Healthy Herbs
by herbalist Andrew Ruselle
Herbs are an excellent plant source of foods containing high concentrations of nutrients (vitamins, minerals, enzymes and more) that our body can use to achieve and maintain good health. They can nourish, regulate, cleanse and help the body heal.
Rather than curing or healing, herbs nourish and feed the body what it needs to heal itself. They are a wonderful aid to the body supporting it in its' natural healing functions.
Some culinary herbs that can help nourish and regulate the body are:
Garlic - the world's most extensively studied herb is garlic. Its medicinal use predates recorded history. Garlic is mentioned in the earliest Vedic medical documents, written in India over five thousand years ago. It aids poor digestion, reduces high blood pressure, improves circulation and fights high blood pressure, cholesterol, colds, bronchitis and intestinal infections and may protect against cancer. Garlic also has a great immune-enhancing effect, stimulating activity of natural killer cells in healthy people and in people with AIDS. AIDS patients taking five to ten grams of aged garlic (equivalent to two to three small cloves) per day developed normal natural killer cell activity after twelve weeks, which was associated with clinical improvement.
During an epidemic of plague in Marseilles, in 1721, four condemned criminals were enlisted to bury the dead. None of them contracted plague. It seems that they sustained themselves by drinking a cocktail of crushed garlic in cheap wine, which came to be called vinaigre des quatre voleurs (vinegar of the four thieves).
In 1858, Louis Pasteur demonstrated garlic's antibiotic activity. Albert Schweitzer used the herb for the treatment of amoebic dysentery at his clinic in Africa. Antimicrobial activity of garlic has been repeatedly demonstrated against many species of bacteria, fungi, parasites and viruses.
Onion - garlic's closest edible relative, has also been widely used for medicinal purposes. Although it lacks the potency of garlic, it can be consumed in much larger quantity, so that its antimicrobial benefits may be equal to those of garlic if consumed regularly.
Turmeric - is a major ingredient in curry powder, is a natural antibiotic that relieves intestinal gas by lowering the numbers of gas forming bacteria, has antifungal activity and has been traditionally used for relieving inflammation. The effective dose is about one gram per day.
Thyme - is a natural antiseptic and contains about 1 percent essential oil, the principal component of which is thymol. A powerful antiseptic, it relieves throat and bronchial irritation and coughing. It is also a local anaesthetic, and relieves gastritis. It also has external uses, as an agent in perfumes and toothpaste.
Ginger - contains over four hundred chemically active ingredients, has long been used for the treatment of digestive complaints. It protects the intestinal lining against ulceration and has a wide range of actions against intestinal parasites.
Cinnamon - This can be used for sweetening the taste of ginger tea. It has anti-fungal activity.
Mint - Mint is sometimes used to soothe nerves, ease stomachaches and fight cold and flu symptoms. Mint soothes muscles so it may be an aid for morning sickness and the cramps associated with menstruation.
Sage and Rosemary - contain the essential oil, eucalyptol, which kills Candida albicans, bacteria, and worms. Oregano contains over thirty biologically active ingredients of which twelve have antibiotic, anti-viral, anti-parasitic or anti-fungal effects. As mentioned earlier, thyme has anti-parasitic activity.
Parsley - Parsley is a nutritious food, providing dietary calcium, iron, carotenes, ascorbic acid, and vitamin A. A tea made from the seeds of parsley has been used to treat colic, indigestion, and intestinal gas. In ancient Greece, parsley was used to treat urinary tract infection and inflammation.
Meals seasoned with these and other pungent, aromatic herbs, consumed regularly, help protect against intestinal infection. However, heating at 200 degrees (Fahrenheit) for twenty minutes destroys the antibacterial activity. They should be added to food at the end of cooking, just before being eaten.