Creating a Mineral Rich Decoction

using herbs for nutrition as well as medicine

One way to use herbs is for their nutrition rather than a specific medicinal need. Chosen well, plants provide an abundance of a wide range of minerals. This is especially important in our modern world as many of our agricultural fields have depleted soils which leads to lower nutrition value in the crops, even when organically grown.

Listed below are the primary mineral-rich herbs used for nutritional purposes.
When creating these herbs for their mineral content, keep the following in mind:
~Using a variety of these plants in a given formula provides a wider range of nutrients than using a single herb.
~Making a long decoction allows for a more thorough extraction.
~Minerals do not extract well in alcohol so tinctures are best avoided.
~These plants are generally cool and dry to various degrees.
It is common to add a demulcent and/or a warming herb to the general formula to balance its energetics. Of course, this partially depends on the energetics of the person drinking the decoction.

Nettle Leaf (Urtica dioica)
Alfalfa Leaves (Medicago sativa)
Dandelion Leaf (Taraxacum officinale)
Oatstraw (Avena sativa)
Red Clover Leaf and Flower (Trifolium pratense)
Raspberry Leaf (Rubus idaeus)
Violet Leaf (Viola canadensis and Viola spp.)
Rose Hips (Rosa spp.)
Sea Vegetables in general are superb sources for minerals. They are less palatable as a decoction but are readily added to soup stock.
Kombu, known as Kelp in English, is one example. There are many types of kelp. Saccharina japonica and Laminaria dentigera are two types to look for. If you purchase Kombu in a health food store, you are on the right track.

More information on using sea vegetables in soup stock and bone broth is here.

Demulcent Options:
Licorice Root
Mallow Root
Violet Leaf
Prickly Pear Flower

Warming Options (there are many others)
Ginger Root
Rosemary Leaf
Monarda Leaf

There are endless ways to combine these plants into a formula.
Some people will drink a single herb, such as Nettle, for its nutrition.
This is definitely beneficial but even better is to use a collection of the above plants for a wider range of nutrients.

One Possible Formula
Combine equal parts of:
Nettles
Alfalfa
Red Clover
Oatstraw
Rosehips
Dandelion
Rosemary
Add Licorice Root to taste - a little goes a long way

Use one ounce of this mixture to a quart (1:32) of almost boiling water (about 190F)
Cover and steep for 6-10 hours or overnight.
Drink freely during the day.
Less than a quart can be made as long as the same ratio is used.

Resources for Mineral Content of Herbs
The Healing Power of Minerals by Paul Bergner
Nutritional Herbology by Mark Pedersen