Tinctures represent liquid extracts of plants. They are concentrated herbal preparations where the medicinal components of plants are extracted in liquid form. Alcohol is used in the making of tinctures, which can be added to water or apple cider vinegar. Making tinctures with alcohol is a method that dates back thousands of years and is used by professional herbalists worldwide. Alcohol is used because the most important medicinal components, such as essential oils, resins, alkaloids, steroids, and numerous other bio-chemical substances or phytochemicals, dissolve much better in alcohol than in water (tea) or any other way. Moreover, certain important phytochemicals from plants can only be dissolved in alcohol.

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There are numerous advantages of tinctures. Tinctures are much stronger and more concentrated than teas. Just 2-3 drops of tincture are equivalent to, or even stronger than, an entire cup of tea. This is precisely why consuming tinctures alone is necessary for addressing health issues, as who would be able to drink such large quantities of tea daily.

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The medicinal ingredients in tinctures can be more easily digested and assimilated than raw plants or herbal capsules, especially if a person has poor digestion. The medicinal components of tinctures enter the bloodstream quickly, almost instantaneously. This is why tinctures can be used for first aid and as emergency remedies. Tinctures with alcohol as a base are also good as antiseptics for open wounds.

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Alcohol also preserves the tincture and significantly extends its shelf life, almost indefinitely. The longer a tincture remains unused, the greater its effect or potency becomes. The alcohol present in tinctures is in small amounts, and for those who wish to completely remove it, there is a simple solution – add your tincture dose to hot tea or pour boiling water over it, and all the alcohol will evaporate.

 

Unlike the tinctures recommended by the Institute for Natural Medicine, commercial tinctures are generally of poor quality and ineffective because they are not prepared from adequate and unprocessed herbs, and they do not use the proportions used by the best herbalists of all time, such as Dr. Richard Schulze.

The tinctures recommended by the Institute for Natural Medicine are made according to original recipes and are of exceptional quality and effectiveness.