For thousands of years the human race has utilized herbs in a great many 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 the medicinal uses and essential oils.
Through the ions o time there have been many other uses of herbs which we will not be looking at here and these include them being used as cash, as a disinfectant and as a perfume or powerful smell to smother disgusting smells. Herbs come from many parts of the planet and each race usually had unusual uses for them. It is interesting to note that the Ancient Egyptians, Ancient Greek and Sumerians, the Romans all wrote about them in detail and other writings exist from Ancient India and China. We shall be focusing on modern uses.
Herbs And Religion
Herbs are still used in a multitude of across the world. A great many Christians will recall myrrh from the Nativity (myrrh is the dried sap of Commiphora myrrha). Hindus will be very familiar with the Tulsi plant, which is a species of Basil, as it is cultivated by many and praised as a Goddess. In Wiccan faiths herbs are used widely in spells, rituals as well as for healing.
Culinary Uses of Herbs
The leaves of different plants are used in cooking however there is a distinction between leafy vegetables, such as spinach, 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 plainest meal into the realms of a culinary masterpiece.
The Medicinal Uses of Herbs
As well as being powerful in flavor herbs 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 researched by academics.
Essential Oils
An essential oil is the substance extracted from a variety of plants. Essential oils are commonly produced by the method called distillation but some need a different process of extraction such as by using solvents or expression.
Essential oils have a number of uses, such as perfumes, bath oils, flavorings, burning (for scent) and in cleaning products. However most folk know of their use in medicine and especially in aromatherapy and other forms of alternative medicine. I use lavender oil in a number 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 legs are very 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 immense care and attention as some can be extremely destructive to the human body (in large quantities). Special care should be taken if you are pregnant as something that seems safe can be dangerously problematic, such as peppermint oil which should be totally avoided in its dilute state. However spearmint and a few other mild oils can be used but to avoid any of miscarriage I would avoid all herbs and essential oils unless you are one hundred percent certain they are safe.
The awesome thing about herbs is that growing your own is as hard as buying a herb kit and placing it near a window. To discover more visit http://store.landscapinginfo4u.com/
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
Post a Comment