Herbal tinctures: Proper preparation to prevent colds, flu, and boost immunity

Since ancient times, herbal decoctions have been used to prevent colds and the flu, as well as to support the treatment of various health conditions. Today, alongside brewing herbal tea, tinctures are regarded as a more effective and convenient extraction method. Alcohol helps dissolve many beneficial active compounds that hot water struggles to fully extract, while preserving the medicinal properties of herbs for years.

Although prepared from alcohol, the alcohol content in each dose is very small and will not cause intoxication. Compared to purchasing ready-made tinctures at stores at quite high prices, you can completely make your own tincture at home at low cost while ensuring quality.

Safety precautions when using herbal medicine

Not all plants are safe to use as medicine. Some herbs can cause side effects if used incorrectly or in excessive doses. Children, pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and individuals taking prescription medications should consult a doctor or a traditional medicine specialist before using tinctures.

Only use plants that you can positively identify. Many wild plants look similar to medicinal herbs but contain dangerous toxins. In addition, not every part of a plant can be used as medicine; some only use the roots, leaves, or flowers, while other parts can be harmful.

Never harvest plants from areas at risk of pesticide or herbicide contamination or urban public lands. Do not forage on private property without permission, and do not gather plants in nature reserves without authorization from the competent authorities. The safest approach is to cultivate medicinal herbs right in your home garden or purchase dried herbs from reputable sources.

Plants that can be used to make tinctures

Many familiar plants in the garden or in the wild can be used for alcohol infusions/tinctures, such as dandelion, pennywort, plantain, stinging nettle, peppermint, rosemary, garlic, raspberry leaf, cayenne pepper, thyme, etc. Some flowers like echinacea, yarrow, passionflower, and red clover are also commonly used. In addition, certain trees and shrubs like white willow, hawthorn, blueberry, ginkgo biloba, and black walnut also contain beneficial active compounds.

How to prepare herbal tinctures

Prepare fresh or dried herbal ingredients and strong alcohol (preferably 40% ABV vodka).

Steps to follow:

  1. Chop the herbs into short pieces (about 1 cm or smaller). For roots and bark, cut them as finely as possible for more effective extraction. Thorough washing is not necessary if the plant is not heavily soiled, as water can wash away essential oils.

  2. Weighing herbs:

    • If using fresh herbs: use an amount of alcohol equal to twice the weight of the herbs.

    • If using dried herbs: use an amount of alcohol equal to 5 times the weight of the herbs.

    Place the herbs in a glass jar and pour in alcohol so that the ingredients are completely submerged.

  3. Tightly close the lid, shake well, and store in a cool, dry place for at least 2 weeks. Gently shake the jar once a day to help the active compounds dissolve more evenly.

  4. After the steeping period, strain out the herbal residue using a clean cloth or a fine sieve, keeping the alcohol solution.

  5. Pour the tincture into a dropper glass bottle (preferably dark brown to minimize light exposure, which can degrade quality).

  6. Label the herb name and soaking date for easy tracking of usage time.