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.
Irish Moss
What is Irish Moss?
The name Irish Moss can be a bit misleading to those who are unfamiliar with this popular herb. Irish Moss is in fact a seaweed whose formal name is Chondrus Crispus and which is a species of red algae. Irish Moss is also known in other parts of the world as Carrageen Moss and is a part of the Gigartinaceae family. The seaweed is primarily found growing on rocks along the Atlantic coast of Europe; it was originally found near Ireland hence the name. The Irish people consumed the seaweed during Irelands period of famine in the 19th century and ever since its popularity has increased exponentially. Irish Moss grows on rocks on Jamaica’s coastline and its popularity on the island grew when the Irish brought their traditional use of the seaweed to the island.
How to use Irish Moss?
In Jamaica, the seaweed is primarily used as the main ingredient in the making of the Irish Moss drink. The drink is made by placing a batch of clean Irish Moss in a container of water and allowing it to soak overnight. Other ingredients are then added to the mixture before it is boiled for around 45 minutes after which the mixture is strained and the boiled seaweed is discarded. The final batch of ingredients is then added before being boiled for another 10 minutes. The mixture is then allowed to cool and sometimes sweetened before it is consumed.The Irish Moss can also be consumed raw to ease digestive ailments. The seaweed is also used as a topical treatment to soothe skin conditions such as chapped skin and eczema.
Health Benefits of Irish Moss
Irish Moss is believed to contain at least 15 essential elements that are key components of the human body. Some of the elements found in the seaweed in impressive amounts are calcium, potassium, iodine and Vitamins such as A, D and E, amongst others. Irish Moss also eases heartburn, nausea, indigestion and constipation and possesses antiviral properties that can help in the fight against the flu and even mumps disease. The Irish Moss drink is also popular among Jamaican men as many believe it gives them vigor, boots energy and increases their ability to perform sexually.
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.
