Herbs: Tinctures v.s. capsules?

[Dave]

How do herbs that are extracted into tinctures compare to herbs that are taken in capsules (in crude form)??



Which is more potent: tincture or capsule/tablets??

[LynetteI693]

Tinctures are better and are easier to digest than capsules. For a more therapeutic benefit from it they need to break down in your system. The problem with taking herbs in a capsule form is that the herb must be powdered before its put into a capsule. When an herb is turned into powder it quickly begins to loosen its benefits. Herbs have a very short shelf life when they are powdered. If you want to take herbs in a pill form, I would say buy the herb as a whole and powder them yourself, and mix with something like an applesauce. I tried with this one, did I help?

[RichardL258]

Potency cannot be determined for all herbs in this comparison. The tincture would contain the molecules from the herb that are extracted by alcohol, the carrier of the tincture. But if the active molecules did not get along with alcohol, then they might either remain in the plant material or they would be destroyed in the presence of alcohol. Many traditional herbs are extracted by water or alcohol or vaporization and capture. And some are heated while mixed with honey or other herbs and then used. So the process of making an alcohol extract (a tincture) would select some elements and would leave behind others.
Whole plant parts that are powdered have good potency, provided they were from a good source. In my experience as an herbalist, some reputable manufacturers place a shelf life of five years for full potency on their powdered herbs and back it up with testing the retention samples with HPLC during the shelf life of the product.
Another factor with alcohol extracts is the likelihood that the herb will tend to be directed to the liver because of the presence of the alcohol. So where you want the herb to be targeting the liver, this is a good thing. But if you had other plans, they may not be as effective.
Some extracts are made with various extracting agents and then dried. These can be placed into capsules or tableted. So that is another thing to think about.
The best thing is to look to either a reputable manufacturer with a great quality control lab or to investigate the history of the herb to see how it has been used. Then, if you have the background and the pharmacopeia information for the herb, you can elect to use extracts of your own making or take the herb with effective companions.