How to Make Your Own Herbal Mineral Supplement

Many Americans are learning of the importance that minerals play in preventing and curing disease. Unfortunately, just as many have been left disappointed when they experienced the unpleasant effects often observed when they took any form of minerals including colloidal ones and/or trace minerals. Some developed severe headaches, red eyes, upset stomach and other maladies. It's been said repeatedly that nutrients should be delivered through foods and drinks, not from man's chemically processed substances.

However, for the people who simply can't buy and/or grow organic foods, getting an adequate supply of minerals through diet may prove difficult. It's often forgotten that many herbs serve not only as medicines but also as foods rich in minerals including trace minerals. These herbs can be prepared in such a way as to literally take them as a truly all natural mineral supplement that also delivers trace minerals without side effects. Which herbs are rich in minerals? How are they prepared and taken?

Significant amounts of calcium are found in Horsetail and Comfrey. Iron is abundant in Burdock, Dandelion, and Yellow Dock. Other herbs supply magnesium, manganese, phosphorous, potassium, selenium, silicon, sulfur, zinc, and trace minerals (Penny C. Royal, Herbally Yours [Provo, UT: Sound Nutrition, 1988], 105-106).

Some herbalists suggest formulating one's own herbal supplement by combining specific herbs which may not be readily available in all geographic areas. Fortunately, God provides more than one herb for the same condition or that offers similar nutrients so that when one isn't available a substitute may be used. A combination of the following herbs make a highly nutritious blend from which to make a decoction. They include Parsley root and leaf, Yellow Dock, Nettles, Irish Moss, Horsetail, Comfrey root, Watercress and Kelp. Equal parts of these plants provide easily assimilated iron, calcium, silicon, magnesium, potassium, sulfur, iodine, zinc and the trace minerals (Michael Tierra, C.A., N.D., The Way of Herbs [New York: Pocket Books, 1989], 86).

Horsetail may be substituted with Oat straw, Yellow Dock with Dandelion and/or Burdock. In his book, Mr. Tierra instructs readers to gently simmer equal parts of the herb in the proportion of 4 ounces to a quart of water until the volume of liquid is reduced by half. The decoction is then to be strained, the liquid kept and the herbs covered with water again and simmered for ten minutes and then strained. The first and second batches of liquid are combined and simmered until half the volume is evaporated. Finally, an equal amount of blackstrap molasses is added. The recommended dosage is one tablespoon three to four times per day.

Those who do not wish to make quite so much should simply reduce the amount of herbs, water, and molasses used. Mr. Tierra recommends the herbal mineral formula for persons with deficient and anemic conditions.

There is a good variety of books on herbal medicine for people to regain the health knowledge their ancestors possessed in the days when there were few doctors to be found. However, the deceptive teachings of Yin and Yang theory, Feng Shui, Acupuncture, and many other philosophies and practices from which the New Age movement was born, should be kept at bay. When one has cancer, is HIV positive or suffers from Hepatitis, valuable time is lost attempting to heal "bad karma" instead of dealing with a real physical problem. People have gone to an early grave trusting in bizarre "arts" from the East, a trust that originated with fascination with anything new and different.