>jean-claude:
>>If you were open to extend your food intake to medicinals plants  in their
>>raw state and let your sense of taste guide you,  you will benefit from
>>their "healing properties" at their fullest.

>While I agree that, when possible, medicinal herbs can be used
>raw, there are a number of caveats.
>
>1. Raw herbs are usually stronger, sometimes much stronger, than
>tinctures/cooked. One must be careful of dosage with raw herbs.

Absolutely, and i will say because of their potency, it is safer to
use
herbs in their raw and undenatured state ( no cold tea) than to make
any
kind of preparation from them that will mask their real taste . It is
the
surest way for the body with its sense of taste to know how much is
needed
at the moment.
I didn't try neem leaves , but i gave the example of oregon grape root
and i
can guarantee that its flavor will let you know surely when enough is
enough, in a tea form , even cold tea, and worst with sweetener, you
are
more likely to absorb more than needed. YOu will have missed the taste
barrier regulation

>For example, tea made (by cooking) from neem leaves is mild in
>effect; tea made by steeping raw neem leaves is very harsh
>in effect when consumed.

>2. Medicinal herbs -- the term includes such non-edible items as
>bark, hard seeds, etc. It is often easier to make tea from
>such items and consume them, than to chew bark, wood, acorns,
IWho said it is not edible?
I don't see what is so difficult to chew on bark ( like cinammon?),
wood
(like licorice root or oregon grape roots), acorn ... I chew on those
things
regularly and i don't see the benefit of doing all the preparation
work
( may be i like life to be too easy).

The barks used in medicinal preparation are the inner bark ( the
living
tissue) not the dead tissue commonly called bark, and in a fresh state
are
very tender to eat ( like fir inner bark used as a food by the natives
here)
For seeds if they are so hard that you can't bite into it ,i don't
think we
are meant to ingest them, ...
I can see the "healing properties " of sipping down a warm tea, but i
don't
think the confort you can get from it comes from his improved
nutrients
capacity. It might comes from old memories or genetic expectations( of
warm
mother's milk...?), that have been left unsatisfied.
The aknowledgement of this is, in my eyes,  a good enough reason to
justified making teas and soups , Not their "improved nutrients
"content...tho
It si true that once it is recognised,  the need of a warm soup or tea
become not so appealing anymore, a conscious thought of self love
,nurturing
will respond to that need more appropriately and will have a more
lasting
healing property.

>
>Some time ago I wrote an article on the topic of raw vs. cooked
>medicinal herbs. It is in the archives of this list, and I think it
>is also in the articles section of the living-foods.com web site
>as well.
>
Didn't read it yet , will when time will permit ...
jean-claude