Cooking Guide to Medicinal Herbs

Many of the herbs you use in cooking have amazing medicinal qualities. Besides adding spice to some of your favorite dishes, you are also using getting the added health benefits inherent in medicinal herbs.

Cumin (Cuminum cyminum; C, odroum)

The seeds and oil are used for gastric cancer and also as an antioxidant.

Nutmeg (Myristica fragrans)

The seed and aril are used for diarrhea, flatulence, inducing expectoration, insomnia, mouth sores, rheumatism, salivary stimulation, and stimulating menstruation.

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)

The leaves of this plant are used for flatulence, gastrointestinal spasm, halitosis, heart tonic, inducing diaphoresis, migraine headache, promoting menstrual flow, stimulating abortion, and stomach disorders.

Cloves (Caryophyllus aromaticus; Eugenia caryophyllata; Syzgium aromaticum)

Cloves are used for bad breath, bronchial secretions, dizziness, earache, fever, nausea, platelet aggregation inhibition, poor circulation, and thrombosis. They are also used as an analgesic and antiseptic.

Basil (Ocimum basilicum)

Basil leaves can be used for colds, headache, indigestion, insect and snake bites, and whooping cough.

Marjoram (Marjorana hortensis; Origanum vulgare)

The marjoram plant is helpful for abdominal cramps, colic, headache, indigestion, respiratory problems, and violent cough.

Mustard seed (Brassica alba; Sinapis alba)

Mustard seed is used for indigestion and liver and lung disorders. It is also used as an appetizer, diuretic, emetic, and soak for aching feet, arthritis, and rheumatism.

Coriander (Coriandrum sativum)

Coriander seed is used as an antispasmodic, appetizer, carminative, and stomachic.

Dill weed (Anethem graveolens)

Dill fruit and seed are used as an aromatic, carminative, diaphoretic, stimulant, and stomachic.

Celery (Apium graveolens)

Celery salt is helpful in aiding digestion, arthritis, cancer, diuresis, gas, headache, hysteria, inducing menstruation, lumbago, nervousness, rheumatism, and terminating lactation.

Olive (Olea europaea)

Olive leaves, bark, and fruit are used as an antiseptic, astringent, choagogue, demulcent, emollient, febrifuge, hypoglycemic, laxative, and tranquilizer.

Thyme (Thymus serpyllum; T. vulga ris)

The thyme plant can be used for acute bronchitis, colic, digestive disorders, gout, headache, laryngitis, lung congestion, sciatica, and throat disorders.

Sage (Salvia lavandulaefolia; S. lyrata; S. officinalis)

Sage leaves are useful for cough, diarrhea, dysmenorrhea, fever, gastritis, gum and mouth sores, memory improvement, nausea, nervous disorders, and sore throat.

Parsley (Petroselinum sativum)

Parsley leaves are helpful for many health conditions. These include amenorrhea, bladder infections, blood building and cleansing, body lice, colic, dysmenorrhea, flatulence, gallstones, inducing abortion, jaundice, nephritis, prostate disorders, and urinary retention.

Cinnamon (Cinnamonum zeylanicum)

Cinnamon bark and oil are used for diarrhea, dysmenorrhea, gastrointestinal upset, microbial and fungal infection and gas pain. It is also used as an aromatic, astringent, and stimulant.

Cranberry (Vaccinum edule; V. erythrocarpum; V. macrocarpon; V. oxycoccos; V. vitis)

Cranberries are good for bladder, kidney, and urinary tract infections. They are also used to decrease the rate of urine degradation and odor formation in incontinent patients.