Last week, in a comment following the article on the medicinal uses of chicory, Anonymous asked my thoughts on the use of alcohol in tinctures in light of the recent US Surgeon General’s call for risk warnings on alcohol labels. He asserts the updated labels are needed because most Americans are not aware of the cancer risks associated with alcohol use and the fact that alcohol is the third most common cause of preventable cancer, following tobacco use and obesity. (And yet there are no warnings on processed food packages cautioning against overconsumption.)
I happen to believe drinking alcohol is a bad idea. If one “needs” alcohol to relax, it would perhaps be better to destress one's life. Alcohol compromises good judgment. I've got troubles enough making good decisions when my mind is clear. If a problem developed while I was impaired by alcohol, I doubt I’d be able to react quickly or appropriately. I wouldn’t be prepared.
There are those substances that in any quantity are bad for us. Mercury, cyanide, mustard gas, etc. However, I'm not persuaded that the alcoholic content of tinctures falls into the same category. Most alcoholic drinks are consumed in ounces. Most tinctures are administered in drops. The largest doses I’ve encountered are for usnea, with a teaspoon taken 3-6 times per day for treating bacterial infections. At the maximum dose, that would be one ounce over the course of 24 hours. And if boiling water is added to the tincture, the alcohol evaporates away, so no alcohol remains anyway. (Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the nasty taste of usnea. It remains in the cup. In full force.)
Would I prefer to use no alcohol at all? Absolutely. Alcohol is expensive. However, with our current understanding of herbal medicine, alcohol is the best solvent for extracting the active constituents from some herbs. Everclear, pure grain alcohol, is the best at extracting the antibiotics from usnea to treat tuberculosis, staph infections, H. pylori ulcers, and whooping cough. It transforms cayenne pepper powder into a powerful anti-coagulant for dissolving clots involved in heart attacks and strokes. Do I think the alcoholic content of these tinctures may constitute a health hazard? No, I don’t think so. But I could be wrong. However, I do believe the above-mentioned diseases are among some of the most life-threatening. Sometimes we have to pick our poison, so to speak. Would I rather risk the remote chance of developing liver cancer due to using alcoholic tinctures to treat illnesses, or would I rather die of a stroke? I’ll take my chances with the tincture.
As far as we currently know, this is how God set it up for us. He has given us understanding of herbs and how to make medicine to help us be well. Until He enlightens us further, this is what we have to work with. And if we do everything we can to be healthy, perhaps we won't have to be picking too many poisons.
References:
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj90x3np0zpo
Links to related posts:
