Wow. Was that ever easy! I just finished tincturing a batch of Mahonia repens (algerita) and Ceanothus greggi (red root) and took the opportunity to use my latest find-- Wilbur's Tincture Press.
No, it's not the most catching name for a gadget. It doesn't really put you in the frame of mind for making medicine. However, don't judge a book by it's cover is apropos in this situation.
I extracted more good medicine than ever before. I usually lose quite a bit of menstruum to the marc (liquid to plant material) no matter how much I press or squeeze. And any herbalist who makes his own medicine can tell you how important it is to get every last drop out of your batch.
I can't imagine any other way to extract, nor can I figure out how I did it before. Thanks, Wilber!
CNN Health is flying a story under the banner "Mosquito spraying doesn't harm humans", and I'm sure the general public is eating it up in a frenzy. Here's what it has to say:
Officials interviewed and took urine samples from 192 residents of four cities in Mississippi. Two of the cities used truck foggers for mosquito control. The CDC concluded that local mosquito control activities did not lead to increased pesticide levels.Well, isn't that nice. We can all breath easier now can't we? Too bad pesticides and other toxins tend to bioaccumulate in the tissues of the body, like the liver, red blood cells and neurons. As such, they aren't readily excreted by the body. Hence the low count in urine samples.
Troubled by toxins? Support your liver. Milk Thistle, Globe Artichoke, Dandelion, Turmeric and Garlic are great choices to look into. And move away from Mississippi.
OK, OK... I know I promised not to get political and war-blog like so many others. But this story caught my interest, as it has a holistic medical twist if you look close enough. I'll let you judge for yourself.
With the recent media attention drawn to the herbal industry surrounding the Ephedra concerns, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has announced their intention to crack down on the manufacturing process in an effort to improve consumer health and safety.
However, a very significant cause for concern dealing with the ingredients of "natural supplements" is being ignored. It's a concern I raise to all of my clients. Would you feel "safe" about your bottle of herbs if you knew that it may contain trace amounts of nail polish remover or other industrial solvents?
These solvents are used to extract the desired constituents from the plant matter. Two very common solvents are water (teas and tissanes) and alcohol (tinctures and extracts). Water doesn't have very good preservative properties, so you won't find many off-the-shelf products extracted with water. Alcohol is often called "the universal solvent", and acts as a very good preservative. Sometimes, glycerin is used to "displace" the alcohol in children's remedies or for those clients wishing alcohol-free products.
But alcohol is expensive, and it is pretty slow-acting. Large corporations or manufacturers of herbal products need to cut expenses and get products on the shelf faster. Hence the introduction of nail polish remover and other chemical solvents. In theory, the solvent is evaporated from the compound before packaging. They swear it's safe, citing the extremely low levels of chemical residue.
I, however, do not want even trace amounts of nail polish remover in my herbs.
This is not the only option. Many reputable companies, such as Gaia, New Chapter, Herbs, etc., and Herb Pharm use super critical carbon dioxide and other various non-toxic compounds in their manufacturing process. It's more expensive and time consuming, and you probably won't find these on the shelf of your local Costco. You will, however, get a better product in the end... and no surprises.
Yes, I think we should crack down on the manufacturing process of herbs. Let's get these solvents out of the process. In turn, we'll get rid of the companies more interested in wealth accumulation than health accumulation.