Adaptogen Tinctures and Liquid Extracts

A tincture or liquid extract is a plant preparation in a liquid. The liquid is called the solvent. It might be alcohol, water, glycerin or a mix. This page explains how to read such a label. It does not give any recipe for making one, and it does not suggest an amount.

Safety note. If the solvent is alcohol, the product contains alcohol. The NHS recommends that anyone who is pregnant or planning to become pregnant should not drink alcohol. [1] Ask a pharmacist or clinician whether a product that lists alcohol is right for you if you are pregnant, are giving it to a child, or avoid alcohol for any reason. The amount of alcohol in a particular product is not something the sources we read state; the label or the maker has to tell you.

What the FDA labeling guide says about liquid extracts

• A liquid extract is listed by the volume or weight of the total extract and the condition of the starting material (for example, fresh) before extraction. [2]
• The label may include the concentration of the dietary ingredient and the solvent used, and the solvent must be identified in either the nutrition label or the ingredient list. [2]
• A dried extract, from which the solvent has been removed, is listed by weight. [2]

So a "liquid extract" label should tell you what the liquid is made with. If it does not, ask the maker before you use it.

Is a liquid stronger than a capsule?

Not described in the sources we read. A liquid extract label states the extract volume or weight and may state the concentration. [2] A bigger number does not show that one product is stronger than another unless both are measured the same way. Proper evidence not found for human trials comparing an adaptogen tincture with a capsule: we searched PubMed for tincture or liquid extract trials of ashwagandha and rhodiola and found none that compared forms.

What the research is about

Research on adaptogens is mostly about specific extracts, and NIH says ashwagandha studies used a variety of preparations. [6] NIH says there is not enough reliable evidence to say whether rhodiola is useful for any health-related purpose. [7] We did not find a human trial that tested an adaptogen tincture as the main intervention in the searches we ran. Traditional use is a different thing: NIH says rhodiola was traditionally used for work performance, endurance, fatigue, depression and altitude sickness. [7] That history is described here and is not evidence that a tincture works.

Who should be careful

• Pregnancy and breastfeeding: NIH says to avoid ashwagandha in pregnancy and not use it while breastfeeding, and that little is known about rhodiola. [6][7] See pregnancy and breastfeeding.
• Children: the EU rhodiola and ginseng monographs say use under 18 has not been established due to lack of adequate data. [4][3] See children and teens.
• Medicines: supplements may interact with medicines. [8] NIH reports a rhodiola and losartan interaction. [7] See medicine interactions.
• Allergy and reactions: the EU ginseng monograph lists hypersensitivity reactions such as urticaria and itching among reported effects. [3]

Making a tincture at home

This library gives no instructions for making tinctures at home. The sources we read describe no home method, and this library does not provide one. Read herbal extracts and tinctures for what the products are, and ashwagandha gummies, powders, teas and tinctures for one plant.