Herbal dosages

[ottawagardener]

I was reading the sedative herb thread and it got me thinking again about the issue of dosage with the more dangerous herbs -ie, those with strong, pharmacological properties. I avoid these because the amount of the component may vary by plant, growing season and conditions, and the effect may vary according to the person, their particular metabolic pecularities etc...

Anyone have a sense of this?

Of course I would never try anything with potentially deadly results but even those that work well worry me.

The farthest I go is using mint for some kinds of tummy ache.

[heidihi]

I think you are absolutely correct in being worried about toxic affects of herbal remedies and no one should ever just dive in with reckless abandon ..I highly rec that you take a class for sure ..I did ..that and I have a huge collection of books on herbal tinctures and remedies and have studied for years..still I am very very careful

things like mint or ginger ..fine chamomille is another safe one you can make a nice tea and as long as it tastes good it is the right strength ..those are safe ..but things like comfry or other herbs can be very toxic and should never ever be taken just because someone says they work for certian things....I buy standardized valarian tincture for sleep because making tincture is a huge pita!!! by the time I find Everclear (not sold in our state) then pull the essence into it (minimum of 90 days)..then reduce the tincture to the right concentrate dangerous because it involves heat with alcohol and a fan! ...I may do everything correctly but still I am not a laboratory and have no way of measuring the components to make sure I have the science exact ..so while I have made my own tinctures I still am not comfortable with using them for anyone but myself and even then I have some very old ones I have yet to try because I am leary of my liver remaining healthy! and I have been educated but just enough to scare myself with the possibility of poisoning!

I would check for classes in your area to be safe and also check out books from the library get lots of books and compare ..when several books give you the same doses then you can feel at least some consistency

also some pharmacists can give you dosing on herbal medications ...but they mostly are going with the already bottled stuff


like everything..and how I mushroom hunt as well .. LEARN WHAT WILL KILL YOU FIRST!!! ..then what will make you sick but you will live ..and then the ones you can use with reckless abandon ..herbs I feel very safe with made to taste in tea would include
ginger (upset tummy, nausea, chronic pain)
peppermint (or other mint) (tummy)
thyme (coughing and colds)
lemon verbena (makes a nice tea for colds)
chamomile flowers (calming herb)
dried cranberries (bladder/kidney health and colds)
garlic (antibiotic)
hot chiles ..pain relief (you can add hot chile to tea for sore throats believe it or not it works with lemon and honey)

there are more but for now that is my "safe" list of herbal remedies you do not have to worrry too much about unless you are allergic

[mnjrutherford]

That's a very good chart for a starting point.

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