The Mercantile Apothecary

04/03/2026

Many thanks to Jackson County Tourism 💚

03/30/2026

Let’s try and clear up some confusion around vitamins, minerals, and why supplement directions feel like they were written by a team of people who don’t talk to each other.

There are three main reasons we get differing instructions:

1. Absorption: Some nutrients need food (or fat) to actually be absorbed/get into your system. Some don’t because they are water-soluble.
2. Stomach irritation: Certain vitamins and minerals can make you feel nauseous if taken alone (like iron and zinc).
3. Energy vs. relaxation effects: Some nutrients perk you up and others calm you down, so timing matters.

Vitamins A, D, E, and K need FAT to be absorbed. If you take them on an empty stomach, you’re not getting much out of them. These are also stored in the body, which means more is not always better. Your body keeps them around.

Water-soluble vitamins like vitamin C and the B vitamins don’t need fat, and your body uses what it needs and sends a good portion of the rest out through urine. That’s where the idea of “you just p*e out the extra” comes from.

But that doesn’t mean unlimited amounts are harmless. Some still build up. Some still stress the body in high doses. And there’s a limit to how much you can absorb at once anyway.

Then we get to minerals, and this is where a lot of people really have to start guessing. Minerals don’t need fat for absorption, but they are not casual. They are part of the body’s electrical system. They help regulate your heartbeat, your nerves, your muscles, your hormones. So the question becomes less about how to absorb them and more about whether you should be taking them at all.

For example: Potassium. People want to supplement potassium when they hear it’s important, but this is not a “just in case” mineral. Your body keeps potassium in a very tight range because it directly affects your heart rhythm. Too little feels bad. Too much can be dangerous. And if you have kidney issues or take certain medications, your body may not clear the excess well. So potassium is not something to throw into your routine because it sounded healthy.

Same idea with a few others:

- Iron is incredibly important, and also something you should definitely not take blindly.
- Calcium needs the right partners or it ends up in places you don’t want it (like arteries).
- Iodine and selenium can help the thyroid, or make things worse if you overshoot.
- Magnesium is one of the few that most people tolerate well and actually benefit from, especially in a form like glycinate in the evening when your body is trying to wind down.

So when should you test?

- Ongoing fatigue that doesn’t make sense
- Hormone or thyroid concerns
- Before starting iron or high-dose minerals
- If you’re stacking multiple supplements
- If you just want to stop guessing (highly recommended)

But remember, when you’re getting vitamins and minerals from whole foods and properly prepared herbal teas and infusions, they come in balanced, gentle amounts, along with helpful cofactors your body recognizes.

Think nettle, oatstraw, red raspberry leaf … these are steady, nourishing sources of minerals, water soluble vitamins, and plant compounds that support digestion, absorption, and overall function. It doesn’t mean herbs can't be strong, but compared to high-dose isolated supplements, they are:

- Way less likely to overshoot
- Better tolerated
- Easier for the body to regulate

So, to wrap this up, if you’ve ever stood in the supplement aisle holding three different bottles thinking what in the actual heck, you’re not wrong. The goal isn’t more, it’s finding what’s right for you. Do some research with trusted sources (emphasis on trusted!) and discuss any concerns with your healthcare provider.

03/28/2026

I’ve been working on a menopause tea (one that doesn't taste like a bitter Thanksgiving dinner). I do love sage + bitter roots (hello Black Cohosh) but I don’t necessarily want to drink it every day.

This blend is intentionally simple:

Cooling support
Nervous system nourishment
Hormone balance
Better sleep
Less edge, less overwhelm

Hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, stress … all of it was considered when building this.

I'm calling it Second Spring Daily Menopause Support, because this phase isn’t the end of anything, it’s a shift, and women deserve real support through it. This is a *daily* support tea. Not something you take once and hope for magic (y'all know I prefer to blend my magic with some science), it's something you can enjoy regularly and let your body respond to over time.

Flavor-wise, it’s bright, pleasantly tart, a teeny tiny bit minty (almost imperceptible to me), and refreshing without being overpowering. (The hibiscus doesn’t punch you in the face). You can even make a big batch and keep it in the fridge. And it's hot pink 🌺😁

We’ll be sampling the tea during our upcoming menopause class, and everyone will go home with some to make for themselves. For those who need extra support, there’s also an optional addition of motherwort, if appropriate for you. Class participants will be able to choose.

The tea contains:

Hibiscus - Cooling, tart, and refreshing. Helps take the edge off heat and supports circulation. Also, pretty color.

Red Clover - Classic for hormonal support. Gentle, steady, and especially helpful during transitions.

Oatstraw - Deep nourishment for the nervous system. Mineral-rich and grounding when everything feels off.

Lemon Balm - Calms the mind, lifts the mood, and helps take the edge off of stress and irritability.

Spearmint - Cooling and lightly sweet. Supports hormone balance and makes the whole blend actually enjoyable to drink.

Sage - One of the best-known herbs for night sweats and hot flashes. Strong, so I keep it balanced.

And the optional Motherwort - Helps with irritability, tension, and that fluttery, anxious feeling. (It's not compatible with all prescription sedatives and blood thinners).

03/25/2026

Honestly, just look at these gorgeous little notebooks! They are beautiful inside, as well, and would make wonderful gifts paired with our matching BV soft touch pens.

03/25/2026

A few new things have made their way into the shop … and a few favorites have found their way back! 🥳

We've added a beautiful selection of Bruno Visconti notebooks, pens, canvas totes, and canvas pouches. I am in love and yes I am feeding my own pen and paper addiction, not sorry ♥️

They're practical, a little luxurious, and honestly hard to put back once you pick them up!

There are also some fun pieces like peacock and pheasant ballpoint pens that feel like they belong on an old writing desk. Apothecary vibes are my favorite.

And for those who have been waiting ...
Breathe Easy Herbal V***r Rub is back on the shelves, along with a fresh batch of our lotion bars, Rosehip & Reishi Face Cream, and Magnesium Cream.

We’re not ALL about tea here (well maybe sometimes).

Come by for a visit, you might even find something you didn't know you needed 🥰

03/24/2026

It's menu time! 🥳 (click "see more" for descriptions)

🌿 Ancient Fire Part II: A Cooling & Nourishing Menu

Light, Bright, Lentil & Herb Salad with (optional) Feta:
Green lentils with cucumber, spring onion, parsley, dill, and mint, finished with olive oil, fresh lemon, sea salt, and a light crumble of feta
- Steadying, mineral-rich, and supportive of balanced energy

Garlicky White Beans with Wilted Greens:
Cannellini beans sautéed with fresh garlic and tender kale, finished with olive oil, cracked black pepper, and a splash of apple cider vinegar
- Deep nourishment to replenish and restore

Maple-Kissed Roasted Carrots with Lemon Tahini Drizzle:
Oven-roasted carrots, gently caramelized and served with a bright, creamy tahini and lemon sauce, garnished with pistachios and pomegranate seeds
- Grounding warmth with a light, balancing touch

Locally Baked Sourdough from Front Porch Bakery

Honeyed Berry Bowl with Rose & Coconut Cream:
Fresh berries with a hint of rosewater, served with raw honey, organic coconut cream, and house-made yogurt
- Cooling, soothing, and gently sweet

Herbal Infusions & Refreshments:
Nettle & Oatstraw Infusion
- Replenishing and deeply supportive
Hibiscus Mint Cooler
- Refreshing, cooling, and uplifting
Cool Spring Water

03/16/2026

Magnesium cream is back in stock! We will re-open Wednesday, March 18, at 10am.

03/11/2026

Heads up.

The railroad crossing on Highway 117 downtown is closed for construction through Friday 3/13, and there aren’t any clear alternate route signs posted yet, so a lot of people are getting turned around.

Also, if you come through the 72 overpass, you’ll see a detour sign that says “Local Traffic Only.” If you’re coming to downtown Stevenson or the store, that still applies to you. Don’t let that sign scare you off.

You can cross the tracks through the viaduct, or on Kansas Ave.

Viaduct route:
• Turn right off Hwy 117 onto E 2nd St, accross from The Drug Store (you will pass by the Stevenson Post Office)
• Turn left onto Tennessee Ave. across from Friday’s Restaurant & the station 2 Fire Dept.
• That road will take you straight to the viaduct

⚠️ Important: The viaduct is one lane, so you’ll need to slow down, stop, and make sure nobody is coming before you cross.

If you want to avoid the viaduct (I'm not a fan either), you can also cross by taking a left on Kansas Ave. from E 2nd St.

Once you’re over the tracks, turn left and it’ll bring you to The Apothecary.

A little extra driving for now, but we’re still here and carrying on like usual. Come see us, or call me if you want to having something shipped this week. I'm waiving shipping fees to locals until this construction is completed 🌿

03/11/2026

Magnesium cream will NOT be restocked today, my frankincense order is STILL stuck in Nashville, going on two weeks now 🙄

Very sorry for the inconvenience! I’m hoping it shows up today 🙏🤞

03/11/2026

Let’s talk about Cholesterol, Statins, & CoQ10 (blog post, long)
https://mercantileapothecary.com/blogs/the-herbal-audit/let-s-talk-about-cholesterol-statins-and-coq10

For decades we’ve been told that cholesterol is bad, cholesterol clogs arteries, and lowering it prevents heart disease, but the truth is actually much more interesting than that.

Cholesterol is not a toxin. It is not metabolic garbage. Your body makes it on purpose because it needs it. In fact, cholesterol is one of the most important structural molecules in the human body.

Your brain is about 25% cholesterol by dry weight. Every single cell membrane in your body contains cholesterol. It keeps those membranes flexible, stable, and able to communicate with other cells. Cholesterol is also the raw material used to make estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, cortisol (also NOT a bad guy, subject for another day), vitamin D, and bile acids (needed to digest fat)

Without cholesterol, the body quite literally can’t function. Which is why your liver manufactures it constantly.

The body produces cholesterol through a sequence of biochemical reactions known as the mevalonate pathway (had to look up the name of that one). But this pathway does more than make cholesterol. It also produces several other vital compounds, including Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), which plays a central role in cellular energy production, as well as molecules involved in cell maintenance and communication. All of these substances being created along the same metabolic pathway becomes important when we look at how statins work.

Statin medications lower cholesterol by blocking an enzyme that the mevalonate pathway depends on. When this enzyme is inhibited, the body’s production of cholesterol decreases, which is the intended effect of the drug. However, because this pathway also produces CoQ10, suppressing it can reduce CoQ10 levels as well. Since CoQ10 is required by every cell to generate energy, especially in tissues with high energy demands like the heart and muscles, its depletion helps explain some of the side effects people experience while taking statins.

CoQ10 is particularly critical for:

Heart muscle
Skeletal muscles
Brain tissue
Mitochondrial energy production

Low CoQ10 is one of the most widely recognized contributors to the classic statin side effects.
Many people on statins report symptoms such as:

Muscle pain
Muscle weakness
Fatigue
Exercise intolerance
Brain fog
Memory issues

These symptoms make biological sense if cellular energy production is impaired. This is why many physicians recommend CoQ10 supplementation for patients taking statins.

Now, let’s dig a little deeper into the cholesterol “clogging” story.

Another piece of the puzzle that rarely gets explained well is why cholesterol appears in artery plaques in the first place. Cholesterol doesn’t just randomly decide to clog arteries. It shows up at sites of damage and inflammation. Arteries are constantly exposed to blood pressure stress, blood sugar spikes, oxidative damage, inflammation, smoking toxins, and metabolic dysfunction.

When the artery wall becomes damaged, the body sends repair materials. Cholesterol is one of them. Think of it less like sludge and more like a biological patch. Nature’s spackle. It’s part of the repair crew. If the underlying damage continues over years, those repair patches accumulate and eventually form plaques. So the deeper, and I believe more important, question becomes: What is damaging the artery wall in the first place?

This is where factors like inflammation, insulin resistance, blood sugar, smoking, and oxidative stress play much larger roles than cholesterol alone.

To be clear, statins absolutely do reduce cardiovascular events in some high-risk populations. I never said they didn’t. People with prior heart attacks or significant arterial disease often benefit from them. But the conversation becomes more complicated when statins are prescribed broadly without addressing the root causes of vascular damage. Or worse, prescribed as a “preventative” when cholesterol numbers are normal to begin with.

***Lowering cholesterol is not the same thing as restoring metabolic health.***

If someone is taking a statin, there are a few supportive strategies often discussed with physicians:

1. CoQ10 supplementation: Because statins suppress its production.
2. Anti-inflammatory nutrition: Reducing refined sugar, processed foods, and especially processed oils.
3. Blood sugar control: Insulin resistance damages arteries more than cholesterol does.
4. Movement: Exercise improves mitochondrial function and vascular health.
5. Nutrient-dense foods: Magnesium, omega-3 fats, and polyphenols all support cardiovascular function.
6. Restorative sleep, restorative sleep, restorative sleep!

Herbal medicine can also support circulation, inflammation balance, metabolic health, stress/anxiety relief, and sleep. Come talk to me and let's figure out the best options for you.

The takeaway? Cholesterol is not the villain we once thought it was. It is a vital structural molecule, hormone precursor, and repair tool used throughout the body. Artery disease is far more complex than a single number on a lab test.

We are much more successful when we stop fighting our bodies and start supporting them.

When we understand how the body actually works, the story becomes less about “good vs bad” molecules and more about restoring balance to the system as a whole.

And that is always a more useful place to start 💚

For decades we’ve been told that cholesterol is bad, cholesterol clogs arteries, and lowering it prevents heart disease, but the truth is much more interesting than that. Cholesterol is not a toxin. It is not metabolic garbage. Your body makes it on purpose because it needs it. In fact, cholestero...