Alta Serpentis
New member
- Joined
- Dec 12, 2017
- Messages
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Before going into this wonderfully robust topic, I have to put the following disclaimers out there.
Herbal medicine is a not a replacement for modern medicine, I know many modern medicinal practices are not good for you and you may seek to avoid them, this does not mean that all modern medicine is a sham though, herbal medicine is meant as a supplement and typically a preventative form of medicine.
Secondarily speaking, if you are on any prescriptions, pregnant or breastfeeding, or you have underlying conditions, talk to your doctor before using herbal remedies. Plants have strong chemicals in them that may exacerbate a pre-existing condition or interfere with the proper functioning of your prescription.
Tertiarily, I am not a doctor and so I cannot recommend any of these as “remedies”, I’m simply sharing what has worked for me and what scientifically based, peer reviewed studies have said. Herbalism is person specific, what works super well for me may have no effect on you, so feel free to experiment a bit.
I want to quickly gleam over the active constituents that can be found in medicinal herbs, of course these are my rehashing of my knowledge, do your own research into these if you want to know more, as with all things.
Phenols:
This is a widely ranging group of chemicals but generally speaking they’re anti-inflammatory and antiseptic in nature. It’s a very common chemical found in the mint family, thyme, wintergreen, white willow, etc.
Flavonoids:
A chemical that typically imparts a white or yellow coloration such as in lemon. Used as an antioxidant and in maintaining healthy circulation. Some flavonoids have anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and liver-protective properties as well
Tannins:
Tannins are produced in almost all plants, of course in some more then others, but they in very layman’s terms grab proteins and squeeze them together. They’re used in tanning for example. Some medicinal uses would be tightening over relaxed muscles, stop bleeding, promote bowel health and protect raw tissue such as a burn area.
Proanthocyanins:
Somewhat like a flavonoid but instead pigments things blue, purple, and red. They have antioxidant properties and get rid of free radicals in the bloodstream. They’re very good for circulation especially in the extremities and the eyes.
Coumarins:
Its such a diverse set of chemical compounds that listing the effects would be kind of ridiculous, some can help your skin tan, and others keep the blood thin. Moral of the story, when playing with herbs and chemicals, don’t over generalize, research it.
Saponins:
They come in two forms within a plant, steroidal and triterpenoid. Apparently, they can make a lather when in contact with water, I haven’t tested this out but it may be a helpful way of identifying your wildcrafted herbs. They’re often expectorants (helps with cough) and can help the body with the intake of nutrients.
Anthraquinones:
A large grouping of chemicals, often found in roots if I’m correct, and they serve as a laxative.
Cardiac Glycosides:
As the name would suggest, this grouping of chemical components helps facilitate heart function and can support its rate if falling. They also have diuretic properties which can help flush waste out of the bodies tissues and circulatory track. These chemicals can interfere with heart medicine, as can any chemical interfere with another, consult your doctor.
Cyanogenic Glycosides:
These glycosides as the name may also infer, are built from cyanide (very poisonous), in small doses however (and yes you can take these safely) it can be used as a sedative, relax the heat and muscles, and can even suppress dry coughs.
Polysaccharides:
For those of you young enough to remember your high school biology/chemistry courses, polysaccharides are just long strands of carbohydrates. Potatoes are just a bunch of the polysaccharide starch. These are typically found in the roots and in bark, they can be used to soak up excess amounts of water, protect irritated tissue, and stimulate the immune system in rare instance.
Alkaloids:
So most alkaloids contain a -NH2 molecule which is partially how they’re defined, it also makes them very potent in the body for some reason. Alkaloid heavy plants are used in modern medicine al the time, one such use being vincristine from the Madagascar periwinkle, and is used to treat some cancers. Other alkaloid heavy plants such as nightshade (very poisonous), containing atropine, can reduce spasms and relieve pain.
Glucosilinates:
These are only found in the mustard and cabbage family of herbs (radish for example) and cause inflammation. They’re typically applied as poultices rather then in infusions and are applied t aching joint to relieve blood flow. Please do not make a tea with plants heavy in glucosilinates.
Lastly and least because I’m sure you know what these three are. There’s vitamins, minerals, and bitters. They’re essential for bodily function, you find different ones in different plants, Vitamin C in oranges, Vitamin A in carrots, etc.
That should be it for the science for a bit. On to procuring and storing your infusion(tea) blends. If you can source your herbs locally or grow them yourself, do it. Pesticides in your medicine helps no one, so make sure you’re purchasing form a trusted source. I buy mine from a local gardener, I’m familiar with their practices and trust that they stay true to them. Don’t by from some shifty corporate farming thing. You can dry your herbs in whatever fashion you choose but herbs do have a shelf life. After making my teas I store them in bulk in glass jars. They can last about a year, you’ll want to keep them in a cold and dark place. What carries all those active constituents into your body through the infusion is the oils of the plants, which eventually dry up.
Before I get into how to prepare infusions we should talk about the difference between preventative measures and reactionary measures. A tea blend id make as a preventative measure for fever would be heavy in things that support immune health, high in vitamin c, and have anti-viral properties. A reactionary tea Id make for fever would be heavy in all the above, with emphasis on symptom treatment. Something to sooth the soreness and achiness, a fever reducer, cough suppressant if you have a cough, etc. Herbal medicine is better as a preventative then a reactionary measure, as should all medicine be. Infusions can swing either way but making a daily tea blend that can help boost your immune system or support heart health will be better for you in the long run then waiting for a problem to happen and then address it.
When making teas there’s a few things you should consider. If you have small children you have to consider the flavor profile, they may not take a bitter earthy medicine. There’s the ratios of herbs and deciding which ones should take precedent over the others, if you’re using a multi herb blend. Most importantly is the active effects, you don’t want to put two herbs that do conflicting things into the same infusion.
If you want to take a holistically preventative herbal tea everyday, id suggest you do some research, figure out which herbs you want to include, and from there take mono-herb teas, a couple days for each herb. The point of only drinking a one herb infusion for a couple days is to see how your body reacts to it. If you put say 9 herbs together and something feels off in yourself, you’re going to have a very hard time identifying it and that batch is pretty useless. Once you’ve tried and tested your mono-herb teas, you should be good to throw them all in together. Its good to chop up some of your larger pieces of dried herbs but you should avoid grinding them up in a mortar and pestle and never mix them up with a blender. You’ll waste all of those oils necessary to facilitate the infusion. Just as when herbs expire, the taste will still be there but the effects won’t exist, and the effects are most important.
As for sourcing for herbs, the internet can be a grand place but don’t simply look on one website and decide that the herb. There are plenty of studies, books, and other resources about herbal medicinal uses and interactions. Find what would work best for you.
As a starting point ill give you some of my reactionary-style recipes, take these and adapt them to yourself though.
I assume you know how a per part recipe works but just in case, for example with the first recipe, each of the herbs labeled with 4 parts could have a teaspoon of each in the blend, and then the ginger power would be ¼ teaspoon, or similarly so, 4 teaspoons for each herb labeled 4 parts and 1 for the ginger powder, both are true to the recipe.
Sore Throat Infusion:
4 parts Crushed Peppermint
4 parts Chamomile
4 parts Licorice Root
4 parts Marshmallow Root
4 parts Slippery Elm
1 part Ginger Powder (dried ginger would work in place of the powder in any of the recipes)
Cold Remedy Infusion:
1 part Ginger Powder
2 parts Licorice Root
2 parts Thyme
2 parts Rosemary
2 parts Stevia Herb (don’t overdue the stevia, its for flavor but its sickeningly sweet if you put in too much)
4 parts Red Clover
5 parts Cloves
Upset stomach Infusion:
1 part Cloves
4 parts Peppermint
3 parts Chamomile
2 parts Feverfew
1 parts Coriander Seed
1 parts Fennel Seed
Muscle cramps
1 part Peppermint
1 part Marjoram
2 parts Oolong
3 parts Lavender
(All tea is good with honey, help the herbs work and helps with the flavor profile if you don’t like the taste)
(Honey also never goes bad, its super cool)
You may notice a lot of herb overlap, many herbs are good for a lot of things, some are used for their flavor profile, and some are found in many recipes due to availability. There’s not that many ways to go wrong with this so once again feel free to experiment, and happy crafting.
I'll be posting part 2, which will be over decoctions when I have the chance to write it out, hopefully within the next week, I'll be on to respond to any questions though. I wont have all the answers, but I'll try to relay my experience to best help y'all along.
Hail Decarabia
Hail Satan
Herbal medicine is a not a replacement for modern medicine, I know many modern medicinal practices are not good for you and you may seek to avoid them, this does not mean that all modern medicine is a sham though, herbal medicine is meant as a supplement and typically a preventative form of medicine.
Secondarily speaking, if you are on any prescriptions, pregnant or breastfeeding, or you have underlying conditions, talk to your doctor before using herbal remedies. Plants have strong chemicals in them that may exacerbate a pre-existing condition or interfere with the proper functioning of your prescription.
Tertiarily, I am not a doctor and so I cannot recommend any of these as “remedies”, I’m simply sharing what has worked for me and what scientifically based, peer reviewed studies have said. Herbalism is person specific, what works super well for me may have no effect on you, so feel free to experiment a bit.
I want to quickly gleam over the active constituents that can be found in medicinal herbs, of course these are my rehashing of my knowledge, do your own research into these if you want to know more, as with all things.
Phenols:
This is a widely ranging group of chemicals but generally speaking they’re anti-inflammatory and antiseptic in nature. It’s a very common chemical found in the mint family, thyme, wintergreen, white willow, etc.
Flavonoids:
A chemical that typically imparts a white or yellow coloration such as in lemon. Used as an antioxidant and in maintaining healthy circulation. Some flavonoids have anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and liver-protective properties as well
Tannins:
Tannins are produced in almost all plants, of course in some more then others, but they in very layman’s terms grab proteins and squeeze them together. They’re used in tanning for example. Some medicinal uses would be tightening over relaxed muscles, stop bleeding, promote bowel health and protect raw tissue such as a burn area.
Proanthocyanins:
Somewhat like a flavonoid but instead pigments things blue, purple, and red. They have antioxidant properties and get rid of free radicals in the bloodstream. They’re very good for circulation especially in the extremities and the eyes.
Coumarins:
Its such a diverse set of chemical compounds that listing the effects would be kind of ridiculous, some can help your skin tan, and others keep the blood thin. Moral of the story, when playing with herbs and chemicals, don’t over generalize, research it.
Saponins:
They come in two forms within a plant, steroidal and triterpenoid. Apparently, they can make a lather when in contact with water, I haven’t tested this out but it may be a helpful way of identifying your wildcrafted herbs. They’re often expectorants (helps with cough) and can help the body with the intake of nutrients.
Anthraquinones:
A large grouping of chemicals, often found in roots if I’m correct, and they serve as a laxative.
Cardiac Glycosides:
As the name would suggest, this grouping of chemical components helps facilitate heart function and can support its rate if falling. They also have diuretic properties which can help flush waste out of the bodies tissues and circulatory track. These chemicals can interfere with heart medicine, as can any chemical interfere with another, consult your doctor.
Cyanogenic Glycosides:
These glycosides as the name may also infer, are built from cyanide (very poisonous), in small doses however (and yes you can take these safely) it can be used as a sedative, relax the heat and muscles, and can even suppress dry coughs.
Polysaccharides:
For those of you young enough to remember your high school biology/chemistry courses, polysaccharides are just long strands of carbohydrates. Potatoes are just a bunch of the polysaccharide starch. These are typically found in the roots and in bark, they can be used to soak up excess amounts of water, protect irritated tissue, and stimulate the immune system in rare instance.
Alkaloids:
So most alkaloids contain a -NH2 molecule which is partially how they’re defined, it also makes them very potent in the body for some reason. Alkaloid heavy plants are used in modern medicine al the time, one such use being vincristine from the Madagascar periwinkle, and is used to treat some cancers. Other alkaloid heavy plants such as nightshade (very poisonous), containing atropine, can reduce spasms and relieve pain.
Glucosilinates:
These are only found in the mustard and cabbage family of herbs (radish for example) and cause inflammation. They’re typically applied as poultices rather then in infusions and are applied t aching joint to relieve blood flow. Please do not make a tea with plants heavy in glucosilinates.
Lastly and least because I’m sure you know what these three are. There’s vitamins, minerals, and bitters. They’re essential for bodily function, you find different ones in different plants, Vitamin C in oranges, Vitamin A in carrots, etc.
That should be it for the science for a bit. On to procuring and storing your infusion(tea) blends. If you can source your herbs locally or grow them yourself, do it. Pesticides in your medicine helps no one, so make sure you’re purchasing form a trusted source. I buy mine from a local gardener, I’m familiar with their practices and trust that they stay true to them. Don’t by from some shifty corporate farming thing. You can dry your herbs in whatever fashion you choose but herbs do have a shelf life. After making my teas I store them in bulk in glass jars. They can last about a year, you’ll want to keep them in a cold and dark place. What carries all those active constituents into your body through the infusion is the oils of the plants, which eventually dry up.
Before I get into how to prepare infusions we should talk about the difference between preventative measures and reactionary measures. A tea blend id make as a preventative measure for fever would be heavy in things that support immune health, high in vitamin c, and have anti-viral properties. A reactionary tea Id make for fever would be heavy in all the above, with emphasis on symptom treatment. Something to sooth the soreness and achiness, a fever reducer, cough suppressant if you have a cough, etc. Herbal medicine is better as a preventative then a reactionary measure, as should all medicine be. Infusions can swing either way but making a daily tea blend that can help boost your immune system or support heart health will be better for you in the long run then waiting for a problem to happen and then address it.
When making teas there’s a few things you should consider. If you have small children you have to consider the flavor profile, they may not take a bitter earthy medicine. There’s the ratios of herbs and deciding which ones should take precedent over the others, if you’re using a multi herb blend. Most importantly is the active effects, you don’t want to put two herbs that do conflicting things into the same infusion.
If you want to take a holistically preventative herbal tea everyday, id suggest you do some research, figure out which herbs you want to include, and from there take mono-herb teas, a couple days for each herb. The point of only drinking a one herb infusion for a couple days is to see how your body reacts to it. If you put say 9 herbs together and something feels off in yourself, you’re going to have a very hard time identifying it and that batch is pretty useless. Once you’ve tried and tested your mono-herb teas, you should be good to throw them all in together. Its good to chop up some of your larger pieces of dried herbs but you should avoid grinding them up in a mortar and pestle and never mix them up with a blender. You’ll waste all of those oils necessary to facilitate the infusion. Just as when herbs expire, the taste will still be there but the effects won’t exist, and the effects are most important.
As for sourcing for herbs, the internet can be a grand place but don’t simply look on one website and decide that the herb. There are plenty of studies, books, and other resources about herbal medicinal uses and interactions. Find what would work best for you.
As a starting point ill give you some of my reactionary-style recipes, take these and adapt them to yourself though.
I assume you know how a per part recipe works but just in case, for example with the first recipe, each of the herbs labeled with 4 parts could have a teaspoon of each in the blend, and then the ginger power would be ¼ teaspoon, or similarly so, 4 teaspoons for each herb labeled 4 parts and 1 for the ginger powder, both are true to the recipe.
Sore Throat Infusion:
4 parts Crushed Peppermint
4 parts Chamomile
4 parts Licorice Root
4 parts Marshmallow Root
4 parts Slippery Elm
1 part Ginger Powder (dried ginger would work in place of the powder in any of the recipes)
Cold Remedy Infusion:
1 part Ginger Powder
2 parts Licorice Root
2 parts Thyme
2 parts Rosemary
2 parts Stevia Herb (don’t overdue the stevia, its for flavor but its sickeningly sweet if you put in too much)
4 parts Red Clover
5 parts Cloves
Upset stomach Infusion:
1 part Cloves
4 parts Peppermint
3 parts Chamomile
2 parts Feverfew
1 parts Coriander Seed
1 parts Fennel Seed
Muscle cramps
1 part Peppermint
1 part Marjoram
2 parts Oolong
3 parts Lavender
(All tea is good with honey, help the herbs work and helps with the flavor profile if you don’t like the taste)
(Honey also never goes bad, its super cool)
You may notice a lot of herb overlap, many herbs are good for a lot of things, some are used for their flavor profile, and some are found in many recipes due to availability. There’s not that many ways to go wrong with this so once again feel free to experiment, and happy crafting.
I'll be posting part 2, which will be over decoctions when I have the chance to write it out, hopefully within the next week, I'll be on to respond to any questions though. I wont have all the answers, but I'll try to relay my experience to best help y'all along.
Hail Decarabia
Hail Satan
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