Medicinal uses and culinary practices of Natural herbs
Natural herbs
Generally, Herbs are useful parts of the herbaceous plants (wooden stem parts excluded). They are mainly used for different medicinal uses, in cosmetics and cooking (to add flavors to the recipes). Usually, people misinterpret herbs as spices, but they differ from spices and their usage in cooking differentiates them. Herbs are the green (some herbs have different colors too), flowery and leafy part of the plants. Herbs can be fresh as well as dried. On the other hand, the spices are generally dried, and plants produce major parts of it. Berries, fruits, barks, seeds, and roots are also part of the species. So let’s learn more about these natural herbs.
Herbs aromatic and tangy properties have beautiful fragrance Herbs are also very useful for different medicinal purposes. Such as Basil (Tulsi) has a lot of medicinal properties, and it helps in soothing of the throat during infection, stomach spasms, it cures kidney, intestinal gas, and worm infections. Cinnamon, black pepper, sandalwood cures sores boil and heal wounds. Fennel, Thyme, Oregano, Rosemary, Basil, and Cilantro can be simply grown in the garden, and they are very good for health.
On the other hand, some of the herbs can also purify the blood and also excrete toxins in the metabolic rate. Some of them are very useful in curing fever and herbs like turmeric has antibacterial properties. Turmeric stops the expansion of bacteria, microbes, and germs and heals wounds and cuts. Herbs are a really important part of culinary art as well as for medicines.
Are Natural Herbs Beneficial for You?
The answer to this question is just too easy to give, and that is Yes, herbs are really beneficial for your health. Herbs help in weight loss or controlling weight they not only help to control diabetes but also increase immunity, decrease the feeling of nausea purifies your blood and excretes toxins from your body.
They are herbs for heart, skin, metabolism, and digestion. A person can also use herbs to increase their appetite, reduce stress, cure a common cold, maintain oral health, and they also maintain the balance of hormones.
Here we are going to discuss some of the most common natural herbs and their uses, also their medicinal usage and their properties to increase good cholesterol and purifies blood:
Thyme and its medicinal uses
Thyme is one of the most important herbs in the cuisine; it is also used for medicinal purposes, and the most interesting thing is that thyme also has ornamental utilization. Thyme’s leaf, flowers, and oil can be used for various different purposes in the kitchen and in medicine. The origin place of thyme is the Mediterranean region.
Thyme is used in many regions such as the Mediterranean, European (British, Italian), African, Central & Latin American, the Caribbean, and regional American in cooking different recipes. It has many uses in fresh as well as dry forms. The two main types of culinary Thymes are Common Thyme and Lemon Thyme. On the other hand, you can also find woolly thyme, elfin thyme, wild thyme, and creeping thyme, and these themes are not for culinary usage; instead, they are better in the garden.
Thyme has antiseptic properties, and in ancient Egypt, people used thyme for such purposes. For Roman, thyme is a strength and bravery symbol, and they also burn it in their houses to purify the air. Also, it is used for worshipping purposes. The history and usage of thyme as medicine is not modern, but thyme was used as antiseptic medicine at the time of the middle ages during Black Death. Thyme was used as a compound named thymol.
Thyme is rich antiseptic and antibacterial properties. This natural herb cures arthritis in diluted form. The tea made with themes cures coughs, colds, and congestion. This also gives relief in diarrhea, stomach ache, it also heals skin and mouth infections.
Basil and its medicinal uses
Basil is the most important herb. The Basil leaves have many medicinal uses, and it’s also a not modern medicinal herb. It has a long history of medicinal usage. It is also popular in Italian dishes. Basil has many different varieties, and the flavors also differ.
Basil is found in areas of Central Africa and Southeast Asia. The leaves of the basil have a sweet smell and somewhat pungent or strong smell. There are different types of basil such as Holy basil (Tulsi), Thai basil, Sweet basil, and Lemon basil.
It is usually used fresh because dried basil loses its natural flavors. In Italy, pasta and macaroni taste better with basil. Ayurveda and ancient Chinese medicines also use medicinal uses of basil. Generally, basil major uses are- improves digestion, cure stomach spasms, kidney problems, intestinal gas, worm infections, and head colds. Basil treats snake and insect bites as well. Holy basil tea usually cures throat infection; it also improves blood circulation and purifies the blood.
Cardamom and its medicinal uses
Cardamom or Elachi is an important culinary and medicinal herb or species. They are originally from the Indian subcontinent and Indonesia. Its shape is like a spindle, and its symmetry is a triangle. Cardamom has a green sheet on the outer side and inside it includes black seeds. The cardamom herb is very rich in aroma, and it has plenty of cooking use and medicinal use.
Knowns as the “King of Spices”, Cardamom are 4000 years old. Egyptian also uses this herb for medicinal uses. It is very good for throat, digestion, oral health, and improves the circulation of blood.
Cardamom tea is very beneficial for sore throat and chewing the seeds or even with the outer sheet improves oral health also freshens the breath. It also helps in digestion because of the smell of the herb induces the secretion of digestive enzymes. Cardamom helps in circulation and increases circulation to the lungs, also purifies it. Also inhaling the cardamom essential oil cure asthma.
Mint Leaves and their medicinal uses
Mint leaves are also knowns as” fragrance herbs” for their aromatic appeal. They cultivate in many regions such as Australia, North America, South Africa, and Eurasia. Mint leaves are really popular herbs all over the world.
Culinary arts use properties of mint leaves. Candy, beauty products (lip balms) and toothpaste utilize its oil in many ways. These natural herbs have around 15 to 20 plants category, for example, spearmint and peppermint. It has great antioxidant quality than any other herbs.
Mint has anti-inflammatory (Rosmarinus acid) and antioxidant properties which prevent allergies. It also has menthol, which helps to cure a common cold and cough, as it breaks down phlegm and mucus. The cooling effect of menthol helps a sore throat. It also helps in digestion and stomach gas due to it increase the secretion of bile juices. These medicinal uses help to control the cholesterol level and increase good cholesterol. It is also good for your oral health, skin reactions, and pain relief.
On the other hand, large doses of peppermint oil could be toxic and pure menthol can be really poisonous. Also, doesn’t use mint oil on the infant’s face because it can cause spasms and prevent their breathing.
Celery Leaves and their medicinal uses
Celery is green and thick leaves; it usually used to garnish and adding flavors in the culinary arts. There are different types of celery such as leaf celery, cutting celery and soup celery. They are very easy to grow in your garden, and the flavor of celery is a bit peppery. You can easily grow celery in your kitchen garden and also an indoor plant.
Celery also looks a lot like flat parsley and you can also use it in soups, salad, and stews to add flavor and garnish any dish with. Usually, a person should use fresh celery but you can also use dry celery as well.
Celery has a lot of benefits as it is a good source of calcium, magnesium, vitamin B6 and riboflavin, phosphorous. It also has vitamins such as A, C, K, and it also has potassium and manganese.
Leaf celery also has medicinal uses such as it cures high inflammation, decreases high cholesterol, and cure high blood pressure. It is also helpful in weight loss because it has a property to manage metabolism, and it provides essential nutrients, vitamins, and minerals. Celery has high iron, vitamins A, B, and C and this prevents a person from suffering a liver disease. It has essential nutrients and antimicrobial properties, and it helps in fighting infection. It also prevents urine infection, and it also improves digestion.
Fennel and its medicinal uses
Fennel belongs to the carrot family, and it is a perennial herb. The fennel plant has yellow-colored flowers and feather-like leaves. It is natively from the Mediterranean but available throughout the world. It is rich in aroma and flavor with decent usage in cooking.
Fennel water helps in the purification of blood, digestion, and it gives a glow to the skin. There are many other medicinal uses such as to give relief in flatulence, increase metabolism, helps in hypertension, better eyesight, improves appetite and clear mucus. It also decreased stress and detoxifies the body.
On the other hand, Beetroot is a root vegetable, but its juice has many medicinal properties. Beetroot juice helps improve stamina, boost immunity, increase circulation, purify the blood, and it has a lot of iron, so it also helps to cure anemia. So add these natural herbs in your diet and stay healthy.
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