|
Article
Culinary
Herbs: Their Medicinal Uses - Part I
by Annemarie
Colbin,
C.H.E.S.
BASIL
Basil
is used as a tea to alleviate menstrual
cramps;
In
India it is considered the “king of
herbs” and it can also be found in
Mexico, South America, and the
Caribbean.
It is an
excellent breath freshener, has
blood-pressure lowering components, and
it also has been used successfully, as a
tea, to combat the nausea from
chemotherapy.
BAY LEAF
It may
help diabetics as in test tube studies
it breaks down blood sugar three times
faster than insulin. Boiled bay leaves
may be used as a poultice on the chest
to relieve cough.
Bay
leaves are also used in cooking beans to
improve their digestibility.
CHIVES
These are
also called “ramps” in Tennessee.
They’re a member of the onion family and
contain sulfur.
They’ve
been linked to reducing blood pressure
and cholesterol, and to prevent cancer.
Chives
should not be cooked, but snipped or
sliced and used raw as a garnish.
CORIANDER/CILANTRO (leaf and seed)
Both the
leaves and seeds are used in cooking.
During the Hand dynasty in China (207
BCE to 220 ACE) the leaves were consider
an aphrodisiac. In India it is supposed
to “cool” a hot stomach, banish
intestinal gas, and aid digestion.
Two
tablespoons of chopped coriander leaf
should be eaten as soon as indigestion
hits, or sprinkled on the food for
prevention.
In
Ayurvedic medicine, an after-meal
digestive aid is made by combining a
teaspoon each of coriander and fennel
seeds, toasting them in a dry skillet
for about two minutes, until fragrant,
and adding a pinch of salt. Chew well.
As a remedy for rashes, mash the fresh
leaves and apply as and “anti-fire, or
anti-pitta” poultice, then offer a cup
of coriander seed tea (2 tsp in 1 cup
boiling water, 7 minutes).
DILL SEED
Dill was
used in early Greece and Rome as an air
freshener; the seeds were burned as
incense. In the early US colonies it
was called “meeting’ seed” because it
was chewed for breath freshener during
long church meetings. Tea made from
dill seed helps soothe upset stomach.
Dill seed is also rich in calcium, with
100 mg in a tablespoon. For chapped
skin on hands and spit nails, make DILL
SEED oil: warm ˝ cup olive, grapeseed,
or canola oil, then pour into a bottle
with 2 tablespoons of DILL SEED. Steep,
covered, for one week; then strain, and
use on hands and feet right after
washing.
FENNEL SEED
This is a
classic Greek and Middle Eastern remedy
for intestinal gas. They can be used as
a tea, or chewed directly after a meal,
as they often are in India. The tea is
often used to combat infant colic. Hot
fennel tea helps respiratory congestion,
and three cups a day help nursing
mothers produce more milk.
GARLIC
This is
the king of all medicinal herbs. It’s
use goes back at least 5000 years around
the world. In China, it was prescribed
raw for colds; Chinese prisoners are
required to eat raw garlic every morning
to maintain their health. Egyptian
slaves were fed garlic and onions to
make them strong enough to build the
pyramids. It was thought to ward off
vampires and evil spirits.
Science
has vindicated folklore. An average
clove of garlic contains substances
equivalent to 100,000 units of
penicillin (about 1/5 the average dose),
without its side effects. It can
prevent various types of cancer
(stomach, skin, breast, esophageal, and
colon) and prevent cancer cells from
reproducing. It reduces cholesterol and
high blood pressure, but you need to eat
one to three fresh cloves per day for at
least three months before positive
results are seen. It may even help
regulate blood sugar for diabetics.
Most of the benefits are from the raw
bulb.
An Asian
remedy consists of a whole bulb of
garlic, peeled and minced, and marinated
overnight in enough honey to cover. A
teaspoon of this honey three times a day
has been credited with eliminating
colds.
GINGER
Another
powerful, popular in China, India and
Japan for thousands of years, then
traveled to the Middle East and Spain,
then the West Indies. Ginger ale was
first made in Jamaica, to help digestive
distress. It’s an excellent remedy for
indigestion and nausea, including motion
sickness, and morning sickness. It
prevents stomach flu and the nausea
associated with chemotherapy. Ginger
tea is helpful for headaches, chest
congestion, and indigestion. A ginger
bath is used in Asia to combat stuffed
noses due to allergies, sinus trouble,
or colds.
MUSTARD SEED
This
popular condiment has been used since
prehistory, as well as in ancient
Chinese, Greek, and Roman kitchens to
prevent rancidity in meats. It can help
regulate irregular heartbeat,
cholesterol and blood sugar levels
because of its magnesium content.
Ground mustard seed in a foot bath helps
relieve respiratory congestion. (One
tablespoon ground mustard seed to 2
quarts hot water).
Mustard
greens are a good source of beta
carotenes, calcium, and iron, as well as
vitamin C.
Here is a
recipe that utilizes some of these
wonderful foods.
CORIANDER
PESTO
2 cloves
garlic, peeled
1/3 cup
extra virgin olive oil
2 packed
cups fresh basil leaves
1 packed
cup fresh cilantro
1
teaspoons yellow miso
1. Run
your blender or food processor, drop in
the garlic cloves, and process until
chopped. Add the olive oil, then the
basil and cilantro, and process until
coarsely pureed. Stop the blender or
processor occasionally and push the
contents down into the blades.
2. Add
miso and process until mixed. Serve
over pasta, grain, or as a seasoning in
the soup.
Please continue to
next page of spices |