To truly benefit from the healing power of plants, the preparation method must be correct; it's not the plant itself, but the way it is used that matters.
Drying and Temperature
The drying process is very important. The healing power of a plant dried in the sun is lost; drying should be done in a cool and dry environment. The drying process already destroys vitamin C; when hot preparation is added on top of that, the healing power is greatly reduced. Research on such practices has observed that hot teas are ineffective in protecting against cancer or diseases. In cases like the common cold, they have no benefit beyond warming you up.
The Harms of Boiling
Boiling herbal teas causes the volatile oils within them to disappear. Dandelion root, a recommendation by a German for cancer, was researched by doctors; it was observed to be completely useless when boiled. Dandelion tablets also provided no benefit in healing.
Prof. Dr. Kaj Winther states that rosehip tea does not show a healing effect on joint pain; rosehip loses its effectiveness and protein structure when heated. In cold water, its essence does not extract. Prof. Dr. Winther learned about using rosehip in powdered form from Danish farmer Erik Hansen. Hansen planted rosehips on his land and, to prevent the excess crop from spoiling, had it ground at a mill and stored frozen; he also distributed it to his neighbors. Everyone who started consuming the powdered rosehip's skin and seeds felt healthier within three to four months; that winter, they suffered no back or leg pain at all. In his research, Winther determined that the GOPO substance in rosehip, with its anti-inflammatory effect, produced positive results on joint pain.
When lavender (karabaş otu) is used by boiling, no benefit was seen in calming nerves. It is also emphasized that drinking lavender and yarrow by boiling is harmful to health.
In an article I read about carob, it stated that when boiled, a carcinogenic substance called "caramel" forms, and that valuable vitamins and minerals are lost in heat treatment above 50 degrees.
Correct Preparation Methods
Instead of boiling hard and shelled plants, it will be much more beneficial to crush them in a mortar into powder form and use them; freshly crushed is better than boiled. If the essence of hard-shelled plants like black myrobalan, wheat, barley, clove, carob is to be utilized, the appropriate method is to steep them in boiled and cooled (to 50 degrees) clean water. If the steeping time is long, the essence passes into the water. The licorice root syrup made in some regions is also prepared by this method: it is not boiled, the roots are rested in cold water to extract their essence. These are also the two best ways to benefit from carob: soaking small pieces in warm water or consuming it raw.
Ground carob is also used in baby foods today. Wheatgrass is recommended for those who want to benefit from wheat for its B vitamins.
The most important element for protecting health is balanced and adequate nutrition. Adding various spices to meals is beneficial; the benefits of powdered ginger and turmeric are particularly prominent.
