I certainly consider the health benefits of herbs and spices and there is new science supporting it all the time. Back in the 80's I took extensive training about herbs. These included standardized herbs in capsules, as well as fresh/culinary herbs.

I take ginger when traveling to avoid motion sickness - works like a charm - as just one example. Ginger is also excellent for the respiratory system, good for fighting off colds and flu, helps relieve headaches, great for upset stomach and indigestion. Ginger contains vitamins A, C and B-complex. It also contains calcium, phosphorus, iron, sodium, potassium and magnesium.

There are any number of herbs that have disease-fighting antioxidants. Turmeric, cinnamon, garlic, oregano (a USDA study found that, gram for gram, oregano has the highest antioxidant activity of 27 fresh culinary herbs)... Many herbs aid as an anti-inflammatory.

I gather rose hips to use as a good source vitamins A, E, C, and Rutin. Rose hips also contain vitamins B-3, D, as well as bioflavonoids, citric acid, flavonoids, fructose, malic acid, tannins and zinc. "Traditionally, tea made from rose hips is considered good for treating diarrhea and infections, particularly bladder infections." Rose hips actually have more vitamin C than citrus. During WWII when shipments of citrus were non-existent, the English used rose hips in the form of tea, syrup and jelly as sources for vitamin C.

I grow parsley, chives, thyme and Rosemary indoors in the winter, as well as supplementing our diet with sprouts and micro-greens grown at home. They add healthy fresh food to a diet where "fresh" doesn't exist when you buy it from the grocery store.

For more information check out the link below.

-Grainlady

Here is a link that might be useful: Every Nutrient - herbs and spices

Grainlady, thank you for that link.
I will be checking it out later today,
When I have some more time.
It looks very interesting!

Mostly I use herbs and spices because we like the flavor.
The health benefits are a bonus.
And I do use a number of them in supplement form,
As needed.

Many MANY years ago,
my Mother would make Fennel tea for me,
to soothe a troubled tummy.
I find it works as well today as it did back then.
And I still really like the flavor if it.

Sometimes I eat a piece or two of candied Ginger,
For the same reason.

Rusty

I too have noticed the McCormick ads touting health benefits. While I don't consider health benefits when cooking with spices, I do take various herb based supplements daily.

Turmeric, cayenne, garlic, hawthorne, to name a few. DH takes cinnamon to support his diabetes health. I keep very high Scovill units of cayenne extract in liquid form on hand in the event of a heart problem for him. It's suppose to literally be a life saver; I pack it when traveling and wish I had it when he had his heart attack while we were in Italy!

As you know, my ex-husband took all those clases in herbal medicine, naturopathic therapy, etc., so I've been aware of studies and research for a long time.

Prevention Magazine says 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon per day is enough to help balance blood sugar levels, and black pepper and cumin are full of antioxidants. So is coffee and tea, incidentally. Green tea is an "antioxidant stew" according to them. Too bad I only like black tea, which is still pretty good.

Elery likes his food well spiced, so I think we're good to go, LOL, he'd put cumin on lemon pie, I swear. Well, maybe not, but close.

Like Grainlady, I always chew crystallized ginger for motion sickness and nausea and some research indicates that honey is as effective as cough syrup for mild coughs.

Now, I'm not going to eat something I don't like for the antioxidants or vitamins, but if they have them AND I like them, double bonus. Some have other effects too, that people should be aware of. Garlic, for instance, inhibits blood clotting and some people with health issues should be aware of those effects too.

Everything we eat has some effect on our bodies, and I think we all know that, so if we like things that are beneficial, it's all for the good.

Annie

I have heard that eating local honey is supposed to help fight allergies, but it's difficult to find Los Angeles honey. In Texas, it was extremely easy, and my grandmother used to keep beehives, but local honey in Texas is quite abundant.

I used to take cinnamon tablets for my glucose but haven't been doing so lately. In general, I'm not fond of cinnamon, and I detest it in granola and many other dishes, but I do use it in French Toast. Making a tea with cinnamon, ginger, and honey is supposed to be a cure for snoring.

I eat lots of chilies and grow them in my yard (I have large ones just now getting ripe), but I eat them because I like them. I do use a lot of ginger and garlic. I sometimes wonder how I would be health-wise if I didn't eat a lot of the things that I do which are supposed to be beneficial because I still have enough problems.

Indian food seems to use a lot of helpful spices, and I will tolerate a bit of cinnamon in some Indian dishes that I otherwise would not like. I make Indian food quite frequently, and that is partially because I like it but also because of the benefits. I also like to make spicy Chinese, Japanese, or Thai soups, especially in the winter. I had the flu last week and made a couple of batches of spicy Japanese soup.

Lars

The medicinal effects of herbs and spices has been one of my fascinations most of my life - so much so that I've done endless research, and written books on the subject (no, not published).

If the subject interests you, just start Googling, beginning with the link below.

Normal culinary use of herbs should pose very few risks, but taking herbs/spices in medicinal doses should be done with the same caution as you'd apply to prescription medications. You need to be aware that where there's an upside, there's usually a downside! And, as with prescription meds, there are usually risks - some herbs are contraindicated if you have certain health conditions (eg diabetes, pregnancy, heart problems, blood pressure and the like). My advice is always to check with your doctor before beginning on any pill-taking regime - including herb/spice supplements.

A cup of herbal tea is a dose of medicine.

End of sermon.

If you pop over to the Herbs Forum, you can browse through the threads there, many of which discuss the health benefits and safe usage of herbs/spices. Very illuminating to those just starting on their herby journey!

One herb not mentioned hitherto is Turmeric. Read about it here:

http://www.turmeric.co.in/turmeric_medicinal_use.htm

Warning: Turmeric will stain clothes and skin. Avoid if suffering from gallstones, jaundice or hepatitis. Avoid if suffering from blood-clotting disorders. Unusually large amounts may result in stomach upset. Best avoided during pregnancy because of its uterine stimulant properties.

Garlic (and to a lesser extent other members of the Onion family) has long been used medicinally. It was once called Poor Man's Treacle (where Treacle meant 'medicine'). Read about it here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garlic

Warning: Avoid large doses of garlic if suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, or if suffering from restlessness, insomnia with accompanying exhaustion, thirst and dehydration. Therapeutic use should be avoided during pregnancy and lactation. Ingesting more than 10 raw cloves per day can be toxic. Pure, undiluted juice used externally can burn sensitive skin. (Remember that garlic can be absorbed through the skin.) Garlic capsules combined with diabetes medication can cause a dangerous decrease in blood sugars. Do not use garlic if taking any of the following: Aspirin. Anticoagulants. Diabetes medications. Hypoglycaemic drugs. Antiplatelet drugs. Warfarin. May decrease the effectiveness of anti-hypertension drugs, as well as birth control pills. Some people who are sensitive to garlic may experience heartburn and flatulence. Never use essential oil in the ear - use only the diluted juice, or infused oil for earaches.

A very useful website is this one - read the General Disclaimer, then start browsing through the site, and be prepared to be awed. WARNING: the study of herbs can be seriously addictive!!

http://www.pfaf.org/user/default.aspx

Here is a link that might be useful: medicinal uses of herbs and spices

I am another believer though I don't practice enough. grainlady, what do you do with your rosehips?

eandhl -

I use rose hips as a tea mostly. If I have enough there may be a few jars of jelly/jam/marmalade and syrup.

I've linked to a nice little "how-to" with recipes below.

-Grainlady

Here is a link that might be useful: Harvesting Rose Hips

"During WWII when shipments of citrus were non-existent, the English used rose hips in the form of tea, syrup and jelly as sources for vitamin C. "

I was born in 1958 and I remember Mum giving us rose-hip syrup as small children.

Pepper - Really??? is exactly what I thought when I found this recipe in my email this morning!

Here is a link that might be useful: Chocolate-Black Pepper Cookies

Linda, apparently Green Peppercorns also have antitoxin properties.

If you love pepper as much as I do, you might like this Peppercorn Shortbread recipe. Years ago Carol was kind enough to share this Martha Stewart recipe.

Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table

Peppercorn Shortbread
=====================

This was Cookie of the Month in Martha Stewart Living. (2006)

PEPPERCORN SHORTBREAD

1-1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pan
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon white peppercorns, coarsely ground
3/4 teaspoon black peppercorns, coarsely ground
3/4 teaspoon pink peppercorns, coarsely ground
3/4 teaspoon green peppercorns, coarsely ground
3/4 cup confectioners sugar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Preheat oven to 300°F, with rack in center. Lightly butter a 10-inch springform pan, and set aside.
Stir together flour, salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of each ground peppercorn; set aside. Put butter and confectioners' sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, and mix on medium speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Reduce speed to low. Gradually add flour mixture, and mix until combined.
Using a small offset spatula, spread dough evenly into prepared pan, smoothing top. Bake until shortbread is golden brown, about 1 hour 20 minutes.
Transfer pan to a wire rack. Immediately sprinkle with granulated sugar and reserved 1/4 teaspoon of each ground peppercorn. Remove springform; let shortbread cool completely. Cut into wedges.

Grainlady, thanks for the link on harvesting rosehips. We've been throwing all of ours away, and in fact we got rid of at least half of our rosebushes - there were just too many of them.

The link says it is best to harvest after the first frost, however, and it practically never gets below 40 degrees here - once every ten years maybe. I wonder if I should store them in the freezer or whether that would make any difference. I do like rosehips tea.

Lars

I wonder if people live longer in areas where they consume lots of pepper.

dcarch

Believe it or not, taking 5 or 6 whole peppercorns morning and night will also shrink hemmorhoids! Just swallow with water. Doesn't cause stomach upset and seem to come out the way they go in (whole), but absolutely works!

Do you herbalists know why?

If eating black pepper makes a person live longer I'm going to be immortal. Had to take a drastic reduction in my consumption of black pepper recently... coarse grind is out for awhile. My digestive problems are now "syndrome" symptoms... meaning not cancer, not ulcers, not identified infection. Hot peppers seem to make the pains go away... go figure? Stupid pills they give me help but make me higher then a kite.

: )
lyra

ann t, can you describe how the Peppercorn Shortbread tastes? Your pictures make it look very appealing, but I'm a little baffled. With all the sugar, it definitely isn't a savory shortbread. But with all the pepper, I'm having trouble imagining the sweetness.

Sweet and savory together are some of my favorite combinations. Hot pepper jelly for one example and dark chocolate with red pepper in it.....and of course those old German cookies pfefferneusse.
What I was noting when I started this thread, was 1/4 tsp of black pepper on one egg ( too much for me...who likes a lot of pepper on her eggs) for health reasons.

I will copy and paste that pepper corn shortbread.