The Difference Between Teas and Tinctures

Ah, the age old battle since the very first days of herbal medicine extraction and preservation… teas vs. tinctures. What’s the difference? Is one better than the other when it comes to working with herbal medicine?

There are so many factors that go into determining the best herbal delivery method for your goals. Sometimes it comes down to compliance and your lifestyle: what will you stick to? 

When you’re working on several areas at a time — i.e. implementing a nervine blend to wind down for bed, digestive bitters to increase stomach acid, and an adaptogen complex to support your hormones or thyroid — it’s ideal to utilize variety so that you get the most out of each class of herbs based on optimal absorption of each. For example, I often like my adaptogens in capsules because they work so well as powders!

With that being said, let’s compare and contrast two great ways to consume herbs: teas and tinctures. 

The great news is that BOTH preparations allow you to experience the taste of the herbs you’re consuming. Aside from simply enjoying the flavor (or not so much😝), taste is a really important factor in HOW your herbs work on the physical body. Bitter herbs—like Angelica, found in Digestive Juice—actually use your taste buds to help stimulate digestion. Yet some are so bitter that sitting and sipping a tea is NOT the vibe, so a tincture moment gets the job done quick while still allowing you to taste.

So now that we’re counting down the days to our complete tea line launch, here’s an easy breakdown of teas vs. tinctures.

BENEFITS OF TEA:

• Affordability – You can find teas in just about any price range. (if you’re harvesting your own herbs or buying in bulk, you can cut costs even more.) 
• Pleasure – From smelling the tea as it’s brewing to holding a mug as it warms up your palms to savoring each sip, tea is a sensual way to consume herbs.
• Hydration – Because tea’s main ingredient is water, it has the added benefit of helping you stay hydrated! Herbal tea is also rich in minerals that contribute to cellular nourishment.
• Connection – There’s almost nothing better than sharing a hot cup of calming, soothing tea with a loved one. It’s an act of care and devotion.

BENEFITS OF TINCTURES:

• Convenience – You can take the bottle on the go and consume it wherever, whenever.
• Fast-Acting – Tinctures are easy to take and easy to digest, which means you can often start to get the benefits of the herbs within minutes.
• Versatility – You can consume a dose of a tincture on its own or add it to your favorite tea, juice, cocktail/mocktail, etc
• Preservation of Quality – The alcohol is used to extract plant goodness, but it doubles as a preservative, helping maintain the benefits of fresh herbs for longer. We gently replace our alcohol extractions with glycerin, which also naturally preserves the medicine for up to 5 years (!)

Neither one is “better” than the other as a whole…but one might be better for YOU, depending on what you need out of the herbs and how you prefer to work with your medicine.

TWO SAMPLE DAILY ROUTINES: MIXING TEAS, TINCTURES & CAPSULES TO LIVE YOUR BEST LIFE