Hi all, I've been reading Healing Lyme, and am interested in following the herbal protocol.
One of the recommended herbs is Smilax. The author describes the dosage in terms of bulk herb.
But most of the places I find it online, it's only sold as an extract.
Does anyone know how to convert? For instance, given 500mg of bulk herb, how many drops of 1:1 extract would this be?
Thanks!
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
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There is a lot to consider with compare forms. Tincture? Powder? But would that powder be raw herb or concentrated powder or, different yet, an EXTRACT?
You could contact the place you want to buy it for their conversion.
I'll see if I can find my Buhner book. In the meantime, the dosing variations in the link below may help:
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From: The One Earth Herbal Sourcebook (Tillotson) Home: http://oneearthherbs.squarespace.com --- Note: this is not a book about lyme. Sarsaparilla is the only reference. However, it is a wonderful book, nonetheless.
WHAT IT DOES: Sarsaparilla root is sweet and bland in taste, and neutral in action. It removes toxins from the bowel, and reduces inflammation and dampness from the blood, liver, urinary system and skin.
RATING: Yellow, due to limitations is usage.
SAFETY ISSUES: None known
STARTING DOSAGE: Dried root: three to 12 grams per day
4:1 dried decoction: one to four grams per day
1:5 tincture: two to four milliliters (ml) in water or juice 3 times per day
Sarsaparilla root has been famous in the West since 1574, when a French physician described its use in treating syphilis.
Various Smilax species are used to treat infections and inflammation--especially those affecting the skin and intestines--in many countries including India, China, Europe, the United States, Brazil, Guatemala, and Saudi Arabia.
Because of the historical use for syphilis, many herbalists now use sarsaparilla root for Lyme disease, also caused by a spirochete organism.
Naturopaths believe that sarsaparilla root binds and remove endotoxin from the bowel, perhaps by stimulating liver clearance (Murray & Pizzorno, 1989).
Deng (1994) tells us that endotoxin--chemicals released into the host after breakdown of the cell walls of gram-negative organisms-- accords closely with the idea of "pathogenic toxins" in TCM. His studies have shown that the removal of endotoxin helps control many inflammatory and febrile diseases.
. . .
* In 1942, the New England Journal of Medicine published a controlled study showing that an endotoxin-binding saponin extract of sarsaparilla was effective in reducing psoriasis symptoms (Thurman, 1942, reported in Murray & Pizzorno, 1989).
* Clinical tests in China demonstrated that the Chinese species called Tu fu ling rhizome (Smilax glabra) is effective for treating syphilis in about 90 percent of acute cases and 50 percent of chronic cases (Bensky & Gamble, 1986).
Since Lyme disease is also caused by spirochete organisms, it may prove beneficial in the treatment of this disease as well. TCM doctors use Tu fu ling rhizome to treat joint pain, turbid urine and jaundice caused by heat and dampness.
from below: " . . . These extracts, in liquid or solid form, can be anywhere from two to 100 times more concentrated in certain components than crude herbs. . . ."
[So, it looks like you'll have to contact Buhner or consult the list where he recommends several places to get this. I have to stop now, though, for a while.]
Herbs come in many different forms. The most common are crude herbs, powders, dried decoctions, tinctures, capsules, gelcaps, salves, oils and teas.
* CRUDE HERBS are simply collected and dried, then cut and sifted. This is the original way herbs have been prepared since the dawn of time.
This form is commonly found in traditional herb shops around the world, and in ethnic neighborhoods in major cities in the United States. The advantage of this form is that you can actually see, taste and smell the herbs. Crude herbs are usually taken home and cooked into teas.
* POWDERS are simply GROUND CRUDE HERBS. You can use powders to make herbal tea, or simply ingest them in their natural form.
[Tillotson] likes powders because they allow you to experience the taste and smell of the herbs you are using. Another benefit of this form is that you can often take larger doses of the herbs. However, powdered herbs do not last as long in storage as the other forms.
* TEAS are aqueous extractions of crude herbs or herbal powders. Most herbs today come in pills or tinctures, so to make sure we do not forget our herbal roots, I always make sure to keep some loose herb teas in the house.
There are several methods of preparation for herbal tea.
Infusion, better for delicate leaves and flowers, entails bringing water to a light boil, turning off the heat, and letting the herbs steep in the water.
Leaving the crude herbs out in the sun for a couple of hours in a tightly sealed container makes Sun tea. Simmering the herbs for anywhere from ten minutes up to an hour (longer is better for the much heavier barks and roots) makes a decoction.
* TINCTURES are extracts made by soaking herbs in solutions designed to draw out their virtues. Alcohol is the most common soaking solution for tinctures.
Tincture manufacturers must have recipe books to guide them, as the exact method will differ for each herb. Tinctures are valuable because they are easy to digest and absorb. Some herbs can only be used in this form.
The strength of a tincture should be listed on the bottle in the form of a ratio, such as 1:5 or 1:2.
The first number tells you how much of the herb is present, and the second number tells you how much menstruum (the liquid used to dissolve the herb) is in the preparation.
Therefore, a 1:5 tincture is weaker than a 1:2 tincture, because a larger volume of liquid is used.
* DRIED DECOCTIONS, also called CONCENTRATED GRANULES, are used primarily by Chinese (TCM) herbalists. This method of preparing herbs was devised several decades ago in Taiwan by a group of chemists and traditional doctors.
Basically, the herbs are cooked as teas in large vats and the solid residues are removed, after which the remaining liquids are dried out until only powders remain.
Sometimes certain important components (such as volatile oils) are collected separately by specialized equipment and then added back to the final product. These powders are usually about four times more potent than the crude herbs.
The label may list a ratio of 4:1, but concentration can be as low as 2:1 or even as high as 10:1. Dried decoctions still retain the herbs' basic tastes and smells, and the concentrations of chemicals discourage bacterial growth so they tend to store well. I use these granules frequently in my practice.
* CONCENTRATED HERBAL EXTRACTS are now made using various methods.
These extracts, in liquid or solid form, can be anywhere from two to 100 times more concentrated in certain components than crude herbs.
* CAPSULES are simply powdered herbs, dried decoctions or concentrated herbal extracts that have been put into gelatin capsules.
* TABLETS are simply powdered herbs, dried decoctions or concentrated herbal extracts with a binding substance added. They are then are pressed into tablets by a machine
* GELCAPS are sealed gelatin capsules that hold either tinctures or concentrated liquid herbal extracts.