Eating Fabulous

Healing Herbs From Your Kitchen

by ruth on October 12th, 2006

I found a wonderful blog about herbs, focusing on their medicinal, rather than culinary, properties: Herbs I Have Known and Loved. The entries do not provide scientific references to claims of health benefits, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they are myriads of publications in PubMed that will back them up. One post in particular enumerates the 15 most powerful healing herbs in your kitchen (assuming you have a well-stocked spice rack):

Here’s part of her list, and the medicinal benefits that can be derived from them:

BASIL
relieve gas and soothe stomach upsets
active ingredient: eugenol

CAYENNE
relieves pain, improves digestion and relieves gas, nausea, and indigestion, thins mucus (and may ease cough, colds, bronchitis)
active ingredient: capsaicin

CINNAMON
antimicrobial, helps regulate the menstrual cycle and checks flooding during menopause, helps reduce anxiety and stress
active ingredient: cinnamaldehyde

CLOVE
antimicrobial, temporarily eases tooth pain, helps heal cold sores, may lower blood sugar
active ingredient: eugenol. A potent pain

DILL
soothe the digestive tract, treat heartburn, colic and gas, may treat bad breath

FENNEL ease bloating, gas pains, and digestive spasms, reduce bad breath and body odour, increases milk flow in lactating women

GARLIC help lower cholesterol and blood pressure and therefore reduce risk of atherosclerosis and heart disease (see my previous entry on garlic). may also be antimicrobial, and effective against digestive ailments and diarrhoea. may also have anti-cancer properties.
active ingredient: allicin.

MINT counteract nausea and vomiting, promote digestion, calm
stomach muscle spasms, relieve flatulence, and ease hiccups. acts as an antimicrobial, and may boost mental alertness. mint can also relieve pain.
active ingredient: menthol

See the rest of her entry here. I’ve also written previous entries on some of the herbs she mentioned such as turmeric, which has been found to reduce risks of colon cancer.

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POSTED IN: Fabulous Food Blogs, ~Cancer, ~Cardiovascular Health, ~Elimination and Excretion, ~Immune Defense, ~Impart Other Health Benefits, ~Keeps Digestion on Track, ~Mental Health, ~Prevents Other Diseases, ~Spices, Herbs and Condiments