Product & Favorite Processingmethode
---
Alcohol-based:
(low or high alcohol-based ) (multi) herbs Tincture or Extract
---
(Hot!) Water-based:
Making a Nourishing Herbal Infusion(I think an infusion is the same as a tonic.)

Typically, one ounce by weight (about a cup by volume) of dried herb is placed in a quart jar which is then filled to the top with boiling water, tightly lidded and allowed to steep for 4-10 hours
Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbalism
---

Supplements*
Low temperature dehydrating
or when not possible: freeze-drying
---


*: like green powders, acai powder, aloe vera powder etc....

[LightLover]

Soon information will be added: make your own super-tincture, on basis of Raw Apple Cider Vinegar (see other thread about this: "plaque or tonic")

LL

[FirstGarden]

LL, thank you for sharing this with us. :)

[LightLover]

FG: what do you think of that homemade tonic in the other thread?
(cayenne, ginger, garlic, union, horsheradish, raw apple cider vinegar)


LL