A tincture is one form of herbal medication. Tinctures are made by soaking the herbs in some form of liquid. Glycerin and apple cider vinegar may be used, but alcohol produces the strongest tinctures. Some people may be concerned about the amount of alcohol in a tincture. Recovering alcoholics, for example, may wish to avoid alcohol in any form.
About Tinctures
Tinctures are the liquid extracts of plants. Leaves, stems, roots, flowers or fruit from the desired herb are washed and chopped. In some cases the herb is used in the green form just after it is harvested, but in others the plant material is dried before use. The chopped plant material is added to either pure alcohol or a mixture of alcohol and distilled water and soaked from two to eight weeks. The plant material is strained out and the remaining liquid is bottled.
Alcohol in Tinctures
The alcohol used in herbal tinctures may be any drinkable grain alcohol. ThePracticalHerbalist.com says that 100-proof vodka is the alcohol most commonly used but that 80-proof scotch will also work. In some cases a 200-proof alcohol -- a much higher concentration than what is normally used -- may be necessary for some herbs, such as marshmallow root.
Tincture Doses
Herbal tincture doses vary from a few drops to a dropperful. The Organic Nutrition Company says the usual dose is between five and 20 drops. ThePracticalHerbalist.com suggests using "a few" to 10 drops, three times a day, but notes some herbalists recommend a dropperful or more at one time. According to HerbLore.com a dropperful equals about 30 drops, and a standard suggested adult dosage is two dropperfuls two to three times a day, taken under the tongue or in a small amount of water or juice.
Alcohol
Alcohol can be intoxicating when you drink too much. According to DrivingLaws.com "one drink" is a beer, 3 oz. of wine or 1 oz. of hard liquor. Because body weight affects tolerance, a small person can get intoxicated on less alcohol. But even six dropperfuls of an herbal tincture three times a day is much less than 1 oz. of liquor.
Considerations and Warnings
The amount of alcohol in an herbal tincture is unlikely to be intoxicating when used as recommended. However herbal tinctures are still medications; they can have side effects and should only be used for specific medical purposes. Consult a qualified health care professional for recommendations and dosage.
