The Culinary, Religious And Medical Uses Of Herbs In Today’s Modern Civilization
For a great many generations the human race has utilized herbs in a variety of ways. These uses can be categorized into three distinctive groups; religious, culinary and medicinal. In the following article we shall discuss each of these categories in order focusing upon medical uses and essential oils.
Throughout history there have been various other uses of herbs which we will not be examining here and these include them being used as currency, as a disinfectant and as a perfume or powerful smell to mask bad smells. Herbs originate from various parts of the world and each culture often had unusual uses for them. It is interesting to see that the Ancient Sumerians, Egyptians, Greeks and Romans all wrote about them in detail and other writings exist from Ancient China and India. In this article we shall be focusing on modern uses.
The Use of Herbs In Religion
Herbs are still used in a multitude of around the world. Many Christians will remember myrrh from the Nativity (myrrh is the dried sap of Commiphora myrrha). Hindus will be extremely familiar with the Tulsi plant, which is a type of Basil, as it is cultivated by many and worshipped as a Goddess. In Wiccan beliefs herbs are utilized extensively in spells, rituals as well as for healing.
Herbs In Cooking
The leaves of various plants are used in the kitchen however there is a distinction between leafy vegetables, such as cabbage, and a herb, such as oregano, in that the latter are used in very small amounts due to their distinctive, and powerful flavor. Virtually every person in the world has benefited from the these amazing plants which are capable of lifting the blandest meal into the realms of a culinary masterpiece.
Herbs And Medicine
As well as being powerful in flavor a herb can also have a profound effect upon the human body. Some types are used as recreational drugs, such as cannabis, which can cause legal problems as they can also have useful medical properties which are still being examined by accademics.
Essential Oils
An essential oil is the oil extracted from a variety of plants. Essential oils are usually manufactured by the method known as distillation but some need a different method of extraction such as by using solvents or expression.
Essential oils have a variety of uses, such as perfumes, bath oils, flavorings, burning (for scent) and in cleaning products. However most people know of their use in medicine and especially in aromatherapy and other forms of alternative medicine. I use lavender oil in a variety of ways, I add it to my mixture for my oil burner to make the room smell nice but I also use roughly three drops in a bath when I suffer from achy limbs. When my limbs are extremely painful I gently rub it into the muscles but only when it is mixed with a carrier oil. As well as helping to relax the muscles it also helps me sleep more soundly.
Herbs should be used with great care as some can be extremely harmful to the human body (in large quantities). Special care should be taken if you are pregnant as something that you may consider safe could be terribly problematic, such as peppermint oil which should not be used in its dilute state. However spearmint and a few other mild oils can be used however to avoid any of miscarriage I strongly advise that you avoid all herbs and essential oils unless you are 100% certain they are safe.
The awesome thing is that growing your own herbs is as hard as buying a herb kit and placing it near a window.
