The beauty of living with, and cooking with fresh herbs is that they offer multiple benefits. We are all aware of the breadth of their legendary health benefits, giving relief to the ails of man, animals and plants alike. But are you aware of just how wide the choices of culinary herbs are that can also impart their health benefits whilst sparkling up our meals?

By applying a little knowledge and common sense we can combine the taste offered by numerous herbs to enhance our food and drinks; whilst making sure we get the medicinal benefits each fresh herb has to offer.

You may already be using a few fresh herbs for cooking – such as basil and thyme – but if you look a the very small list I’ve assembled below, you’ll immediately see that the medicinal properties of common fresh (and dried) natural herbs offers a greater range of readily available herbs to taste to your dishes whilst at the same time improving health.

Preparing Natural Herbs for Cooking

The first thing that needs to be said is that cooking with fresh herbs offer a greater potency in taste and health benefits than dried or frozen herbs. If you can grow them yourself in your own herb garden, then that’s the best of all. Herbs should be thoroughly washed and dried before use. If you are using a large quantity of natural herbs, treat them as you would salad greens, washing them under running water and drying them in a salad spinner.

Use about twice as much fresh herb to dried herb to get the same balance. But preparation could not the easier. Finely chopped or minced your herbs (unless the recipe dictates otherwise) and add to the meal shortly before it finishes cooking. Overcooking natural herbs can lessen the flavour and remove valuable nutrients.

Medicinal Properties of Common Natural Herbs

Now we turn to the health benefits of some of the natural herbs most commonly used in cooking.

1. Dill is rich in dietary fibre and calcium. It is also a digestive aid and appetite stimulant. The emperor Charlemagne used to provide it at his banquet table for the benefit of guests who had eaten too much.

2. Sage is a renowned herb with many beneficial uses and is valued highly as a cooking herb and as a medicine to help keep you healthy. Sage is used as a medicinal treatment for over perspiration and has a strong anti-bacterial property, It’s used in some mouthwashes to inhibit gingivitis and other problems of the mouth.

3. Rosemary contains vital antioxidants that can help to eliminate free radicals in the body, lowering the risk of cancer. It may also help relieve nasal congestion.

4. Oregano is a natural antiseptic and painkiller. The oil found in its leaves was historically used to treat pain and infections, being almost as powerful as morphine.

5. Evening Primrose is an astringent, antispasmodic, anti-coagulant, reduces high blood pressure, stimulates liver regeneration, and anti-arthritic.

6. Basil, that other great standby of Mediterranean cookery, has antacid and anti-gas properties. It is also a mild sedative, so be wary of using fresh basil in breakfast and lunch dishes. At supper time, on the other hand, these sedative properties can be an advantage, as they will help you sleep when it’s time to go to bed.

Almost any aspect of cooking can be improved with the careful addition of herbs.

Nearly all aspects of cooking can be enhanced by introducing herbs into the preparation process and cooking with fresh herbs present on more problems in doing this than using dried herbs. You simply need to cut up the herb or herbs add seasoning, if required, and add to your meal 15 or 20 minutes before you serve. It’s important that you don’t add the herbs too early in the cooking cycle as they will lose their potency.

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