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tainers for maximum shelf life. When ready to use, crush or break them, then grind in a blender or coffee grinder until they are powdered. To reduce exposure to herb dust, which can irritate nasal passages, wear a pollen mask. Two-part gelatin capsules, including vegetable gelatin capsules for vegetarians, are sold in health food stores and herb catalogs. They come in three sizes. Many herbal companies sell mechanical capping devices that hold several capsules in place for faster and easier filling.
Example: To make a nutritional tonic for the heart, combine equal parts dried hawthorn berries, motherwort, rosemary leaves, kelp and cayenne pepper. Handle cayenne pepper with care; it's a good idea to wear latex gloves and a pollen mask whenever you work with hot peppers, and remember not to touch your eyes. In The Scientific Validation of Herbal Medicine, Daniel Mowrey, Ph.D., suggested combining these herbs and placing them in capsules, then taking 2 to 4 capsules daily as a tonic in long-term health programs. For more information on Mowrey's heart support programs, see page 62.
Dosages and Product Quality
Most of the herbs recommended here are safe to take in teas, tinctures, syrups, capsules, tablets or lozenges several times daily for several days or weeks at a time. However, some herbs should be taken in small amounts or for short periods only, and health concerns have been raised about some plants. See individual descriptions for safety information and precautions.
As noted, the tincture doses that appear on the labels

 
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