For thousands of years the human race has utilized herbs in a great many ways. These uses can be placed into three distinctive categories; religious, culinary and medicinal. In the article below we shall discuss each of these categories in order focusing upon medical uses and essential oils.
Through the ions o time there have been many other uses of herbs which we will not be discussing here and these include them being used instead of cash, as a disinfectant and as a perfume or powerful smell to mask bad odors. Herbs originate from various parts of the world and each race commonly 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 many around the planet. Many Christians will recall myrrh from the Nativity (myrrh is the dried sap of Commiphora myrrha). Hindus will be extremely familiar with the Tulsi plant, which is a species of Basil, as it is cultivated by many and praised as a Goddess. In Pagan and Wiccan religions herbs are used extensively in spells, rituals as well as for healing.
Culinary Uses of Herbs
The leaves of various plants are used in cooking but there is a distinction between leafy vegetables, such as cabbage, and a herb, such as sage, 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 intense 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 studied by scientists.
Essential Oils
An essential oil is the oil extracted from a variety of plants. Essential oils are commonly produced by the method called distillation but some require a different method 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 people 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 about three drops in a bath when I suffer from achy limbs. When my legs are very painful I gently massage 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 better.
Herbs should be handled with immense care and attention 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 is otherwise safe can be surprisingly problematic, such as peppermint oil which should not be used in its raw form. However spearmint and a few other mild oils can be used however to avoid the risk of miscarriage I strongly advise that you avoid all herbs and essential oils unless you know for definite they are safe.
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