Traditionaly ayurvedic remedies are taken
as fresh juices, pastes, or purees, generally
mixed with ghee or oil; as decoctions; as hot
and cold infusions; or as macerations. The
traditional proportion for decoctions
is one part herb to 16 parts water, which is then simmered
until the volume has reduced to one-quarter of the original
This process takes several hours to complete. Hot infusions use the
proportion of one part herb to eight parts boiling water,
with the infusion being left for up to 12 hours,
rather than the 10-15 minutes that are generally
allowed in the West. Some ayurvedic practitioners In the West
recommend increasing the dosage and cutting the
simmering or infusion time to Western proportions in
order to make the preparation more compatible with
Western lifestyles. Decoctions can be simmered until
three-quarters of the water is left and dosages doubled
or trebled, with a similar increase in dosages for a
minimum hot-infusion time of 30 minutes.
Milk decoctions are made from one part herb
to eight parts milk and 32 parts water. They are then
simmered until all the water has evaporated. Using
herbal powders with milk and omitting all the water
is another shortcut that can be made.
The aerial parts of herbs (leaves, flowers, and stems) can easily be made into teas or tisanes by infusing them in water. The usual Western approach is to use 10z/25g of dried herb to 1pt/500ml of water that is just off the boil. Infuse the mix for ten minutes, then strain and drink in three equal wine-glass or cup doses during the day. The infusion should be stored in a pitcher, covered, in a cool place and used within 24 hours. Alternatively, use 1-2tsp of the dried herb per cup and make a dose at a time. If using fresh herbs, three times as much plant material (i.e. 3az/75g) is needed. For cold infusions, see macerations below.
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