About Tinctures

Elijah Free's Process for Making Tinctures

Our Herbs are made with the oldest method of tincturing which takes two to four weeks for each formula.

The Process...

1. Single dry herbs are mixed into their complex formulas, then placed into a jar and mixed with the highest grade consumable grain alcohol (80 proof or 40% alcohol) and combined with pure vegetable glycerin.
2. Next we let Nature do the rest. The movement of the Earth with time and natural forces around us will extract the active ingredients from the herb into the tincturing solution.
3. After the herbs have spent enough time in extraction, they are pressed out with 12 tons of cold pressure (very important that no heat is used) and then filtered.

With this method, our alcohol content is low - 22 to 28% - one of the lowest available.
And this method does not sacrifice potency or quality to keep the alcohol content so low.

The shelf life of properly prepared tinctures is many years, but we prepare our formulas only in small batches so they are freshly made on a regular basis.

Elijah Free makes Tinctures... for a number of reasons...

1.) Tinctures absorb immediately your system, even if you're in a weakened state.
When taken straight (not mixed with water), tinctures absorb into the mucous membranes of your mouth, never reaching your stomach. A weaker system does not properly absorb herbal pills or capsules. As little as 10 to 15% may be absorbed. The rest is eliminated.

2.) Tinctures are not involved in the first step of digestion which is mastication (chewing) and salivation. They bypass that first step and enter your stomach in an unprocessed state.

3.) Since tinctures absorb instantly upon contact, they do not mix in your stomach which is undesirable. Herbal pills and capsules do exactly that, and could cancel each other out or create an undesirable effect. Also the digestion time of each powered herb could be different, so the formula may not activate together.

4.) Tinctures are very convenient to take, needing no mixing or brewing like teas. The exact dosage can be taken to the drop, insuring proper results.

5.) Tinctures need no refrigeration and are highly stable with a very long shelf life. Pills and capsules have a relatively short potency life and are more readily affected by heat and light, and can spoil easily.

6.) Some active ingredients from herbs cannot be extracted in water or by the human system. An example is one of the active antispasmodic ingredients from the herb black cohosh (cimicifuga racemosa). This important constituent is only extracted in an alcohol/vegetable glycerin solution. Yet, you will find antispasmodic herb products containing black cohosh in pill or capsule form on the market, though they can not work properly because of this reason.

7.) Tinctures have a much higher potency than all other forms of herbs, but this will depend of course on the quality of the herb and the amount of raw herb used in making the tincture.