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Click here to watch this instructional video on YouTube

This talk was offered as a contribution to the The Canadian Herb Conference 2023.

Decoctions are medicinal drinks and/or broths made from heating or boiling plants in a menstruum, simply hydrolyzed in water or sometimes combined with other liquids such as soups, tea, milk, plant mylk, soup, tea or honey. They can be used to deliver a stronger tasting and sometimes richer drink than herbal infusions and for this reason they are a creative and delicious way to offer an herbal preparation. Soups and broths are a form of decoction, and adding herbs to food while cooking is a excellent way to offer this type of herbal preparation.  A decoction can be added in to an alcohol extract (tincture), or combined with an infusion.

Generally it is the roots, rhizomes, bark, seed, berries and fruit of plants that are most effectively extracted when heated or boiled.  Add your herbs to cold wter, bring to a boil and then simmer a decoction on low heat for 10-20 minutes.  The harder the herb the longer the simmering time.  Sometimes it helps to soak the herbs in cold water for up to 2-4 hours before applying heat to soften the herbs and aid in extraction. Usually one to three teaspoons of herb per cup of water is adequate, depending on the formula and therapeutic dosage.  Concentrated decoctions can last 2-3 days in the refrigerator, or can be dehydrated to a powder or made into a syrup to preserve them longer, or preserved in 25-30% ethanol per volume.

Experiment with combinations of sweet, salty, pungent, sour and bitter to invent formulas that are palatable, nutritious, and medicinal combinations.  Offset strong flavours by experimenting with dosage, dominant flavour profiles, warming and cooling qualities, as well as adding sweet herbs to help the medicine go down!  The following is a list of herbs that work well in decoctions, and with a little practice all of them can be combined skillfully to taste delicious.

Roots and Rhizomes: Angelica root (Angelica archangelica), Ashwaganda root (Withania somnifera), Astragalus root (Astragalus membranacus), Burdock root (Arctium lappa), Chicory root (Cichorium intybus), Dandelion root (Taraxacum officinale), Dan Gui root (Angelica chinensis), Elecampane root (Inula helenium), Siberian Ginseng (Eleutherococcus senticosus), Ginger rhizome (Zingiber officinale), Hydrangea root (Hydrangea arborescens), Kava kava root (Piper methysticum), Licorice root (Glychrriza glabra), Panax ginseng root (Panax qinqufolium, panax ginseng) Sarsaparilla root (Smilax officinalis), Shatavari root (Asparagus racemosa), Turmeric root (Curcuma longa), Valerian Root (Valeriana officinalis), Wild Yam root (Dioscorea villosa), Yellow Dock root (Rumex crispus).

Barks: Cinnamon bark (Cinnamomum verum), Crampbark (Viburnum opulus), Wild cherry bark (Prunus serotina)

Seeds:Aniseed (Pimpinella anisum), Black peppercorn seed (Piper nigrum), Cardamom Pod/Seed (Elettaria cardamomum), Celery seed (Apium graveolens), Chocolate bean/seed (Theobroma cacao), Fennel seed (Foeniculum vulgare), Fenugreek seed (Trigonella foenum-graecum), Nutmeg seed (Myristica fragrans), Star anise seed (Illicium verum)

Fruits: Bilberries (Vaccinium myrtilus), Cayenne fruit (Capsicum spp.), Citrus fruit and peel (Citrus spp.), Elderberries (Sambucus nigra), Goji berries (Lycium barbarum), Hawthorne Berries (Crategus oxycantha), Schizandra Berry (Schizandra chinensis) Most berries!

Mushrooms: Lion’s Mane Mushroom (Hericium erinacea), Chaga Mushroom (Innotis obliquuis), Reishi Mushroom (Ganoderma spp.), All edible mushrooms!

Herbs to avoid in decoctions: Anything too bitter or too pungent (ie. Actaea racemosa, Artemesia spp.), anything leaf or flower (ie. Mentha x piperita, Matricaria recuitita), mucilaginous plants – heat kills the mucilage (ie. Althaea officinalis, Ulmus rubra).

Try my delicious Tao Cacao recipe: Combine equal parts powdered cacao, roasted chicory root, roasted dandelion root, licorice root, dan gui, shatavari, and ashwaganda. Add 1 tsp of each to 6 cups cold water, bring to a boil, simmer 5 minutes and add 1 cup coconut cream. Strain and serve as a warm, soothing, and balancing adaptogenic drink.

Why heat?

Heat speeds up and improves the extraction process, and is a good way to extract more from dense roots and barks.

Volatile oils disperse quickly and readily with heat, so Chamomile, Fennel, and Fenugreek will lose some of their medicinal quality with heat – anything that has a more aromatic quality with disperse it’s magic with heat so keep the lid on if you’re using these or infuse them in boiling water instead.

Slippery elm and marshmallow are rich in mucilaginous polysaccharides, so heat will also destroy these slippery components, which is the main use of these plants. They would therefore be wasted in a decoction.

Mushrooms and mushroom broths are excellent ways to extract the medicinal qualities of fungi. The betaglucans and glucosides in mushrooms readily extract in water, and heat will infuse more of their medicinal quality. Heating some mushrooms even makes them safe to consume, when they wouldn’t be otherwise!  Eliminating poisonous constituents is sometime helpful, as in the case of cashews and most legumes.

Dosage:

Varies depending on the herb but 1 tsp of herb to 1/2 cup to 1 cup water is a good recipe. 30 grams (approx. 6 tsp or 1 ounce) in 750 ml (approx 3 cups) cold water, bring to a boil, then reduce the volume on low heat to concentrate. At least 1/4 fluid should be evaporated off, so make a quantity so that this is easy do, keeping the lid on to trap the oils and gases. I like to add a fat – cream, milk, or coconut cream are delicious options, plant or nut mylk can also enhance flavours. Experiment with this!

Note that fresh roots should be doubled in weight due to their higher water content, or reduce the amount of water used by approximately half to account for the water stored in the plant.

Storage:

Only a day or two in the fridge or your decoction is off! Preserve it a bit longer by making a syrup with 125 g of white granulated sugar for every 100ml of liquid decoction. Or dilute it with 25-30% 190-proof ethanol, and at least 50-75% concentrated decoction. Shake well, label it and store it somewhere cool. Decoctions are prone to going bad as decomposition of plant material can precipitate and cause spoilage.

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The healing power of external applications with Susan Horning, CHT

Watch this presentation on Youtube!

There’s so many ways to use plants to enhance health and wellbeing. Topical applications are an effective and safe way to absorb herbs through the skin and deliver effective relief for many conditions.

Not just for skin conditions, topical applications are a very safe way to deliver herbs to localized areas of the body without requiring digestion or assimilation through the gut, which is helpful in situations where internal use may not be safe or optimal.

Different herbal preparations to consider:

Herbal Infused oil – Herbs infused directly to carrier oil, with or without ethanol extraction
Salve – Infused oil hardened with beeswax
Cream – Water-based preparation, most viscous and easily spread on larger areas
Ointment – Oil-based preparation, will hold more moisture on dry skin
Lotion – Least amount of oil, and are lighter in application than creams/ointments
Liniment – Mix of tincture and oil and essential oils, must be shaken before application
Poultice – Macerated plant material applied directly to skin

Honey – Great for burns with infused soothing plants
Fomentation – Facecloth soaked in herbal infusion or saline solution (usually hot/warm)
Hydrosol – Distilled plant waters

Spray – Distilled water or hydrosol with essential oils and/or carrier oils and/or tincture
Toothpaste – Paste of powdered plant material with essential oils and/or carrier oils
Dusting powder – Dry powder for sprinkling on wet or weeping wounds
Deodorant – Paste of plants with baking soda, arrowroot, oils, clay, besswax, etc.
Hair rinse – Vinegar extraction with oil

Sits bath – Herbal infusion added to saline solution
Bath soak – Herbal infusion added to magnesium salts with essential oils and/or carrier oils

Some of my favourite herbs to use topically:

Usnea

Calendula officinalis, Symphytum officinale (vulnerary and tissue repair)

Capscium minimum, Zingiber officinalis (for pain, to heal blisters, and to boost local circulation)

Galium aparine, Trifolium pratense, Phytolacca decandra (for lymphatic drainage and clearing out waste cells)

Mentha-X piperita (to cool and allay irritation)

Matricaria recuitita, Achillea millefolium, Usnea (for inflammation or fungal infections)

Hamamelis virginica, Thuja officinalis (to astringe or dry out pus)

Stellaria media (for pruritis)

Berberis aquifolium, Echinacea angustifolium , Curcuma longa (to heal boils or infections)

Glychyrriza glabra, Althaea officinalis (demulcent, soothing, emollient)

Aesculus hippocastanum (for vascular tone)

Good choices for oil extraction include olive oil, jojoba, grape seed, castor, sunflower, safflower, flax, avocado, etc. However oil is generally not a very good solvent, so an intermediary step is often helpful. Fresh herbs should be used with caution – mould and bacteria in water-based preparations are common and establishing expiry dates, refrigeration and use of emulsifiers may be necessary.

ENDOGENOUS FACTORS in healing skin, systemic support

• Centella asiatica and Vitamin C, Zinc, Vitamin D supplementation are primary
• Linolenic acid is often deficient with eczema and EFA supplementation (sunflower, safflower, flax seed oil) in the diet will help, or can also be applied topically
• Improving lymphatic, renal and colonic functions with Fumaria officionalis, Scrophularia, Rumex and Berberis can be helpful for systemic support.
• Nervous system support to allay anxiety may also support skin healing, Valeriana officinalis, Passiflora incarnata, Hypericum perfoliatum, Humulus lupulus, Scutellaria lateriflora may be helpful if there are psychological factors present.
• Where allergies are primary, Urtica dioica and Aspalanthus linearis may be used as antihistaminic.
  

EXOGENOUS FACTORS in healing skin

• Contact dermatitis is a rash resulting from exposure to an allergen, chemical or other exogenous irritant. Chemicals are more readily absorbed in contact with moisture so the sweating areas of the body are more affected.
• Stasis dermatitis is associated with venous insufficiency, and is more common in elderly women, and may require boosting circulation and consideration of other chronic disease considerations
• Irritant dermatitis might be due to nickel or chromates found in jewelry, rubber and elastics, dyes in clothing, hair and shoes, cosmetics, leather (chemicals), plants, and exposure to chemicals is often found on the hands that have come in to contact with the irritant. Identifying and avoiding the irritant is of primary importance in treatment.
• Tinea is usually circular spreading from a centre point (sometimes called ‘ringworm’) and it is a fungal infection that is scaly, red with elevated borders. It invades keratinous tissue and causes inflammation
  
• Avoiding irritants to the skin and use mild soap (or avoid soap completely) only without scents where needed and avoid hot water showers. Lubricants can be used to restore moisture to the surface of the skin, being careful of ingredients such as lanolin, which may irritate further.

Blending Tasty Tisanes for pleasure and delight

Watch my instructional video on this topic on YouTube: https://youtu.be/6dqAkBoWfdE

This talk was offered as a contribution to the The Canadian Herb Conference 2021.

Using our senses is the best way to determine what will make tasty tea.  Organoleptics is using our sense organs to determine flavour, aromas, freshness, and beauty of herbal tea blends. Start with whole plants, and leave out additives or artificial flavours, using herbs to naturally flavour a discerning palate.

Infusions vs decoctions – this talk is only on infusions to keep scope, but decoctions make some of the best medicinal drinks you can formulate! This includes all the mushrooms, most of the roots and barks, and fruit. Infusions can be refrigerated for 2-3 days, concentrated infusions are steeped overnight, and cold infusions are prepared without heat.

Water is a great extractor and it makes it easy for the body to digest and assimilate, but it also can breed bacteria so being careful not to allow infusions to go bad. Plant teas are full of phenolic and flavonoid compounds – secondary metabolites in plants that are beneficial and easily absorbed into the human body. The most common form being glycosides, which are easily soluble in water! Polyphenols such as flavonoids, phenolic acids, tannins, lignans, and coumarins – all help the body to counteract inflammation and fight stress. Plant polyphenols are highly antioxident, prevent oxidative stress and diseases such as cancer and may also confer antimicrobial, antifungal, and anticarcinogenic qualities. Mineral rich herbs go great in tea, or can be extracted in apple cider vinegar to last longer.

Teas encourage kidney action, and bolster nutrition. Herbal infusions given as tea can be profoundly healing for the gut. Black and green teas are stimulating and astringent, and steep more quickly than herbal teas (1 min for black teas and 2-3 minutes for most green teas) so they are less useful in herbal blends, which usually need 10-15 minutes to completely infuse.

Here are my nine favourite basic herbal teas to keep on hand as starter teas that have great gut healing qualities:

1. Chamomile (Matricaria recutita) – Antiemetic, antiinflammatory, antimicrobial, bitter, carminative, antispasmodic, demulcent, nervine relaxant. GI (IBS, colitis), sleep support. Volatile oils, flavonoids (sedative/antispasmodic), coumarins (antifungal/antibacterial).

2. Tulsi (Occimum sanctum) – Adaptogen, analgesic, anthlemintic, antimicrobial, antioxidant, carminative, cardiovascular tonic, cerebral stimulant, expectorant, hepatoprotective, immunomodulating, neuroprotective, relaxing nervine.

3. Lemonbalm (Melissa officinalis) – Animicrobial, antithyroid, cardiotonic, carminative, antispasmodic, nervine relaxant and tonic. Dyspepsia with anxiety and/or depressive mood, hyperthyroidism (inhibits binding of TSH), anxiety, palpitations, headache, excitability, depression, strengthens brain and resistance to stress/shock, tonic to the heart and circulatory system, for viral infections/neuralgias.

4. Peppermint (Menta x pipperita) – Mild analgesic, antiemetic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, carminative/antispasmodic, choleretic/cholagogue, diaphoretic, expectorant. IBS, intestinal colic, nausea.

5. Raspberry Leaf (Rubus ideaus) – Astringent, Uterine tonic, partufacient, thermogenic agent. For labour prep, dysmenorrhea, menorrhagia, post partum, hemmorrhage, diarrhea and enteric disorders, bacterial infection, pain, inflammation of the GI tract.

6. Rooibos (Aspalanthus linearus) – low in tannins and no caffeine. Bronchodilator, lowers blood sugars, antispasmodic, antiinflammatory, carminative, May protect against stroke, cancer, and heart disease.

7. Nettles (Urtica dioica) – Antilithic (urinary), alterative, anti-inflammatory, antirheumatic, astringent, diuretic, hemostatic, hypoglycemic, nutritive, drying. Increases urine output significantly, increases removal of uric acid, replenishes nutrients and electrolytes. For edema, swollen joints, arthritis, congestive heart disease, BPH, uterine hemorrhages, any chronic degeneration of musculoskeletal system such as RA, OA, gout, joint pain, myalgia, kidney trophorestorative (seeds).

8. Yerba Mate (Ilex paraguariensis) – CNS stimulant, diuretic, antirheumatic, inhibit atheroscerosis by adhering to LDL particles, hepatoprotective, antioxidant.

9. Green or Black Tea (Camelia sinensis) – Antimicrobial, antioxidant, cytotoxic, anticancer, astringent, cardiotonic, diuretic, immunostimulant, nervine stimulant. Exhaustion, headaches, fatigue, immune and inflammatory modulating activity can also be benecicial in fever, cough, colds/flu, infections. Antimicrobial againsta bacteria, protozoa, viruses. Preventative for arteriosclerosis, high cholesterol, heart conditions.