Lovely Liver Herbal Extract

Spring is upon us and with it comes spring cleaning (I washed my windows yesterday-goodbye little kitty paw prints!), getting the garden ready for spring planting and sorting out all of our clogged systems within the body after the winter’s cold and gray days.

With the sunny and warmer days of spring, we are opened up and stimulated to move and clear out the accumulated rubbish, in the garden, in our closets and in ourselves.

Part of a spring detox is healthy, lighter fare in our diet; more fresh fruits and veggies. We take our Detox Tea and this Lovely Liver Herbal Extract. The herbs within, especially burdock root,  stimulate the liver to function to its fullest, cleansing the body of accumulated toxins.

According to The Practical Herbalist:

“Ancient herbalists, like Hildegard of Bingen in the 12th century, recognized burdock’s power in helping their patients recover from illness. Then, like today, burdock helped with the break-down of toxins and metabolic waste, making it easier for our bodies to eliminate that which we no longer need. Conditions ranging from cancers and hypertension to gout, digestive ulcers, and reproductive problems, burdock has offered support and help in recovery through the ages.”

I have prescribed this tincture for more intense ailments, from eczema to rheumatoid arthritis to severe acne. When our immune system is struggling, when we are fatigued, when we have eruptions or flareups of chronic issues, a good place to start is with liver support. When things build up (even stress), the liver needs help to do its job excellently.

Lovely Liver Herbal Extract

• 2 parts Burdock root (dried or fresh) (80% alcohol)
• 2 parts Dandelion root (dried or fresh) (80% alcohol)
• 1 part Milk Thistle seed (80% alcohol)
• 2 parts Chicory root (dried or fresh) (80% alcohol)
• 1 part Yellow Dock root (dried or fresh) (80% alcohol)
• Alcohol (at least 42% for leaves, flowers and stems, brandy, vodka; 80% for roots and barks, Everclear)
• Sterilised jar and lid

Grind or chop the plant material as finely as possible. I use my juicer to grind the dried plant material and my grain mill to grind the dried roots.

Add the plant material to the jar: Dried- fill 1/2 of jar

                                                            Fresh- fill the entire jar

Add the alcohol. Fill to the brim. Keep an eye on it for the next several minutes and keep adding alcohol until all the plant material is covered.

Seal well and label with the plant name, date, percent and type of alcohol and the date 6 weeks out.

Shake the jar daily and store in a cool, dark place.

After 6 weeks, strain out plant material and decant the tincture into sterilised bottles for use.

Label bottles with the tincture name.

Adult dose: 3-5ml 2x day as part of a liver detox

Medicinal actions:

Burdock root (Arctium lappa): antibacterial, anti-inflammation, anti-tumor, anti-fungal, antimutagenic, antioxidant, antipyretic, diuretic, diaphoretic, hypoglycemic

Dandelion root (Taraxacum): diuretic, liver tonic, digestive tonic, antirheumatic, mild laxative, promotes bile flow

Milk thistle seed (Silybum marianum): cholagogic, tonic, galactogogue, alterative

Chicory root (Cichorium intybus): tonic, laxative and diuretic, promotes bile flow

Yellow dock root (Rumex crispus: laxative, alternative, mildly tonic