Why Shake That Tincture Bottle?

Have you ever noticed a sediment in a tincture bottle on your shelf? No, the tincture has not “gone bad”. Tinctures last for decades. The formation of this sediment is caused by constituents (chemical compounds) known as tannins. All tannins form precipitates with polysaccharides, some alkaloids, a few glycosides and proteins, when reacted with nitrogenous bases, which is why it is a good idea to shake the tincture bottle before taking a dose.

The key constituent of this issue of sedimentation is tannins. Tannins are in a class of constituents called polyphenols. The good thing about polyphenols is that they protect cells from damage. In other words, they are antioxidants. Tannins are astringent. Think of black or green tea that when you sip, it causes a dry puckering feel in your mouth. Also you will notice that tannins have a bitter taste. On your skin tannins cause the tissues to constrict and thus restricts blood flow, an action known as styptic. That is why Witch Hazel, with a high percentage of tannins, is used to stop bleeding from a cut.

A polysaccharide is a large molecule made up of many smaller monosaccharides. Monosaccharides are simple sugars, like glucose, fructose, galactose and mannose. Special enzymes bind these together creating large sugar polymers, or polysaccharides. So a polysaccharide is a complex, long chain carbohydrate that provides nutrition in the human diet. They can have anti-inflammatory properties (known as an action) and other health benefits. Starch, cellulose, dextrine, and gums are polysaccharides. One polysaccharide, called beta-glucan, lowers cholesterol, improves blood sugar, and boosts the immune system. Beta-glucan is found in oats and barley. Some herbs that have beta-glucan are Holy Basil and Astragalus.

Alkaloids are a class of basic, naturally occurring organic compounds that contain at least one nitrogen atom. The boundary between alkaloids and other nitrogen-containing natural compounds is not clear-cut. Compared with most other classes of natural compounds, alkaloids are characterized by a great structural diversity. There is no uniform classification. With this lack of precision in classification, it is quite understandable that a vague reference to “some alkaloids” is used to define what precipitates with tannins. Examples of alkaloids that are known to precipitate with tannins are caffeine, cinchonine, quinine, strychnine, berberine, papaverine, nicotine, atropin and theobromine. What immediately catches my attention is berberine, the key constituent to Barberry, Goldenseal, and Oregon Grape herbs! We want that berberine to be in the tincture solution when we take that dose!

Does every tincture bottle need to be shaken? At the least every tincture that has constituents of tannins AND either polysaccharides or some alkaloids need to be shaken. But how do you know what constituents are in your tincture? I suspect most of you have no idea what constituents are in your tinctures, nor have any idea how to find out.

Many herbal textbooks will list the key constituents of the herbs they describe. In my latest book, Making Tinctures: Determining Formulas, Benefits, Safety, Dosage, I provide the key constituents for 69 herbs. However, it is important to note that new constituents are discovered as herbs are studied using more advanced equipment and techniques.

As a 10% solution (meaning 10% of the menstruum), glycerin prevents tannins from precipitating in tinctures. It will also allow more constituents to be extracted without losing potency. So I add glycerin, for example, in my Witch Hazel formula. 1:5 in 40% alcohol, 10% Glycerine, 50% water. But adding glycerin to every tincture bottle is not always feasible.

Thus, considering that we want all the benefits we can get from a tincture and do not know for sure that the tincture is free from any constituents that will cause a sediment to form, I recommend that you shake every tincture bottle before taking the dose.