For many years herbal medicine has been used successfully to treat a number of conditions. There is currently an increasing popularity in the use of herbs as medicine and researches are done daily. The increased popularity of herbal medicine is majorly attributed to their efficiency and minimum side effects. There are millions of herbs people use as medicine and to get the best out of every herb, it is important to prepare them correctly. There are different types of preparations and your choice greatly depends on what you intend to use the herb for.
Infusions
Infusions are the most common and the simplest method of preparing herbs. They are made from the leaves of the plant. You can use both dry and fresh leaves and this varies with the type of herb and what the preparation is going to be used for. If you are using fresh leaves, you will first need to wash them in clean water. Put the required amount in a glass or a stainless pot with water slightly covering them and then cover the pot. Gently heat the mixture until steaming occurs.
In case of heat sensitive constituents, cold infusions are preferred. The fresh or dried leaves of the herbs are soaked in water for some hours and then the cold infusions are drawn from the solution.
Decoction
There is a very thin difference between decoctions and infusions. Unlike infusions that are made from the leaves, decoctions are prepared from harder plant matter like the roots, stems and barks. They also require more heat energy as compared to infusions to a get good concentration of the solution. In decoctions, you can also use fresh or dried plant matter. Put them in a pot, add optimum amount of water and heat the mixture to boil. Once the boiling point has been achieved, cover the pot, turn the heat down and simmer for 20-40 minutes to make the medicine effective.
Tincture
Tinctures are concentrated solutions made by extracting the active compounds of herbs using a mixture of water and alcohol. The role of alcohol in the preparation of tinctures is to help in extracting the medicinal constituents of herbs like resins, volatile oils and alkaloids. It also acts as a preservative thereby increasing the shelf life of the medicine. Since alcohol is easily absorbed in to the bloodstream, it promotes the absorption of herbs after oral administration. Glycerin and vinegar can also be used in this process.
Dry preparations
There are a lot of herbs that are used in dried and powdered forms. The powdered herbs can further be made in to teas or capsules. To make a tea, the powdered herb is put in to a cup, cold or hot water is added depending with the instructions, the mixture is stirred and then a solution is made. To make capsules one needs empty veg-caps which are then separated and the powdered herbs are put in them in the required amounts before they are closed again.
Why it is Recommendable to use Herbs Dried
For several generations, herbs have been an essential part of human life. While some people use them for their medicinal characteristics, others use them as spices. The debate of which is better between fresh and dried herbs has been around for an equally long period of time with many favoring fresh herbs over dried herbs. Although it may true that the nutrient and chemical composition of fresh herbs is unaltered, there are several instances in which dried herbs have an edge over fresh ones. As a matter of fact, it is currently recommendable to use herbs after they are dried for a number of reasons.
Concentrated Flavor and Value
One of the major reasons dry herbs are highly recommended is for the fact that they are more concentrated as compared to the fresh herbs. The intense concentration makes them much more efficient than the fresh ones. Research into the concentration of herbs show that fresh herbs can be substituted in the ratio of 1:3. A case in point is dried and fresh oregano. Three portions of fresh oregano can be substituted for a single portion of dried oregano for the same flavor and nutritional value. If used as a spice however, you may need to extend the cooking time as they will need time to be rehydrated.
Longevity
Herbs are dried for various reasons, one of them being as a preservation strategy. One of the challenges most people face with fresh herbs is their perishability. If not properly stored, herbs are bound to spoil and lose their nutritional and medicinal values. It is largely for this that the use of dried herbs is encouraged. When herbs are dried, their medicinal and nutritional value is preserved while its shelf life is highly increased. This makes them a better alternative to fresh herbs.
Ease of use
For quite a number of herbs, the process of preparation is pretty tedious and may need some level of skill to complete successfully. Without the necessary knowledge, you may end up spoiling the herb or preparing one that does not meet the expectations. This is one thing you need not worry about when using dried herbs. This is due to the fact that dried herbs are already prepared and ready to use. All you may need to do is prepare a tea of the herb or add it to your food as a spice while cooking. Dried herbs are therefore easy to use and offer higher chances of achieving the required results.
Safety
Herbs too have their defense techniques. There are some plant species that use toxins as a way of protecting themselves from imminent threat. If ingested, these toxins may result in reactions ranging from mild to severe. The toxins are usually highest concentrated in fresh herbs. Using fresh herbs therefore puts you at the risk of ingesting these substances. When exposed to heat however, these toxins deteriorate and lose their toxicity. It is thus safer to use dried herbs to avoid the possibility of getting poisoned.
Popularly known as the Breadfruit, the Artocarpus altilis is a flowering tree species that falls under the Jackfruit and mulberry family. It is native to the South Pacific and has over time spread to the rest of Oceania. The tree basically grows up to 82ft above the ground and it has some pretty large and rather thick leaves. The breadfruit is a well-recognized plant that is popular to quite a number of people, probably due to the amazing taste of the fruit. Over the past few years however, the plant is gaining more popularity, and this time, for a very different reason.
It has been studied that the leaves of the breadfruit have got some pretty amazing health benefits. The procedure of preparing the breadfruit leaves to be taken for their medical benefits is somewhat easy and straight forward. It is important to note that for the best results, one should use leaves that are still hanging on the tree. Take about 2 of the leaves and chop them up into fine pieces. You should then proceed to air the chopped leaves in the sun until they are completely dry. The leaves should then be boiled on a stainless steel pot in 2 liters of water until half the water evaporates. It is noteworthy that boiling the leaves in an aluminum pot is not advisable as the two are known to react with each other.
After the water is half the initial amount, add more water to bring it back to two litters and allow to boil for a few more minutes. The resulting tea should be allowed to cool. It is generally red in color and really bitter. To make it a little bit more drinkable, you can consider adding honey into it.
One of the benefits of the breadfruit leaves is that they help in boosting the health of the heart. It achieves this by lowering blood pressure. It is also effective in the healing of a number of cardiovascular illnesses. The tea has also proven to have some anti-inflammatory which is vital both in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases. For its cardiovascular benefits, you will need to take one cup of the tea daily.
A cup of the breadfruit leaves’ tea is also essential in lowering cholesterol. This feature makes an important element in promoting better health. A number of kidney diseases can also be controlled through the use of the tea. Due to its anti-inflammatory effect, the Breadfruit leaves have also been studied to have the capacity to prevent cancer or reduce its spreading. It can also treat or prevent inflammation of the liver.
Another medical benefit of the breadfruit tea is on the general health of the skin. Drinking one cup daily helps in minimizing minor skin irritations as well as resolving itching and skin rashes. It is also beneficial to the liver and works effectively in prevention of gout due to its diuretic characteristics which makes it an amazing way of expelling uric acid from the body.
The breadfruit tree has a wide range of uses. The fruit is edible and may be prepared in a number of ways, and the leaves and the sap which runs from the tree can used for various ailments.
Medicinal and other uses:
a.A tea of breadfruit leaves, which contain camphoral, is used to lower blood pressure and treat diabetes.
b.In Jamaica, the sap is applied to contagious skin aliments to prevent their spreading and promote healing.
c.The sap can also be boiled to form a rubbery substance that is used to dress wounds.
This Herb can be special order from Island Herb and spices through our contact us form
For many years herbal medicine has been used successfully to treat a number of conditions. There is currently an increasing popularity in the use of herbs as medicine and researches are done daily. The increased popularity of herbal medicine is majorly attributed to their efficiency and minimum side effects. There are millions of herbs people use as medicine and to get the best out of every herb, it is important to prepare them correctly. There are different types of preparations and your choice greatly depends on what you intend to use the herb for.
