Tea by infusion, powder or capsule? See the best way to use each plant

There are more than 370 thousand plants cataloged – with more than 55 thousand species in Brazil – and it is still believed that more than 80% of the world population uses plants as a first therapeutic resource. However, many people have doubts about how to use each type of tea: infusion, powder, tincture, capsule or others?

Today, there is a whole legislation and regulation for the use of plants, due to the intense side effects they can generate.

There is a greater need to control quality based on modern technology, identification of plant parts, quantification of chemical compounds, making it possible to produce safe medicines, without toxicity risks.

But many doubts remain. Next, see the guide on how to use each type of tea according to phytotherapy, a method that uses products made from plant extracts from plant parts. If you need help, book an appointment specializing in clinical herbal medicine and ayurveda here.

HOW TO USE EACH TYPE OF TEA

The most used preparations are:

• Dust: milled plants are acquired under the conditions required by the industry. It is ingested in soups, smoothies, juices… A classic example is moringa or turmeric powder, considered super foods with high amounts of antioxidants.
• pills/tablets: active ingredients concentrated in different proportions from molding or compression to create a solid dose. They often have starch or gums to achieve the desired consistency. It can be administered orally, rectally or intravaginally.
• Drages: very similar to the tablet, but it has an external coating that prevents the degradation of the compounds. Oral administration.
• capsules: it has a more flexible envelope and can be of animal protein or vegetable algae origin. They often contain oilier substances or active ingredients that are suspended in oils. Oral administration.
• infusions: contact of fresh or dried plants, or flowers with boiling water. You should let the water almost boil, turn off the fire, add the herbs and leave for around 5 minutes infusing with a plate, smothering the heat and increasing the intensity.
• decoctions: result of the extraction of active principles from roots, barks and rhizomes. In this case, the parts used are more rigid, needing a time to boil and boil the vegetable.
• Dyes: preparation of herbs with hydroalcoholic extraction from the dried plant in the proportion of 20%.
• Alcoholics: preparation with hydroalcoholic extraction from the fresh plant in the proportion of 50%.

Tinctures and alcohols are easy to prepare at home, however, due to legislation and regulations for commercial purposes, these forms of administration must be prescribed by health professionals with well-stipulated individual dosages and handled in legal pharmacies.