How to Make Your Own Herbal Supplements from Gel Capsules

You can make your own herbal supplements from empty gelatin capsules (gel caps), notes Michael Castleman. In his book "The New Healing Herbs," he notes that taking herbal remedies in the form of herbal capsules is a convenient way to ingest bitter or unpleasant herbs, or to carry your herbs while you travel.



By making your own herbal supplements, you also get to customize the herbal capsules contents with powdered herbs (or vitamins) of your own choice. Furthermore, buying commercial herbal supplements can be extremely costly and you are not always guaranteed to get what you want. Always consult with a licensed health care professional before self-treating with any herbal supplements or herbal remedies.

Instructions

1




Herbal supplements are a convenient way to take bitter or unpleasant herbal remedies.

Purchase standard pharmaceutical gelatin capsules from a specialty or health food store, or from an herb supply catalog. These empty capsules are generally available in three different sizes: 0, 00 and or 000, notes Rosemary Gladstar in her book "Rosemary Gladstar's Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health." "0" is the smallest size.

2




A mortar and pestle are a convenient way to powder dried herbs.

Crush your dried herb using a mortar and pestle. You may have to remove any stems that may not easily reduce to powder. Alternatively, you can use a coffee grinder for this step.

3




The fill weight for a "000" size gelatin capsule is about 1,300 mg.

Measure out the amount of powdered herb for each gel capsule, taking care not to exceed the recommended individual dosage for the herb. Typically, the fill weight for a "000" size gelatin capsule is about 1,300 mg.

4

Open an empty gel capsule and fill the longer end with the appropriate amount of herb. You can do this by hand, or by using a capsule-packing device. These capsule filling devices are a convenient, time-saving method for filling your capsules, and are available at many herb supply catalogs and specialty or health food stores.

5

Insert the smaller end of the capsule over the larger half to enclose the powdered herb. Shake the completed capsule to fill both ends. Store your herbal supplements in a tamper-proof container.

6

Begin taking your homemade herbal supplements in a low dose to ensure that you do not have any adverse reaction, and then gradually increase the amount each week up to the recommended dosage.