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THE PRACTICE of TASTE TESTING
Medicinal Herbs
The focused tasting of one or
two drops of the liquid extract of a medicinal herb is a simple, effective and
inexpensive educational tool for providing participants with a personal
experience of the uniqueness of each herb’s taste characteristics, and
potentially, some of its medicinal properties
When the tasting is combined
with the viewing, handling and smelling of the live herb, the potential
remembrance of the herb can be greatly increased. When practiced over time and
with many different medicinal herbs, taste testing can provide a deeper
understanding of the nature of medicinal herbs individually and collectively as
a healing modality.
It can also be used as a
personal ‘reading’ of the quality and especially, the vibrancy of the
extract and as a gauge of when the extract is too old.
It is the opportunity that
taste testing of herbal extracts can offer, that is explored in this document.
The scientific procedure for
establishing the identity and quality of a liquid herbal extract is mostly
through chromatography. This provides an accurate and measurable visual
"picture “or “signature” of the herb and its chemical composition.
These techniques are often expensive, requiring complex laboratory procedures.
The human sense of taste,
smell, touch and vision are personal ‘chromatographic’ readings that provide
the individual with a moment to moment personal sensory ‘picture’ of the
environment. This can be both within and outside of the physical body.
When something is placed in
the mouth the taste senses record whether it was bitter, sour, sweet, hot, cold,
dry or wet and slippery or astringent. Wine tasters have developed their taste
and smell senses to a point where they can identify the grapes variety used, the
vintage and even the hill on which the grapes were grown. Individuals with
practice can likewise develop their taste senses so as to be able to identify
and recognize the variances in liquid extracts of herbs.
But whereas science through
chromatography and other accurate measuring devices, can provide a detailed and
accurate description of the chemical composition, the human senses are able to
sense more the ‘essence’ within a herbal extract including a broad reading
of the presence of some chemicals and the levels of higher vibrational energies
or vitality.
Further, the human senses,
when focused inwardly, are able to ‘observe’ to where the ‘energy’ of a
tasted medicinal herb travels in their body and the affect it has, providing an
indication of its medicinal properties. When experiencing this, the observer is
‘touching on’ the probable means by which our ancestors discovered the
medicinal properties of herbs.
Fresh
Plant Tinctures (FPTs) compared with Fluid Extracts (
The experience of many years
of taste testing herbs and comparing FPTs with
On a drop for drop basis, FPTs
have been found to be generally stronger and broader in their medicinal activity
when compared with
FPTs are found to have a level
of "zing" in their taste (this is the word best used to describe the
life force or vitality of the extract) that is not found in
Taste Testing of
Medicinal Herbs
To recap, the considerable
sensitivity of our human palate can be used to provide a personal
chromatographic “measure” of a herbal extract. It is an inexpensive, readily
available technique that can bring one right to the "coal face" of
herbal medicine, providing a personalized experience of each herb that is
tasted. The technique over time can be developed as a most useful tool for
expanding one’s knowledge and understanding of herbal medicine.
In the practice of Taste
Testing, the onus lies with both the instructor in their choice and delivery of
the herbal extract and with the participant as to their choosing to participate
or not, in any given tasting. Only with this understanding should the tasting
proceed.
All foods including medicinal
herbs (medicinal “foods”) affect the physical and energetic human being and
on occasions an individual may experience a reaction to a tasted herb. As only
one or two drops of the herbal extract are ingested the effect is likely to be
of an energetic or homoeopathic nature and usually passes quickly.
With the experience of many
hundreds of people participating in taste testing sessions, a few have reported
that they experienced a particularly strong energetic response to one herb more
than the others. This idiosyncratic “reaction” has then led them to later
explore taking that herb medicinally. (See the case history below)
As all FPTs contain alcohol,
some participants may wish to abstain and in this case a small portion of the
fresh or dried herb can be chewed.
Some herbs have the potential
to interfere with medical drugs such as Warfarin and some anti-depressants
(Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitors). It is the responsibility of the
facilitator to inform the tasting group as to the contraindications of any
particular herb.
Further reading on Duty of
Care in a healing practice from a spiritual perspective is available on the
Pindari web page at:
www.pindariherbfarm/quality/duty.htm
Our sense of taste can provide
us with an indication as to whether a herb is sweet, sour, bitter, acrid, salty
or bland, or any mix of these. These are character classifications that are used
in Traditional Chinese Medicine.
We are also able to sense
whether the herb is astringent, mucilagenic, soapy or hot etc. These
characteristics are used in Western Herbal Medicine.
The visual presentation of the
liquid extract should also be noted. The colour can indicate the presence of
anti-oxidants such as with Turmeric and Calendula extracts, soapy bubbles can
indicate the presence of saponins as with Liquorice and the viscosity of the
liquid, the presence of mucilage such as with Comfrey and Marshmallow root.
1.
The group should be cautioned by the
facilitator that an awareness needs to be practiced by the participant as to
their choice to participate or not and the facilitator especially should remain
observant of each participants mental and physical state. Any person that is
uncomfortable with tasting one or more herbs needs to be encouraged to not do
so.
2.
It is best if each participant has a bottle of
water with them that they can sip between each tasting.
3.
A group of 10 to 15 people is an ideal number
of tasters with one facilitator and an observer
4.
It is best if the facilitator sits in front of
the participants seated in a semi circle.
5.
The facilitator chooses an herbal extract and
using a fresh or delegated dropper, places 1-2 drops on the back of the extended
hand of those wishing to participate. Some may wish to offer the "thumb
joint dip" that is formed when the thumb is extended vertically upwards.
6.
Each participant places the drop or drops of
herb into their mouth and tastes the herb and notes its characteristics.
7.
When each participant has done this the group
as a whole discusses their experience.
8.
The group is encouraged to "look
inside" themselves to sense where the herb's energies may have travelled
and what effect if any, it has had on them. This too may be shared with the
group.
9.
The facilitator should choose herbs of
different characteristics e.g. a "water" herb such as Marshmallow
following a "hot or fire" herb such as Ginger - and a sweet herb such
as Liquorice after a bitter herb such as Centaury. This way, not only does the
taster experience the opposite natures of two herbs but the additive or negating
effect the second herb has on the first.
10.
The variation and delivery of the herbs for
tasting is of the facilitators choosing with a practical limit per session of
herbs to be tasted usually being between 10 and 15. By this time so many
energies have been sampled that the taster may become energetically swamped and
it is best then that the process ceases and they drink a lot of water.
Proceeding to a meal after the tasting further enables a steadying of the
participant to occur.
Advanced Procedure
(The use of Conscious Breath)
1.
In an advanced, experienced group of
"tasters", the use of breath to both direct and sense the herbal
energies can be explored. This procedure can enhance the experience of the
herbal extracts medicinal properties and will also increase the effect that
herbal extract has on the taster.
2.
The same procedure and precautions need to be
explained to the group and practiced by the facilitator.
3.
After the placing of a drop of herbal extract
on the hand, the taster places the liquid into their mouth and “swills"
the extract around the palate, then the breath is drawn in through the mouth,
consciously taking the "essence" of the herb deep into the body but
giving it no "place" or direction.
4.
The breath is then held for a comfortable
period and then exhaled through the nose.
5.
This process is done three times and then with
stillness of body and mind, the taster watches where the energy of the herb
travels too, and its effect if any.
6.
A variation of this process is where the taster
draws the herbal energy into the body with the same breathing and exhaling
technique but consciously directs that energy to a particular part of the body
of their choosing. They then quietly, inwardly watch for any effect.
7.
In the same manner as the inhalation, the
herbal energy may be "gathered up" by the taster and
"exhaled" through the mouth (not the nose). This way the energy
consumed and internalized may be partially or more fully released.
8.
Given the intensity of this process, the
number of participants needs to be smaller and fewer herbs tested. Each
"breath" tasting workshop needing its own careful management by the
facilitator.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This
documents an example of one person’s experience resulting in part from taste
testing herbs. It also alludes to the homoeopathic nature of fresh plant
tinctures and provides an anonymous example of duty of care in action.
~~~
Susan
contacted my wife by telephone and left a message that on taking our herbal
immune system mixture for a chest cold, she developed a rash that went when she
ceased the medication and reappeared again on retaking the mixture. I contacted
her by telephone and discussed the situation with her and she informed me that
she was having Anti Nuclear Antibody (ANA) tests for systemic lupus and asked if
the herbal mixture "could be putting her immune system into
overdrive"?
I
indicated I would give the situation some thought and that I would respond via
email. The immune system mixture contained the following herbs: Echinacea,
Astragalus, Dandelion, Ginger, Cleavers & Withania fresh plant tinctures
plus Kali mur & Fer phos tissue salts & Olive flower essence. The
formulation was listed on the label
My
email response:
Hi
again Susan, firstly could you please acknowledge receipt of this Email so I
know it has been received.
I
have given some thought to your letter re the immune system and Anti-Nuclear
Antibodies (ANA). I believe this to be a test for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.
There
are 3 possibilities surrounding the reaction you appear to be having to this
herbal mixture.
Please
remember that the dried herb dose of Astragalus is 4 -12 mL per day of the 1:2
liquid.
In
the Pindari Immune mixture at a 7mL maximum recommended dose per day the
Astragalus is 20% of that mix making it approx 1.4 mL per day and the strength
of the fresh plant tincture is 1:6 which is 1/3rd the substrate strength of the
1:2 fluid extract that makes it an equivalent dose of 0.5mL per day. Thus it is
only 1/20th of the maximum recommended dose of the fluid extract. Thus very
unlikely to be the cause...........but it is an FPT and thus energetically it
could be having an affect.
The
short of all this is to stop taking the Immune Mix, monitor the ANA for a
time and wait until it is steady. In the mean time do some non taking energy
work with that and the other herbs. Find the reason for the drop in the ANA.
Get back to me if you wish. Please keep
this letter so we can refer to it ahead if needed.
Regards
Ken
Atherton
Susan's
reply:
Hi
Ken,
Firstly,
as requested I'm acknowledging receipt of your email. Secondly, thank you very
much for your response.
I'm heading off to work and I really need more time to consider your response.
My gut reaction (and I have nothing logical to base this on) is that it is
something to do with Echinacea. At Pindari I had a very strong reaction to
it in the taste testing session; it was like I couldn't get enough of it!
In all honesty, I probably overtook the Echinacea tincture. As to the energy
work I will need to consider further what you said in order to understand what
to do.
Once
again, thank you very much for your response - it is appreciated. I'll keep
monitoring things and let you know how things pan out.
Kind
Regards,
Susan
Ken's
reply:
Thanks
Susan, if I may suggest, consider always the positive and negative aspects. Also
if "sensitive" to the FPT consider homoeopathic doses. You could be
proving the herb!
Regards
Ken
Atherton
Susan's
reply
Hi Ken, I went and saw an herbalist this morning (he is my teacher's
personal consultant so I think he must be pretty good). Anyway, what you
said is exactly what he said. He felt I had a very strong connection with
the Echinacea. I was ready to toss it...thinking it wasn't for me...and he
told me that he thinks that it is actually very positive for me ...but in small
doses as I seem to be very sensitive to it. All the symptoms I experienced
he stated as proving the herb. He ended up giving me just one
homeopathic tablet of Echinacea 30C and I can't believe that the rash that I
have had on my face for a month has already reduced drastically.
So....next
time I take the tincture - I'll take it in small doses.
Thank
you very much for your correspondence it put my mind greatly at ease as I had
been terribly concerned about what was happening to me.
I
can't wait until spring comes so I can plant my seeds and experience my own
little Pindari wonderland.
Kind
Regards,
Susan
And
a further reply
Hi
Ken,
I
just had a thought...one of the symptoms that I experienced were odd patches of
psoriasis. I have never had psoriasis before and it has all disappeared on
me now. I know that it was psoriasis as my sister and niece suffer from it
quite badly, so I am very familiar with it. I looked at the ingredients on
your 'Psoriasis Relief Cream' and saw that Echinacea wasn't an ingredient.
It got me thinking...if my experience with Echinacea brought it on, perhaps it
may also help those who suffer from it. Perhaps also, it was just a
co-incidence...just thought I'd pass on.
My
creams arrived today - many thanks!
Susan
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ken
Atherton
December 2010
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