The Uses Of Herbs In Today’s Cultures
For a great many generations the human race has utilized herbs in a variety of ways. These uses can be placed into three distinctive groups; religious, culinary and medicinal. In the article below we will take a close look at each of these categories in order concentrating upon medical uses and essential oils.
Throughout history there have been various other uses of herbs which we will not be discussing here and these include them being used as cash, as a disinfectant and as a perfume or powerful smell to smother sickening smells. Herbs come from various parts of the globe and each culture commonly had strange 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 will be concentrating on modern uses.
The Use of Herbs In Religion
Herbs are currently used in many around the globe. A great 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 type of Basil, as it is grown by many and worshipped as a Goddess. In Wiccan and Pagan faiths herbs are utilized widely in spells, rituals as well as for healing.
Using Herbs In Cooking
The leaves of various plants are used in the kitchen however there is a difference between leafy vegetables, such as cabbage, and a herb, such as basil, 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 scientists.
Essential Oils
An essential oil is the concentrate extracted from a variety of plants. Essential oils are invariably manufactured by the method called distillation but some need a different method of extraction such as expression or solvent extraction.
Essential oils have a number of uses, such as perfumes, bath oils, flavorings, burning (for scent) and in cleaning products. However the majority of 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 approximately three drops in a bath when I suffer from aching limbs. When my limbs are terribly painful I 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 more soundly.
Herbs should be used with immense care and attention as some can be extremely poisonous to the human body (in large quantities). Special care should be taken if you are about to have a baby as something that you may consider safe could be surprisingly problematic, such as peppermint oil which should be avoided completely in its dilute state. However spearmint and a few other mild oils can be used however to avoid the risk of miscarriage I advise that you avoid all herbs and essential oils unless you know for certain they are safe.
The awesome thing is that growing your own herbs is as easy as buying a herb kit and placing it near a window.