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Dos and Donts of Herb Combining 🌿
Today we're going to talk about the do's and don'ts of mixing.
When it comes to making your own recipes people always want to know is there certain herbs that you don't want to put together. With herbalism there isn't a lot of hard and fast rules. Let's break it down into three basic points to look at this subject deeper.
The first point I want to make is don't overdo it. There's a common misconception where people are wanting a strong formula and they think that they just have to you know just dump every single herb into the formula or they think that
they want to put every single powerful herb in the formula. That's not a smart way to create formulations.
We have three main types of herbs in formulas. The primary herb, which makes up the biggest proportion of the recipe, the supporting herb in the middle and the catalyst, which is that driver.
Firstly, you want to know what type of herb you're even dealing with. You want to know how safe the herb is and then you want to also know how much of it is supposed to go in a formula. There are certain herbs that are usually in one spot that will usually be the primary or driver, but there's times when they might be called for i in larger quantities. Make sure that any low dose herbs always have the correct dosage, not even just in that formula you want to make sure that the amount that you're taking one isn't you know over it's the recommended amount you know for the day, week, etc. so to recap the first point, don't overdo it by having too large quantities or by trying to put too many herbs into a formula.
FYI, there isn't really a particular number that is right or wrong. When I make like beverage blends I usually have about five herbs, however when making blends that will be enjoyed as a loose tea, I may add additional herbs for taste or visual appeal.
Alright, the next thing I want to talk about is possible herb and drug interactions. If a person is already taking a medication for a certain purpose the the number one job wouldn't be to address that issue because that's the effect they're already going to have. Instead we may look to support the body and its processes. Usually if there is a possible interaction with drugs it is because you're using an herb that's going to do the same thing as the current medication, that's a contraindication. By doing this you're using the herb in a way that's not indicated.
If a person is on antidepressants then they don't need an herb that's going to have an antidepressant effect. If you have um low blood pressure then again you wouldn't want to use an herb that's going to lower the blood pressure even more. Another instance of a contraindication is when you're using herbs and medications in instances where you will nullify the effects. Sometimes that is done on purpose; that's where the supporting herbs come in. You might have an herb that might give a negative effect on a certain body part, for example, there are some herbs that have some alkaloids in them which can be dangerous for the liver, especially in long-term use or in a large quantity. So what some herbalists will do, and what i would do in that situation is to always have something in there that's going to support the liver in the formula and then of course making sure that you have it at the right proportions. Another instance is when you're taking a laxative tea that features irritating laxatives or stimulant laxatives, you want to put in some support for the stomach with some herbs that are going to be helping to reduce cramping and bloating.
Important takeaways from Today's post:
Know the safety of the herbs that you are using
Don't add too many herbs to a formula
Don't try to pile on the "strongest" herbs, sometimes formulas can be beneficial when simpler solutions are tried first
Avoid misusing herbs when they are not indicated
Avoid contraindications
Don't use doses that are larger than recommended
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