Continuing our study of phytochemistry, the focus of this post is on the nutritional benefits of plants. Every plant needs vitamins and minerals to thrive just as we do. In turn, plants are fantastically nutrient-rich, some more than others. We’ve been told to eat our veggies because they’re good for us! All cultures cook with botanicals for taste and health. However, there are also other excellent ways to incorporate the nutritional benefits of plants. We can readily extract plant nutrients in low ethanol (<40%) alcohol tinctures, in water, and in herb-infused vinegar and honey. Let’s delve into how to extract vitamins and minerals in plants, preserve them, and utilize them in ways our loved ones will enjoy taking.

Phytochemistry is the study of the constituents in plants that cause physiological changes (aka health benefits) in the human body. These changes are what herbalists are attempting to achieve when creating herbal remedies. We call that herbal medicine. Knowing the actions and needs of constituents and which menstrua will extract and preserve them gives the medicine maker a clear view on pairing constituents with the correct menstrua to create effective remedies. Menstruum, or plural menstrua, is the extractor and preserver of plant medicine. The most common menstrua are water, alcohol, honey, glycerine, and apple cider vinegar.