herbs

At dinner we always have a little bowl of fresh herbs that we eat along with the meal and I became curious if there were any benefits to eating them besides just being fresh greens like lettuce or spinach, you know - roughage! So I checked them out in my book on herbs by Rodale Press and here's what I found.

1. basil - in the mint family, used for digestion and has been used as a sedative when made into a tea
2. cilantro and coriander - mostly used for flavor
3. dill - used for flatulence and to settle the stomach
4. lemon balm (also a mint) - used to ease stress
5. oregano - used for teas/infusions for indigestion, coughs and headaches
6. parsley - has vitamins A, some Bs, and C, iron and also camphor
7. peppermint and spearmint both have been used for digestion. Peppermint has menthol.
8. rosemary - infusion for stomach problems and headaches; oil has antibiotic properties
9. sage - oils have been used as an anticeptic and some claim the oil can lower blood sugar (?)
10. thyme - for digestion; be careful if using the oil of thyme, has thymol

Rodale gives some historical uses of these in teas (infusions) and poultices. And today some of their essential oils are available but the book says to be careful when using their oils because of the concentration of whatever elements are in the herbs. Eaten fresh in a salad does not create any adverse health issues, however.

The book suggests that 2 cups of fresh herbs equal about a tablespoon of dried herbs - although this doesn't seem accurate to me. Anyway, if you want to make an infusion/tea, you pour some boiling water into a cup with a "bunch" of herbs and let it steep for 10 to 20 minutes; then filter the leaves out. There doesn't seem to be any warning about drinking the teas as there does about using the oils.

I have no idea about any of these uses. As I said, the Rodale book lists their medicinal and culinary uses, history, cultivation, along with some warnings, etc.

It was surprising to me about parsley. None of the other entries had anything about vitamins or minerals so I thought that was interesting. It did not say if the curly parsley or the flat-leafed Italian parsley were different. I do think I'll try to eat more of it though.



Any ideas?

Interesting info Lanie. Thanks for sharing.

I use oregano and parsley and never knew the benefits. I'm thinking I should start using more dill for my stomach now. I use too much Tums.

UA

I dislike ginger. It taste too bitter. However, is it used for the cold here. Holy basil (Tulsi) is used to help people feel calm and relaxed here.

I'll check in the supermarket for dill. I hope they have. Or maybe I'll have to start eating Scandinavian and German dishes

Thanks again Lanie!

UA

Hi again. We use the dried dill a lot with fish and bean salad. When I find it fresh, we eat it that way in salads and it gives a nice refreshing flavor.

I absolutely agree with that! Pregnant or nursing women and people on certain medication (like for blood pressure) should not ingest herbal teas without asking their doctor if it's ok.

The herbs we grow in the garden, the old standbys like parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme (remember Simon and Garfunkle? That's my era. lol) and all the mints, dill, basil, etc. are fine when we use them in cooking or fresh in salads but keep in mind that dried herbs are highly concentrated compared to the few sprigs or fresh leaves we get from our gardens.