Dry herbal preparations can be taken as pills or capsules. The advantage to taking herbs in these forms is that you can take the whole herb without concerns of palatability and poor taste leading to non-compliance. However, tasting the herbs (even though unpleasant) is sometimes necessary in order for them to fully express their actions. For example, putting bitters into a capsule or pill form will diminish or entirely nullify their effects.

Another disadvantage is that the dried herbs are often unprocessed, and the plants constituents are not always as readily available for easy absorption. In a process like infusion, heat and water help to break down the plant’s cell walls and dissolve the constituents, something that is not always guaranteed during the digestive process of the stomach and small intestine. Also, when the constituents are already dissolved in a liquid form, they are available a lot faster and can begin their action sooner.

How to make Herbal Capsules:

• Acquire gelatin capsules in the size desired (a capsule sized 00 with hold about 0.5g of herb)
• Powder your herbs as finely as possible, either in a processor or with a mortar & pestle.
• Place the powdered herbs in a flat dish and take the halves of the capsules apart.
• Move the halves of the capsules through the powder, filling them in the process.
• Push the halves together.