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| Dry Preparations |
| Sometimes it is more appropriate to take herbs in a dry form, such as capsules or tablets. The advantage is that the taste of the herb can be avoided and the whole herb can be taken, including the woody material. There are, however, a number of drawbacks. |
| Because the dry herbs are unprocessed the plant constituents might not be readily available for easy absorption. During infusion, heat and water help to break down the walls of the plant cells and dissolve the constituents, which is not always guaranteed during the digestive process in the stomach and the small intestines. When the constituents are already dissolved in liquid form, they are available a lot faster and begin their action sooner. |
| Taking all this into account, there are still a number of ways to use herbs in dry form. The main thing to pay attention to is that the herbs be powdered as finely as possible. This guarantees that the cell walls are largely broken down and helps in the digestion and absorption of the herb. Unfortunately, the techniques used to grind the herb fine enough will also cause much heat generation through friction, which may lead to an unwanted change in the chemistry of the herb. |
| Capsules |
| The easiest way to use dry powdered herbs internally is to use gelatin capsules. Capsules not made of animal products are also produced. The size needed depends on the amount of herbs prescribed per dose, the density of the plant and on the volume of the material. A capsule size 00 holds about 0.5 grams (1/6 ounces) of finely powdered herb. |
| Place the powdered herbs in a flat dish and take the halves of the capsule apart. |
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