Improving Effectiveness of Herbs in the Treatment

The use of medicinal plants (herbs) in fact has long been used by people long ago. None of the cultures in the world who do not use herbs as a treatment in their history, although history records it is only tradition from mouth to mouth is submitted to the next generation. It's just that the development of modern medicine make it only as an alternative option only. And have a lot of evidence and efficacy of herbal efficacy. Besides the more economical, herbs also have side effects that are very small. Nevertheless, there are still many people who doubted the efficacy of our herbal. Why?

There are several factors that cause the herbs do not work effectively, including the presentation of the wrong way, time to drink that is not appropriate, inappropriate dosages, and lack of patience users. For the efficacy of herbal plants can work effectively, it is important to know how to treat these herbs. Some things to consider in using herbs for treatment are as follows:

• Wash the crude medicinal plant with water to clean.

• Immediately use fresh herbs that have been clean for treatment. If the material is large or thick, preferably cut into thin slices to boiling substances contained in easily get out and soak in boiling water. For the herbs are stored, dry the first after being washed for durability and prevent spoilage by bacteria and fungi. Dried material (bulbs) are also more easily refined to be used as powder. Drying can be directly in the sun or wear protective. It can also be aerated, depending on the thickness or water content.

• Direct brewing ingredients that have been used as a powder with hot or boiling water. For the hard and difficult material is extracted, preferably crushed and boiled first for about 10 minutes before adding other ingredients.

• Use clean fresh water and contain no harmful chemicals to boil. Ensure that sufficient numbers so that all medicinal ingredients submerged approximately 3 cm.

• Medicinal ingredients to boil, use a container made from pot soil (ceramic), enamel pot, or glass pan. Do not use metal containers, such as iron, aluminum, and brass. Metals containing iron trichloride and potassium ferrycianide. These substances cause sediment to the water in treating disease. During boiling, do not open the lid too often for the content of essential oil fraction is not easily lost.

• Use of fire in accordance with the type of herbs that are boiled. 

Small Fire: Use to boil efficacious as a tonic herb, like ginseng and ling zhi mushroom for its active content is absorbed into the cooking water (boiled about 2 hours). A small fire with a long boiling time is also used for herbs that contain toxins, such as crown god for toxin content decreased.
Fire large: Use to boil herbs or bulbs which merit diaforetik (sweat) and contains many essential oils, such as mint, clove and cinnamon. After boiling, put ingredients and simmer briefly. In this way, not a lot of essential content is lost due to excessive evaporation process.

• If no other provision, boiling cooking water is considered completed when the remaining half of the amount of water initially, for example 400 cc to 200 cc. If the material is mostly boiled hard materials, such as seeds or stems then spared a third of the cooking water, for example 600 cc to 200 cc.

• If containing dry ingredients, generally dose (dosage) half of the amount of fresh material. For example, the use of fresh leaves of spoon use 90 grams and 15 grams when dry.

• Make sure the dose of medicinal plants in accordance with the recommended. Generally, a prescription drug plants were divided to 2 times a day drinking. Time dregs first boiled to be boiled again for 1 time drinking in the afternoon or evening.

• Drink decoction of medicinal plant extracts in warm and thereafter wear thick clothes or blankets. However, for certain types of herbs, such as areca seed decoction should be drunk cold to avoid contraction of the stomach that cause nausea, vomiting, and abdominal cramps.

• Generally, herbal decoction drunk before meals so easily absorbed. However, for the concoction of drugs that can stimulate the stomach, drink after a meal. Drinking potions efficacious drugs as reinforcement (tonic) in the morning with an empty stomach. For a nutritious herb as a sedative, for example, to insomnia, drink before bedtime.

• Perform regular treatment. To remember, herbal treatment requires patience because it does not directly feel the benefits, but are konstruktirf (fix / build). Effect of chemical drugs did seem fast, but it is destructive. Because of its nature, the herb is not recommended as primary treatment of infectious diseases that are acute (sudden), such as dengue fever, vomiting, and others who must get immediate medical help. Medicinal plants are preferred for health maintenance and treatment of chronic diseases.

• Herbal remedies can be combined with chemical drugs, especially for chronic diseases that are difficult cured, like cancer in order to obtain a more effective treatment outcomes. Rules of herbal medicine about 2 hours after the use of chemical drugs.