What do you think about Biopure tinctures? Do you still think the whole herb is better/ safer than these tinctures? Thanks a lot.
One of the benefits of Biopure is that they do offer a stephania tincture which I think a good one. Overall however, I am partial to the whole herb.
The protocol for lyme labored under some specific difficulties. The main one is that many with lyme experience severe to moderate cognitive impairment. The protocol needed to be one that would put less pressure on that population and their families, so pre-manufactured capsules or tablets worked best.
Further, I have had long experience in treating chronic conditions such as hepatitis C and chronic fatigue and again, an extremely long history of using tinctures. Over time I have found that some tinctures are exceptionally effective and those I continue to use. But as time has gone on I have begun to regularly find that the whole herb is best.
With other conditions like chronic fatigue or HCV I really like people to take the whole herbs as a powder, all mixed together, just before bed and up to a half cup of the powdered mix at a time. The body is then able to take from the herb what it wants and to excrete the rest. With tinctures, not all the active parts of the herbs are extracted. Evolutionarily, our bodies are used to whole plants, not tinctures and I have found this approach much more effective over time.
I am particularly uncomfortable with polygonum being used as a tincture. My preferance here is strongly in favor of the whole wildcrafted plant in capsules. The Source Naturals standardized resveratrol is my second choice.
Dear Stephen,
thank you so much for all your books and for all the work and knowledge you put into it. It’s truely amazing!
I recently discovered that maybe all the strange symptoms I have for the last about 7 years, probably are rooted in an infection with borrelia. I studied your book and I am to start soon with the core protocol. I now have to decide in which form I will take the herbs. Tinctures are much easier to handle I think, but as you recommend the whole herb as powder I am going to try which one is tolerable for me in this form. And I am sure it is much cheaper, too. I made a list of all forms and doses available for all plants I would like to take and the profiles in the materia medica were very helpful. What I couldn’t find there, was Salvia miltiorrhiza. Why isn’t it there?
In the overview of the core protocol it is recommended als tincture combined with Scutellaria. Can it also be taken as powder? Couldn’t find it in a post here also. Thank you!