Still, in much of the world (80%) outside of the United States botanical medicine is a part of primary healthcare. Botanical products come in a variety of forms and preparations. A botanical medicine can exist as a singular preparation or in a combination formula.

Botanical preparations are sold as whole herbs air dried or freeze dried. They can be gathered from nature-this is known as wildcrafting or cultivated. If cultivated, they can be grown with use of fertilizers and pesticides or raised organically. In general loose bulk herbs sold in bins or open containers have the risk of exposure to air and sunlight that can oxidize and weaken the strength of the product.

The activity of an herbal preparation can be concentrated in the form of an extract, tincture, decoction or tea. An extract can be found in either a liquid or solid form. The active ingredients are concentrated by low temperature distillation so as not to alter the chemical nature of the extract. Another way to make an extract is to mix the crude herb with an appropriate solvent (alcohol or water). The solid extracts are made by evaporating off the solvent initially produced as described for liquid solvents. Many consider extracts to be the most stable form of an herbal preparation. Tinctures are alcoholic extracts made from fresh or dried herbs and usually contain a high percentage of grain alcohol to prevent spoilage. Recently, many tinctures have been developed which use glycerin, vinegar or propylene glycol as their base for those who do not want exposure to alcohol. Decoctions are made by taking a plant and leaving it in water for a specific amount of time to disperse the active ingredients in the water. Eventually the plant matter is removed. Teas are made by boiling a specific amount of the bulk herb in water.

Content last modified on Nov 15, 2002