Why use alcohol as a base for herbal products, and does boiling off the alcohol undermine the effectiveness of the tincture?
A. Tinctures are fresh or dried plants (mostly organic) steeped in organic alcohol and spring water. The alcohol is a vital solvent to a wide range of chemical constituents which water alone could not release. The average amount of alcohol used is around 25% (but sometimes, 45% and occasionally 75% is needed). If this amount presents a problem, it can be greatly reduced (98.5%) by adding boiling water to evaporate the alcohol and then drinking the mix, warm or cold after 7-10 minutes. Boiling off the alcohol does not harm or effect the herbs in any way, they remain stable. The effect is simply a very strong herb tea which the body can absorb into the bloodstream very quickly (in minutes) without having to be processed by the gut. The use of tinctures is common amongst western traditional qualified herbal practitioners and they are very commonly produced in this manner in Germany in pharmaceutical houses who manufacture herbal medicines.
