WHY LIQUID HERBS? *

"A liquid extract is made by soaking the whole herb in a liquid that will release and concentrate its active ingredients. Water is the most familiar and commonly used liquid for this process, and one could say that a tea is an extract - the activity has been extracted from the herb, and the nonactive parts are discarded. This has several advantages. First, our digestive tracts will not have to expend energy in order to try and break down...other plant structures where the active constituents {parts} are being held.

"Second, the active ingredients are concentrated and rendered soluble (can be dissolved) in our digestive juices, so they are quickly and efficiently absorbed. I estimate that many liquid and powdered extracts are probably over 95% absorbed, depending on the types of constituents involved.

"Liquid extracts (sometimes called tinctures) come in several forms. A tincture is usually made with a solvent...of grain alcohol and water. The proportions vary, depending on what the active constituents are for a given herb and whether they are more water soluble or alcohol soluble....
Alcohol

"People often ask about the importance of alcohol in liquid extracts - does it have to be there, and are there any alternatives? First of all, it should be emphasized that alcohol is absolutely the best solvent, carrier, and preservative for the active constituents of most plants. An alcoholic tincture is usually stable (it will retain its potency) for up to three years or more (unlike one year for herbal powders in capsules); it is very quickly absorbed; and it is potent. The reason for the stability is twofold.

"First, the alcohol destroys enzymes the plant releases after harvest that will break down active constituents - enzymes that are still active in capsulated products, especially because they commonly absorb moisture while sitting on the shelf.

"Second, the liquid extract has only a small "head space" - the area above the line of liquid in the bottle where oxygen can work on breaking down active constituents. In powdered herb products, oxygen diffuses into the capsule and bathes the minute particles in the herb powder, providing a large surface area for oxygen to harm these delicate constituents.
"It {grain alcohol} is also the safest broad-spectrum solvent available - much better than the methyl (wood) alcohol often used in Europe to create powdered extracts.

Glycerin

"Some companies advertise "alcohol-free" extracts. These are made with the use of glycerin, which is similar to alcohol in its molecular structure. In weighing the benefits and liabilities of alcohol vs. glycerin, I have determined that alcohol is superior in several important ways....Glycerin is not as good a solvent as alcohol, and it will not carry the active constituents into the blood as well as alcohol. Also, commercial "glycerites," or glycerin-based extracts require more processing than alcohol-based tinctures, and thus important active ingredients might be lost.

Advantages of Alcohol
* Excellent and efficient solvent
* Holds active constituents well
* Stimulates absorption of active ingredients (good digestive)
* Preserves the preparation for up to 3 years or more."

* This information is gratefully quoted with permission from the book, Handbook for Herbal Healing by Christopher Hobbs, January 1994 {Botanica Press, 10226 Empire Grade, Santa Cruz CA 95060}.