Health Services of Carmel
Phone: 831-262-9799 * Fax: 831-763-9251
MultiTracts- Herbal Tinctures
WHAT IS A MULITRACT?
The MultiTract process is a unique three-step process for extracting and preserving herbs in a glycerine base. By using a glycerine base, MultiTracts retain the concentrated strength of an herbal tincture without using the alcohol base from which tinctures are usually made. As a result, MultiTracts are much more versatile. The non-alcoholic glycerine base makes MultiTract liquid herbs easy and pleasant to take, an excellent choice for children who will enjoy the sweet taste.
MultiTracts are assimilated faster than dry, herb powders and, as a result, act more quickly. Unlike powdered herbs, the taste and smell of MultiTracts stimulate the nervous system and have an almost immediate impact on the body. This means MultiTracts work dramatically faster, making them highly effective for acute disorders where a rapid action is required, for those individuals who suffer from digestive disorders such as Ulcerative Colitis and IBD as well as for those who are advanced in age.
A THREE STEP PROCESS
STEP ONE, the herbs are dried. MultiTracts cannot be made with fresh herbs because the enzymes in the live plant cause the preparation to "mother." Therefore, the enzymes must be deactivated by drying. Also, drying enhances the bitter principles in the herb and is essential for "mellowing" certain bitter-tasting herbs like cascara sagrada and barberry.
STEP TWO, the herbs are tinctured in water and glycerine for five days. Using a special incubation process, the herbs are kept warm enough to encourage maximum enzyme action for the extraction process, yet below the temperature which would destroy valuable vitamins, enzymes or other "live" properties of the plants. This step also extracts many of the sweet or mucilaginous qualities of the herb. Limited Edition Herbs, Inc. uses only the highest quality herbs and, if available, herbs which are organically grown.
STEP THREE, uses a sealed pressurized process which captures the aromatic components of the plant (volatile oils and resins) into a glycerine-water solution. Here the use of glycerine instead of alcohol is especially valuable. Alcohol dissolves volatile oils and destroys some of their therapeutic qualities, while glycerine captures volatile oils and allows them to remain intact.
Finally, a boiling water extract is made to capture the remaining trace minerals, plus many of the bitter and astringent compounds which require heat to break them free from the plant fiber. This boiling water extract is then concentrated by simmering until it reaches about 20% of its original volume.
Combination Formula MultiTracts are made by combining the extract in step three with the extracts in steps one and two. Only when each individual MultiTract has cooled are they combined. This maintains the integrity of each herb and keeps them from chemically reacting to each other under the heat and pressure of the MultiTract process. Most of the MultiTract Combinations are also fortified with a volatile oil blend which catalyses and enhances the action of the herbs in the formula. These aromatherapy blends are some of the most powerful natural health products available.
