The Various Uses of Essential Oils and Herbs
For thousands of years the human race has utilized herbs in a great many 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.
Through the ions o time there have been various other uses of herbs which we will not be looking at here and these include them being used as money, as a disinfectant and as a perfume or powerful smell to mask disgusting smells. Herbs come from various parts of the world and each race commonly 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. A great many Christians will recall myrrh from the Nativity (myrrh is the dried sap of Commiphora myrrha). Hindus will be very familiar with the Tulsi plant, which is a form of Basil, as it is cultivated by many and revered as a Goddess. In Pagan and Wiccan beliefs herbs are used widely in spells, rituals as well as for healing.
Herbs In The Kitchen
The leaves of various plants are used in cooking however there is a distinction between leafy vegetables, such as lettuce, and a herb, such as oregano, in that the latter are used in minute amounts due to their distinctive, and powerful flavor. Virtually every person in the world 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 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 studied.
Essential Oils
An essential oil is the substance extracted from a variety of plants. Essential oils are invariably manufactured by the process called distillation but some require a different process of extraction such as by using solvents or expression.
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 variety 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 legs are extremely 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 more soundly.
Herbs should be handled with great 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 baby as something that seems safe could be surprisingly problematic, such as peppermint oil which should not be used in its raw state. However spearmint and a few other mild oils can be used but to avoid the risk of miscarriage you should avoid all herbs and essential oils unless you are one hundred percent certain they are safe.
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