Healthy Herbs and Their Benefits

There’s nothing bad about herbs when you think about it; they are easy to grow, easy to use, taste great when used with the right ingredients and are good for you.  The last point is probably the least well-known fact but is based on research by nutritional experts.  So which are the super-herbs that give the most health benefits?

Rosemary

Rosemary is a fragrant, evergreen herb with thin needle-like leaves as well as pretty flowers in white, pink, purple or even sometimes blue.  It is native to the Mediterranean region and is commonly used in Italian cuisine.  Herbal tea can also be made using it and it works particularly well when cooked with meats to give a unique flavour.

According to the Brain, Performance and Nutrition Research Centre, the smell of rosemary can itself even boost brain performance.  This is because a compound that is absorbed from the aroma has been connected to speed and accuracy of cognitive performance.  The more of the compound in the blood, the better the brain works.

Parsley

Parsley is also a Mediterranean herb and is known for its simplicity to grow as well as its varied uses.  It has spread into Middle Eastern and American cooking as well as being popular in the cuisines across Europe and is often used to garnish a dish with a splash of fresh green.

Parsley has high levels of something called apigenin and a study from Cancer Prevention Research has shown that when rats were tested for breast cancer, they development fewer tumour or had delays in development of tumour when ingested this substance.  Apigenin works to block the creation of new blood vessels that allows tumours to grow.

Peppermint

Peppermint is actually a hybrid plant combining watermint and spearmint that was found across Europe and the Middle East.  As well as being great as a breath freshener, peppermint is also effective at combating Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBM) according to a Canadian survey.  It works to relieve pain in the colon and calm pain sensing fibres, particularly to combat the effects of strong flavours such as chili and mustard.

Oregano

Another Mediterranean herb, Oregano is common in pastas and pizza dishes.  It also has natural anti-inflammatory properties and when used on mice’s paws it has been shown to reduce inflammation after an injury.  It contains beta-caryophyllin, which has been shown to inhibit the production of substances that cause inflammation in the first place.

Conclusion

Preparing herbs is very easy and even someone with little knife skills can chop up a few herbs to add to a meal and gain a few of these subtle health benefits.  Most herbs can be torn up by hand, chopped up roughly with a small knife or even cut up into smaller pieces using a herb chopper,

It can also be a great idea for a gift to buy someone a personalised chopping board with a recipe for their perfect herbs on it, to remind them which herbs are their perfect match.