The Various Uses of Herbs and Essential Oils
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 article below we shall examine each of these categories in order concentrating upon the medicinal uses and essential oils.
Throughout history there have been various other uses of herbs which we will not be examining here and these include them being used as currency, as a disinfectant and as a perfume or powerful smell to mask bad smells. Herbs come from many parts of the planet and each culture 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 concentrating on modern uses.
The Use of Herbs In Religion
Herbs are still used in numerous around the globe. 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 grown by many and praised as a Goddess. In Wiccan and Pagan beliefs herbs are used extensively in spells, rituals as well as for healing.
Herbs In The Kitchen
The leaves of various plants are used in the kitchen but there is a distinction between leafy vegetables, such as spinach, and a herb, such as parsley, 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 blandest 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 researched.
Essential Oils
An essential oil is the concentrate extracted from a variety of plants. Essential oils are commonly created by the method called distillation but some require a different method of extraction such as expression or solvent extraction.
Essential oils have a variety 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 approximately three drops in a bath when I suffer from achy legs. When my limbs 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 used with care 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 child as something that sounds safe could be terribly 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 but to avoid any of miscarriage you should avoid all herbs and essential oils unless you are one hundred percent certain they are safe.
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