have been searching for reputable places to buy red root tincture and smilax capsules(sarsaprilla) as outlined by Buhner. Thanks. Hiker
Posted by clairenotes (Member # 10392) on :
Gaia herbs is a fairly reputuable brand and they have a good selection of tincures, including red root. This line is carried by many health food stores.
Smilax is sold through www.biopureus.com. I think this is part of Dr. K's group in Washington. Maybe there are other places that sell it.
I buy my red root tincture at Whole Foods or any other local health food store, though- no need to buy the powder from 1st chinese and tincture it yourself, it's really common and is sold through all herb suppliers. I use Herb Pharm brand just by default.
Posted by SunRa (Member # 3559) on :
Dragon River Herbals in NM has a good red root tincture...reputable company and high quality, as well as a better price than most. and they offer 1 - 32 ounces. Dragon River Herbals
they make a sarsaparilla tincture too, but I dont think they do capsules..
Posted by Jennifer Geddie (Member # 9097) on :
Does the red root tincture really work? How about the teasal ?
Posted by MariaA (Member # 9128) on :
I've been on and off with the teasel and I don't see much of a difference. But I"m varying a LOT of stuff from one week to the next so it's hard to tell. The LLMD suggested it when I was off of antibiotics and still had a tiny bit of soreness, but it wasn't one of the herbs he originally told me to take when i was first treating the disease. Later on I had a big Lyme relapse and it didn't do anything for the joint/muscle/bone pain, but that pain only lasted a few weeks so maybe it is working and I'm not giving it enough credit and assuming my other herbs are helping with the recovery I"m feeling.
There's some controversy about it as herbalist Matthew Wood has had good success treating Lyme with it but others have not been able to replicate his results. Buhner speculates it might be because the Minnesota patients that Wood treated had a different strain of Lyme than those treated by herbalists in the Northeast. buhner thinks it's best for Lyme arthritis.
Red root does seem to do a lot for my current condition, I think, and I'm doing a lot of detoxification in general so I think it helps make that work better. that's just intuition , though. I was pretty sick when i started taking it and it cleared up significantly soon after. I was also on boneset at the time and Buhner recommends both for active bartonella symptoms.
Posted by lalalu (Member # 10854) on :
I get a 4 oz. bottle of Sarsaparilla from Avena Botanicals Avena Botanicals in Maine. It costs $30. They grow the herbs there.
I put a dropperful in my detox tea 1-2 times a day.
Posted by hardynaka (Member # 8099) on :
Teasel is recommended for lyme arthitis. I used though for regular lyme (as I dont' have arthritis for long). It did work, it helped with my brain , I felt. I use it short term. It has to be from fresh teasel (I did my own from dried teasel, it worked but not that well as from fresh herb).
But I only used that after going through Buhner's core protocol for about a year. I would concentrate on core protocol plus stephania first, and if you feel no more improvement, substitute andro or knotweed by teasel, for example.
Teasel is not herb number 1 for him. Just supportive for arthritis.
Red root is cleanser, useful for babesia and bartonela, but some use for lyme in general with good results. Never heard a bad comment about red root so far. I never used it as in Europe is hard to find.
As for sarsaparilla tincture, I do have it at home, but whole herb works better. Buhner is also more for the whole herb than tincture.
As for Biopure tinctures, don't buy andrographis nor Polygonum (knotweed). Buhner thinks it's not good. See Planetthrive. I tried andro biopure, I can tell it's very very weak compared to Planetary formulas as tinctures dont' carry enough andrographolides. You need 10%.
He recommends though their stephania tincture.
Selma
Posted by JimBoB (Member # 8454) on :
I buy MY Red Root and Smilax from 1st Chinese Herbs. I find them the best to work with so far.
AND I have tried MANY different companies large and small.
Definitely use the Sarsaparilla in powder in capsules. THAT is my main herb.
I also would not want to be without Red Root tincture, as it is the best cleanser for your WHOLE lymph system, not just your liver. However I also take Milk Thistle.
These are designed to CLEAN OUT your system, NOT kill spirochetes. THEY clean out the spirochetes that are dead along with other poisons in our bodies.
RED ROOT is an American herb. That is why it is hard to get elsewhere. I make my own tinture after buying two bottles of it about a year ago. The prices over the long term, already done for you will just about kill you on prices. Add everything up for a year. I find you save about 75 to 80% over the best wholesale prices out there by making your own tinctures and capsules.
Works for me. I have saved many hundreds of dollars the past year. IF you are rich, go ahead and spend those moldy ones. OR send them to me IF you can't get rid of them fast enough.
Jim Posted by mtnwoman (Member # 8385) on :
Jim, re tinctures of herbs, does it have to be with alcohol? Can the red root be effective as a capsule?
Alcohol, even the little in tinctures doesnt agree w/ me.
thanks!
Posted by JimBoB (Member # 8454) on :
NO, you do NOT HAVE to use alcohol to make tinctures. IT is just the more traditional way of doing it.
HERE is a quote I got by Googling "Tinctures non alcohol". HOPE it helps you and others.
Jim
PS: You would have to ask Buhner IF Red Root would be any good as a capsule. BUT he RECOMMENDS Red Root as one of the few tinctures that he does recommend. I sure don't want to be without it. I get my Red Root from 1st Chinese Herbs. ##
Tinctures and Vinegars Tinctures are made by extracting, and preserving, the active properties of herbs using alcohol. In early times, this was accomplished by boiling the herb in wine. Tinctures have a stronger action than infusions or decoctions and can be made with fresh or dried herbs, but some herbs may require different strengths of alcohol (15-90% proof).
DO NOT use industrial alcohol, methyl alcohol, or rubbing alcohol (isopropyl alcohol). To make non-alcoholic tinctures, replace the alcohol with vinegar or glycerol.
Recipes Tincture The standard guide is 1:4 or 1:5 (one part herb to four or five parts alcohol) 25 g (1 oz) dried herbs or 50 g (2 oz) fresh 600 ml (1 pint or 2 1/2 cups) alcoholic liquid (usually vodka or rum) OR 1 kg (2 pounds) herb 4 liters or pints alcohol/water mix OR 100 g herb 400-500 ml alcohol/water mix Place the herb in a large, clean, glass jar and cover with the alcohol. Close the jar and label. Shake well and store in a cool, dark place for ten to fourteen days, shaking the jar every one or two days. At the end of that time, pour the mixture into a wine press or cloth bag and express the liquid from the herb. Discard the herb. Pour the tincture into clean, dark, glass bottles and close the bottle with a cork or screw top lid. Label. Tinctures will generally keep indefinitely. The amounts are really immaterial and can be large or small, depending on the need. Non-alcholic Tincture In some cases, a tincture made from alcohol is unsuitable or undesireable as an herbal remedy. Such cases include pregnancy, gastric or liver inflammations, and for children or recovering alcoholics. It also includes those who choose not to take alcohol of any kind in any amount, including that found in vanilla extract. For these people, a non-alcoholic tincture is prescribed.
Preparation Put the tincture dose (usually about 5 ml) into 25-50 ml (5-10 teaspoons) of almost boiling water in a cup and leave uncovered for five minutes while the alcohol evaporates.
Another method is to use vinegars rather than tinctures. Organic apple cider vinegar or wine vinegars are the most versatile. They contain acetic acid which helps to preserve and extract the essential ingredients of herbs.
Vinegar Place herbs in a wide mouth glass jar and cover with vinegar. Cover and store for a minimum of two weeks, although some prefer to leave it for one or two months, in a cool, dark place, shaking every day. Strain off liquid and bottle. The vinegar should be left for another two weeks before using.
Herbal vinegars can be taken internally in the same way as tinctures; or they can be added to salads, soups, or as an ingredient in pickles. Externally, they can be added to bathwater or used as a lotion or hair rinse. Combining apple cider vinegar with elderflowers, for example, makes a good remedy for itchy skin.
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quote:Originally posted by mtnwoman: Jim, re tinctures of herbs, does it have to be with alcohol? Can the red root be effective as a capsule?
Alcohol, even the little in tinctures doesnt agree w/ me.
thanks!
Posted by clairenotes (Member # 10392) on :
I think roots need to be tinctured in order to extract the necessary substances. And that red root!! I made a tincture from it once and the root came in the form of what looked like small blocks of wood! Had to practically get an axe to chop it up in small enough pieces to be tinctured (well, not an axe, exactly... but a heavy butcher's knife).
Per Susun Weed's book "Healing Wise" she says that "to further mitigate the effect of the alcohol, let it evaporate somewhat by adding the tincture to some water and letting it sit exposed to the air for several hours." (p. 268).
But several hours may not be necessary. I used to place some of my tinctures in some warm water (1/4 cup) and let it sit for 1-2 minutes and then it was tolerable. These were instructions from my PA/naturopath.
I really like the economics of homemade tinctures. Very inexpensive.
Claire
*** crossed replies with Jimbob. Perhaps there are some that don't need to be extracted through alcohol.
Posted by MariaA (Member # 9128) on :
Yeah, putting the dose of tincture into tea is a good way to get rid of some of the alcohol.
Herb Pharm and most other tincture manufacturers also sell what they call a 'glycerite'- a non-alcohol tincture made with glycerine. Google red root glycerite or try to find it by HErb Pharm or one of the other big brands.
Posted by JimBoB (Member # 8454) on :
Here is another set of info, I got by Googling the web. It is from Herb Lore, which I have not tried as an herbal source, so you are on your own, IF you do. Just more info, is WHY I am listing it here.
I think the info is very pertanent to our discussion and will be helpful for at least MOST of us in choosing WHAT form we want our tinctures in.
Jim ###
* What is a tincture? A tincture is a liquid extract made from the herb. Tinctures are extracted in either alcohol, vegetable glyerine or apple cider vinegar. Alcohol extracts more completely and has an unlimited shelf life. Some herbs will not give up their medicinal properties to a solvent less potent than alcohol. Vegetable glycerine tinctures, which are alcohol-free, have a 3-5 year shelf life, and are about 1/2 the potency of the alcohol-based tinctures. They are a great choice for children or those who prefer a non-alcohol tincture. Apple cider vinegar tinctures have the shortest shelf life, and again, are not as potent as the alcohol-based tinctures. However, apple cider vinegar has some great health-promoting benefits of it's own, giving these tinctures a double benefit. Herb Lore offers tinctures in alcohol and vegetable glycerine bases.
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