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The Benefits of Herbs And Essential Oils

July 14, 2009

For thousands of years the human race has used herbs in a variety of ways. These uses can be placed into three distinctive categories; 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 looking at here and these include them being used instead of money, as a disinfectant and as a perfume or powerful smell to smother disgusting odors. Herbs come from various parts of the globe and each race often 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.

The Use of Herbs In Religion

Herbs are still used in many around the world.  A great 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 species of Basil, as it is cultivated by many and revered as a Goddess. In Pagan religions herbs are utilized widely in spells, rituals as well as for healing.

Kitchen Uses of Herbs

The leaves of different plants are used in the kitchen however there is a distinction 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 on the planet 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 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 created by the method known as distillation but some require a different process of extraction such as such as solvent extraction 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 about three drops in a bath when I suffer from achy legs. When my limbs are very 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 great care as some can be extremely toxic to the human body (in large quantities). Special care should be taken if you are about to have a child as something that sounds safe could be terribly problematic, such as peppermint oil which should be avoided completely in its dilute form. However spearmint and a few other mild oils can be used but to avoid the risk of miscarriage you should avoid all herbs and essential oils unless you know for definite they are safe.

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