For thousands of years the human race has utilized herbs in a variety of ways. These uses can be categorized into three distinctive groups; religious, culinary and medicinal. In the article below we will debate each of these categories in order concentrating upon medical uses and essential oils.

Throughout history there have been numerous other uses of herbs which we will not be examining here and these include them being used as cash, as a disinfectant and as a perfume or powerful smell to overpower bad smells. Herbs come from many parts of the globe 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.

Religious Uses Of Herbs

Herbs are still used in a multitude of across the globe.  The majority of Christians will recognize myrrh from the Nativity (myrrh is the dried sap of Commiphora myrrha). Hindus will be very familiar with the Tulsi plant, which is a type of Basil, as it is grown by many and worshipped as a Goddess. In Pagan beliefs herbs are utilized extensively in spells, rituals as well as for healing.

Kitchen Uses of Herbs

The leaves of different plants are used in the kitchen but there is a distinction between leafy vegetables, such as cabbage, and a herb, such as sage, 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 Medical Uses of Herbs

As well as being intense in flavor herbs 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 substance extracted from a variety of plants. Essential oils are usually produced by the process known as distillation but some need 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 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 about three drops in a bath when I suffer from achy legs. When my legs are very painful I gently rub 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 you may consider safe could be alarmingly problematic, such as peppermint oil which should not be used in its dilute form. However spearmint and a few other mild oils can be used but to avoid the risk of miscarriage I strongly advise that you avoid all herbs and essential oils unless you are one hundred percent certain they are safe.

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