Guest guest Posted June 18, 2006 Report Share Posted June 18, 2006 Dear Lady D, I note your question about using Essential Oils internally. May I ask why you need to? For centuries, Herbalists have been using tinctures or extracts of herbs made with alcohol, water, vinegar, glycerin etc internally with excellent results. I am NOT an expert on Essential Oils BUT have used such extract and tinctures for years, as has my family. When used in this way, there are documented and well tried formulas and results. Even teas are - in my view - better than taking Essential Oils internally as far as I can see. You will obtain all the benefits of the Herb by using it as a tea , a decoction or a tincture or an extract with out the risks that seem to attend Essential oils. Traditionally - this is how Herbs have been used for centuries - that is what our bodies are used to!!.............Herbally yours Penny -- Penny Khaled http://tinyurl.com/bfnyd http://tinyurl/rulew http://www.organicnutrition.co.uk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 18, 2006 Report Share Posted June 18, 2006 You will obtain all the benefits of the Herb by using it as a tea , a decoction or a tincture or an extract with out the risks that seem to attend Essential oils. Traditionally - this is how Herbs have been used for centuries - that is what our bodies are used to!!........-.....Herbally yours Penny [Dave:] I agree 100% with this. -- Version: 7.1.394 / Virus Database: 268.9.0/368 - Release 6/16/2006 -- Version: 7.1.394 / Virus Database: 268.9.0/368 - Release 6/16/2006 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 18, 2006 Report Share Posted June 18, 2006 , Penny <pennyclear75 wrote: > > Dear Lady D, > I note your question about using Essential Oils internally. > May I ask why you need to? > For centuries, Herbalists have been using tinctures or extracts of > herbs made with alcohol, water, vinegar, glycerin etc internally with > excellent results. > I am NOT an expert on Essential Oils BUT have used such extract and > tinctures for years, as has my family. > When used in this way, there are documented and well tried formulas and results. > Even teas are - in my view - better than taking Essential Oils > internally as far as I can see. > You will obtain all the benefits of the Herb by using it as a tea , a > decoction or a tincture or an extract with out the risks that seem to > attend Essential oils. > Traditionally - this is how Herbs have been used for centuries - that > is what our bodies are used to!!.............Herbally yours Penny > > -- > Penny Khaled > http://tinyurl.com/bfnyd > http://tinyurl/rulew > http://www.organicnutrition.co.uk Dear Penny, I have recently began reading information on different herbs, and would like to start trying to play around with some tea blends, tinctures, etc. Would it be possible for you or anyone else to direct me to more information on exactly HOW to use them, and what types are appropriate for different uses (I've seen some herbs offered in 2 or 3 different forms - root, powder, leaves, flowers, seeds, etc) Information on tastes/aromas would be very helpful as well. I am afraid I'll blend a tea and it will taste like cat pee or something. LOL Some sort of Beginners Guide to Using Herbs would be wonderful Thanks! Kathy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 18, 2006 Report Share Posted June 18, 2006 On 6/17/06, David Lambert <dlmbrt wrote: > > You will obtain all the benefits of the Herb by using it as a tea , a > decoction or a tincture or an extract with out the risks that seem to > attend Essential oils. > Traditionally - this is how Herbs have been used for centuries - that > is what our bodies are used to!!........-.....Herbally yours Penny > > [Dave:] I agree 100% with this. I agree with that too, 100%! But I often hear the argument, that essential oils are much more concentrated, so would provide much more of the beneficial substances than a tea, e.g. you'd have to drink several gallons of herb tea instead of taking a few drops EO (diluted of course). Now there's the question: how much of the beneficial substances would we need and how much (how little!) is beneficial anyway... Hope you're all doing well! I'm too busy planting and caring for my garden - no time to keep up with the list. I'll read all the posts in winter :-) Have a great summer, y'all! * * * * Barbara Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 18, 2006 Report Share Posted June 18, 2006 But I often hear the argument, that essential oils are much more concentrated, so would provide much more of the beneficial substances than a tea, e.g. you'd have to drink several gallons of herb tea instead of taking a few drops EO (diluted of course). [Dave:] Think about this for a moment. If the substance (whatever it might be; it could be drops of ink in water) is so concentrated that it must be diluted before ingesting it, then in what way is diluting it different than preparing it in a more diffuse form in the first place? I think the danger is thinking that if a little is good, much more must be much better. Now there's the question: how much of the beneficial substances would we need and how much (how little!) is beneficial anyway... [Dave:] We’re treading on thin ice here. Very few of us know that much about what the specific substances are in plant essences that are of benefit to us physically, and furthermore, I suspect that not too many of us fully understand the mechanics of how those benefits take place. For instance, we all know how soothing and restful a cup of chamomile tea can be. How many of us would decide to drink a bottle of chamomile EO to get super-soothed? It’s not as simple as that. The very act of drinking a cup of tea is beneficial – the warm cup in the hands, the gentle aroma, perhaps the memories that come to mind of a loving grandma treating a sick child? All of these are intangible and impossible to quantify, and yet they are very real. It simply doesn’t follow that a few drops of EO on the tongue would duplicate these. Like anything, concentrated plant essences can be misused. We don’t need to be biochemists to understand the benefits of drinking a cup of tea, but we would have to have specialized technical knowledge to fully understand the potential benefits and dangers of ingesting the concentrated form. And even if we possessed that knowledge, which among us could express it in such a way that the rest of us would understand? These essences affect the spirit as well as the body – this is the basis of aromatherapy. One of the foundations of spiritual knowledge is balance and moderation. I’m thinking of an analogy that may appeal to some of those in my generation, but younger folks might not grasp as readily. In the 60s and 70s, many young people experimented with LSD. It is possible to have experiences while using this drug that open up profound vistas that deepen and forever change one’s outlook on life. It is also possible to have experiences that are so terrifying and disturbing that the mind never recovers. Would you take the chance? Many of us did, and many of us received insights and energies that allowed us to access higher levels of spirituality and awareness than normal daily life would have brought our way. Sadly however, many who experimented with the drug became psychotic or forever unable to regain their equilibrium. The danger was that many of us weren’t ready, or weren’t strong enough, to explore the territories we reached and then return to normalcy. We were attempting to achieve something that is normally achieved by many years of spiritual exercises, meditation, even deprivation. This is not how it’s meant to be. Now returning to the more mundane area of using botanical essences, I think we have to understand that the action of these substances on our bodies is not entirely straightforward and easy to explain. Another analogy might be the approach to fixing something that many people use. It consists of getting a bigger wrench or a larger hammer. Finesse works better, and not everyone is capable of finesse. I think this is why a normal home tool kit would be more likely to contain a six-inch crescent wrench than a two-foot one. Neither one is useful in every situation, but the smaller one is more likely to be beneficial and to do less harm in the hands of an inexperienced person. I’m not saying that it’s impossible to achieve benefits by using concentrated essences neat or by ingesting them. I don’t have the knowledge to say this. What I am saying is that there is an approach that people for centuries have known is efficacious and beneficial, and that these extreme uses are dangerous because we’re exploring unknown territory. Soyez sage. -- Version: 7.1.394 / Virus Database: 268.9.0/368 - Release 6/16/2006 -- Version: 7.1.394 / Virus Database: 268.9.0/368 - Release 6/16/2006 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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