Did you know that your personal natural medicine cabinet is right in your kitchen? Culinary herbs and spices not only act as added flavor to foods, they can aid in digestion, healing, and health prevention. They can be used to treat problems ranging from bleeding, diarrhea, and headache to heart attacks and acute infections. Some are used to relieve nervousness, spasms and coldness. Most are carminative (prevent and relieve gas), stimulants, and digestive aids. Herbs also have tons of vitamins and minerals, and they actually help improve assimilation of vital nutrients. Mineral-dense herbs are seaweeds (kelp, Irish moss), the docks, and dandelion. Herbs and spices that provide high-content vitamins are parsley leaves, dandelion leaves and alfalfa. Herbs have a huge medicinal value, and they are all sitting in your very kitchen. In the book The Way Of Herbs, Michael Tierra L.Ac., O.M.D. talks about the some of the star culinary herbs that we love and that are usually found in a spice rack or condiment drawer, as well as their commonly known properties and applications:
✽ Turmeric (Curcuma Longa): A natural antibiotic and anti-inflammatory, able to inhibit the growth of certain fungi, bacteria and intestinal parasite. Used as a blood purifier, stimulant, vulnerary (healing of wounds), reducing fevers, cures menstrual cramps (also regulates cycles), and aids in circulation. Treats infections related to liver, bile duct and gallbladder. Add to your tofu scramble, brown rice, vegetable stew for health and flavor, or add one teaspoon to your cup of warm nut milk.
✽ Sweet Basil (Ocimum Basilicum): Good for indigestion, fevers, cold, flu, kidney and bladder troubles, headaches, nausea, vomiting, nervous conditions, cramps and constipation. Can be taken as a tea for healing or regularly made into sauces like vegan pesto for health maintenance.
✽ Oregano (Origanum Vulgare): Its oil has amazing antibiotic properties claiming to be more effective than some prescription drugs in treating the yeast Candida Albicans. It is also used in treating infections with the protozoa Giardia lamblia, and certain intestinal parasites such as Blastocytis hominis, Entamoeba hartmanni, and Endolimax nana. Recently found to be one of the highest herb/spices in antioxidant content – higher than berries per weight.
✽ Black pepper (Piper Nigrum): Categorized as an excellent remedy one can take at the first sign of most diseases, black pepper is not only healing but also preventative. When it is mixed with raw honey, it can help overcome colds, mucous diseases, and sore throats.
✽ Caraway (Carum Carvi): Excellent aid to digestion. A mild stimulant for indigestion, gas, colic, and nervous conditions. Make an infusion over night.
✽ Cayenne (Capsicum Anuum): a stimulant, carminative, considered a superior crisis herb used in first aid remedies for most conditions. Benefits the heart and circulation and prevents indigestion, heart attacks, strokes, colds, flu, diminished vitality, headaches, depression and arthritis. Add it to soups, or add one quarter teaspoon to a glass of water and drink as a daily tonic.
✽ Rosemary (Rosmarinus Officinalis): Treating headaches (substitute for aspirin), useful for indigestion, colic, nausea, gas and fevers. It’s high in absorbable calcium and benefits the nervous system. Also good for hair and scalp. Tea is made by adding one-half ounce of rosemary to a pint of boiled water and steeping for ten minutes, covered.
✽ Cinnamon (Cinnamomum Zeylanicum): A stimulant, demulcent, and carminative. It is used to treat chronic diarrhea, cramps, heart and abdominal pains, coughing, balancing blood sugar, lower back pain, and preventing indigestion and gas. Simmer in water and mix with a little bit of honey.
✽ Thyme (Thymus Vulgaris): Acts as a parasiticide for intestinal worms. Its antispasmodic, expectorant, and antiseptic. Used for bronchial problems, chronic gastritis, and lack of appetite. Steep into tea.
✽ Cloves (Syzygium Aromaticum): Warm the body, increase circulation, improve digestion and treat flatulence vomiting and nausea. Add to herbal formula or simmer for ten minutes; taken as tea.
✽ Nutmeg (Myristica Fragrans): A pea size (small) amount can be taken once daily over a period of time to relieve chronic nervous disorders and heart problems. Large doses may be poisonous and may cause miscarriage.
✽ Cumin (Cuminum Cyminum): One of the best spices to prevent and relieve gas (carminative). Beneficial to heart and uterus. Add to beans, curries and sautes.
✽ Fenugreek (Trigonella Foenumgraecum): Oldest medicinal plants, useful for all mucus conditions, lung congestion, ulcers and inflamed condition of the stomach and intestines. Also used for treatment of diabetes and gout.
✽ Sage (Salvia Officinalis): An antispasmodic and astringent. Slows secretions of fluids, used for excessive perspiration, night sweats, clear vaginal discharge, useful for diarrhea, early stages of cold and flu, sinus congestion, bladder infections and inflammatory conditions. Made into tea, steeping for ten minutes in closed vessel.
✽ Ginger (Zingiber Officinale): Beneficial to stomach, intestines and circulation. Used for indigestion, cramps, inflammation and nausea. For flus and colds, taken as a tea, boiled with raw honey and lemon. Packaged as capsules or tonics, and teas.
Most of these items can be found in your kitchen cabinet, local grocery store or farmers market. Some, like cinnamon, have amazing aromas that actually activate mental agility. Herbs and spices are a fantastic added value to a balanced and nutrient-dense diet, as they support and improve your digestive system, aid in healing, prevent cellular damage, and promote optimal health. This is just a starting point so, of course, apply common sense when using them, research further, and have fun including them in your foods.
Dear Bear,
In traditional Italian recipes, pesto regularly includes dairy in the form of Parmesan cheese. So, normally, pesto is not vegan. This form of pesto, with the dairy, is not the health maintenance we are referring to in this last sentence of this article, as dairy largely blocks intestinal absorption of nutrients, thereby lowering your body’s chances of getting the nutrients from anything you’re eating (basil being one example). It also interferes with proper digestion and proper excretion, both of which are essential for health maintenance. As you can see, there was a very direct point in saying ‘vegan pesto’ within the context of this article and this particular paragraph on basil. One of our goals is to help our readers/viewers understand optimal cellular nutrition, and vegan pesto falls under that category while traditional pesto does not. For more information on this, please check our Nutrition 101 section, where you’ll find articles on dairy and other potential allergens.
Interesting article, one point though, in the section on basil, pesto is pesto is pesto, every recipe I’ve ever seen has basil as the primary ingredient. Why turn off over half of your potential audience by adding the word “vegan” to it, when it adds nothing what so ever in this instance? I’m pretty sure that any form of non-vegan pesto, if there even is such a thing, would have the same health benefits from the basil as your vegan pesto.
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Dear Krista – The answer is in nature itself. The Plant Kingdom is so vast with such a variety of foods and most of them contain the same micro-nutrients. The reason is for you to pick the right one for you micro-universe. this is called: BIO-INDIVIDUALITY, and it is a must when it comes to nutrition. If you have a condition that is not a match with black pepper, then black pepper is not for you. But if you want the particular benefits of black pepper, nature is so genius that it will provide it for you in another herb, plant, veggie, fruit, nut or seed. We are all designed pretty similar (human form) BUT we are all biochemically unique. Everyone has different needs. All nutrients, antioxidants, phytochemicals, etc.. are not found just in one plant…they are found in MANY. know your needs and find the one that suits you. =)
Dr. Weil describes pepper as high in natural toxins, and should be avoided in favor of white pepper. As someone with metastatic colorectal cancer, i’m trying to avoid eating anything high in toxins, natural, or otherwise. With all the herbal remedy information that’s been flooding the mainstream for the past several years, it’s very difficult to know what is the right and wrong things to add or eliminate from your diet for optimum health. This article says black pepper is very healthy. Hmmm. What to do?
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