The osha root tincture dosage for Mara's Bear Root is 1 to 2 droppers a day. Hold the liquid under your tongue for 20 to 30 seconds, then swallow. If you'd rather drink it, stir it into water, tea, juice or a smoothie. A 50 ml bottle lasts 30 to 50 days at that rate.
Osha (Ligusticum porteri) has a strong, root-cellar flavor, so most of the questions people ask come after the first dropper. They are about measuring, mixing and getting used to the taste, and the answers are short.
Osha root tincture dosage, in droppers, ml and drops
Bottles say "droppers" because that is how you'll measure it at the kitchen bench. One dropper means one squeeze of the rubber bulb, then let go and let the glass tube fill. That draws close to 1 ml.
In drops, 1 ml is roughly 20 to 30. The spread is real. Drop size changes with the width of the dropper tip and with the liquid itself, so two bottles of the same size can give different drop counts. Count droppers and you won't have to count drops at all.
- Daily amount: 1 to 2 droppers
- One dropper: one squeeze of the bulb, close to 1 ml (about 20 to 30 drops)
- Hold time under the tongue: 20 to 30 seconds
- Bottle size: 50 ml, which lasts 30 to 50 days
One dropper a day for the first week gives you time to get used to the flavor. After that, two droppers split into a morning and an evening dose is an easy rhythm.
How to take osha root tincture
There are two ways, and you can switch between them day to day.
Under the tongue
Squeeze one dropper, tip your head slightly, and release the liquid under your tongue. Keep your mouth closed and hold it there for 20 to 30 seconds, then swallow. Expect a hit of flavor first and a warm finish in the throat afterwards. It takes less than a minute, which is why this is the version people keep up on busy mornings.
Stirred into a drink
Add the dropper to a glass of water, a cup of tea, juice or a smoothie and stir. The flavor spreads out and softens. A smoothie with banana or berries hides it almost completely. Plain water keeps it earthy and clean.
The tincture version gives you the same mug in about thirty seconds, with no root to simmer.
Taste
Bear Root tastes earthy and warming, with a sharp, celery-like bite from the root. That bite makes sense once you know the family. Osha belongs to the Apiaceae, the carrot and parsley family, and its close relative is lovage. The University of Kansas native plants program describes the root's flavor as chervil, celery and parsley, and some people pick up a licorice note too.
Taken neat, the first dropper surprises most people. By the end of the first week it tastes like something you know. For the background on the plant, where it grows and how it got the name bear root, read our full guide to osha root.
Osha root and honey in warm water
If the taste is too strong straight, this is the fix most people settle on. Honey rounds off the sharp edge, and the warm water carries the earthy side.
- Pour a mug of warm water (warm enough to drink straight away).
- Stir in a teaspoon of honey until it dissolves.
- Add 1 or 2 droppers of Bear Root and stir again.
The habit has a long history. In New Mexico, osha goes by chuchupate, and families there brewed it into a tea when colds and sore throats went round. The Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine records osha mixed with honey, one part to two parts, partly because honey makes the bitter taste easier to take. The tincture version gives you the same mug in about thirty seconds, with no root to simmer. If you like the tea ritual, our guide to bear root tea goes further into it.
When do people take Bear Root?
Morning is the most common time. A dropper under the tongue after brushing your teeth, before coffee, is a routine that sticks because it's tied to something you already do.
In the cold months the honey mug takes over. People make it in the evening after dinner, or mid-afternoon at a desk instead of a third coffee.
Hikers take a dropper at the trailhead before a climb at altitude. It fits the plant's own home. Osha grows at 1,500 to 3,500 meters, on the same kind of high slopes people head up on a weekend. A 50 ml bottle fits in a jacket pocket or the hip belt of a pack.
To make it a habit, keep the bottle where the habit happens. Next to the kettle for the mug version. On the bathroom shelf for the under-the-tongue version. The dark Miron glass keeps light off the extract, so it doesn't need to hide in a cupboard.
Bear Root – Osha Root Tincture
50 ml dropper bottle. Ligusticum porteri from the mountains of Northern Mexico.
Add to bagWhat to check on an osha extract label
Osha root extract is sold under several names (osha, bear root, chuchupate), so the label is where you find out what's in the bottle.
- The Latin name, Ligusticum porteri, printed on the bottle.
- The plant part. It should say root, since the root is the part people have used for centuries.
- Where it comes from. Bear Root is a mountain plant of Northern Mexico, and the label tells you so.
- The volume in ml, so you can work out how many days a bottle gives you.
- The glass. Clear glass lets light reach the extract. Dark amber is a step in the right direction. Dark Miron glass is the gold standard, and it's what Mara uses.
The extract is the practical form of osha for daily use. A dropper measures the same amount every time, there's nothing to grind or simmer, and the liquid stays sealed in glass away from air and light between doses. Ingredients on Bear Root are short: simple ingredients, premium quality extract.
Bear Root considerations
The product page carries one recommendation. Contains alcohol. Not recommended during pregnancy. If you're nursing or taking medication, ask your doctor before using it.
Questions people ask
How many drops of osha root tincture should I take?
Take 1 to 2 droppers a day. One dropper is close to 1 ml, roughly 20 to 30 drops, so a day's amount is about 20 to 60 drops.
Is bear root tincture the same as osha root extract?
Yes. Bear root is a common name for osha, Ligusticum porteri, and a tincture is an alcohol extract of the root. Mara's Bear Root is an osha root tincture in a 50 ml dropper bottle.
Can I mix osha root tincture with honey?
Yes. Stir a teaspoon of honey into a mug of warm water, add 1 or 2 droppers and stir. It's the easiest way in if the flavor is too sharp neat.
How long does a bottle of osha tincture last?
A 50 ml bottle of Bear Root lasts 30 to 50 days at 1 to 2 droppers a day.
