Happy New Year and Welcome to Tincture Tuesday!
We get asked ALL THE TIME “What is a tincture?”, so I thought explain what a tincture is and how to use them.
Tinctures are simple. It’s a plant medicine made with a solvent extracting the medicinal properties of a plant. Most tinctures are made with alcohol but can also be made with vegetable glycerin or apple cider vinegar.
Here at Mayernik Kitchen, we make our tinctures with 100 proof vodka and sometimes brandy. The herbs we use are homegrown, locally foraged or organically purchased. We always allow our tinctures to sit for a minimum of 6 weeks and can be infusing for up to 2-3 months. Tinctures have an amazing shelf life as the high alcohol content preserves them.
The wonderful thing about tinctures is that they concentrate the useful chemical constitutions and medicinal properties of a plant. When you take a tincture, you ingest the plant in an efficient way that works and gets to the root of your ailment.
How to Take a Tincture
Tinctures are taken internally, either directly into your mouth (under your tongue) or mixed in your tea/water. The reason we suggest you take it under your tongue is because it will quickly be absorbed into your blood stream. If you don’t like the taste of the tincture you are taking, a dropperful into water/tea is just fine.
A dropperful is the amount of tincture that fills up the glass vile when you squeeze the top of the dropper. It is usually about 30 drops per dropperful. Some tinctures are fast acting, like those used for anxiety and relaxation. Others that are more nutritive and building in nature may take several weeks of continual use before best results are seen (much like a multi-vitamin).
Who Should Use a Tincture
Tinctures can benefit any age, if used properly. Depending on the herb, children can benefit from herbal tinctures as well as the elderly. Pregnant woman and nursing mothers can also use tinctures (depending on the herb) as the alcohol content in a dropperful (30 drops) is about the amount of alcohol in a ripe banana. A 1oz bottle of tincture is equal to one drink, glass of wine or beer. But you are not taking the entire bottle at one sitting, therefore the alcohol content is negligible.
For babies, we recommend that nursing mothers take the tincture, which will then pass on to their babies through the breastmilk. If you are not breastfeeding, please do not give tinctures to babies under 6 months as they can not absorb/digest the herbs. And as always, if you are ever unsure of an herb, please speak with your physician.
View full list of Mayernik Kitchen's Tinctures!
