The Amazing Powers Of Culinary Herbs
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That glass jar of dried mixed herbs lingering in the back of your cupboard contains more goodness than you think – although that depends on just how long ago you bought it of course. For even once dried, culinary herbs such as oregano and thyme still have within them considerable amounts of antioxidants, which are beneficial compounds found in colourful foods that help prevent ageing in the body [1]. Not just super tasty, this is a further reason to pep up your cooking with culinary herbs!
Sadly the standard American/Western diet does not tend to be very herb heavy, or even herb light. The closest many get to an herb is oregano on their pizza (although oregano does rank as the top herb for antioxidant content so that’s definitely better than none at all). It pales in comparison to the herb-packed cuisines of Mediterranean countries such as Italy and Greece as well as North Africa, South America and Asia (let’s face it all countries where cooking from scratch and eating from the land are the norm).
Marinade your meat in herbs
With their antibacterial and antioxidant properties, in addition to adding flavour, herbs (as well as spices) have traditionally been used to kill bacteria on foods in times of pre or no refrigeration. They also transfer their antioxidant benefits to browned meats when the meat is marinated beforehand in herbs such a rosemary or thyme and extra virgin olive oil, which also extremely rich in antioxidants. Marinating the meat this way offsets the negatives of cooking it at a high heat on a bbq, namely the formation of harmful substances such as heterocyclic amines (HCAs) and advanced glycation end (AGEs), both of which have been linked to a higher risk of colon cancer [2] and premature ageing.
“A life without herbs would be very boring indeed. Because that would mean a life without interest and flavour”
As a nutritional chef, I like to use a lot of herbs in my cooking for both flavour and health benefits. Fresh herbs are great in foods such salsas and dressings for buddha bowls – which can really make the meal - or as a generous sprinkle or garnish on final dishes. Soft herbs like coriander and parsley keep well in the fridge, either wrapped in damp kitchen towel or in a glass of water. Rosemary works really with vegetables or potatoes – release some of the oils by bending and twisting the stalks before mixing in the roasting pan and roasting in the oven. I’ve just moved from a house with a big rosemary bush in the garden to a house without any, something I’m going to have to remedy very soon.
Dried herbs lend themselves better to longer cook meals such as chillies, stews and pasta sauces, but equally can be sprinkled over vegetables prior to baking and used in marinades. Try to use them within 12 months of opening the jar.
Herbal tea magic
You can of course also make your own therapeutic herbal teas with fresh and dried herbs. Dried or fresh thyme, for example, is very helpful if you have a cough, simmered with ginger, garlic (if you’re feeling brave) and sweetened with some good quality honey for extra antibacterial benefit. The woodier herbs such as rosemary and thyme benefit from being boiled in a pan of water for 5-10 minutes and then leaving to steep, while softer herbs like peppermint and lemon balm are just fine added to a mug of just boiled water and left to stew for 10 minutes (leave a lid on the pan, cup or tea pot to keep the beneficial oils from escaping in the steam). While peppermint is good as a digestive after meals, lemon balm tea is wonderfully mood lifting. Although fresh is lovely, tea bags are often a more convenient way to make a herbal tea – it is recommended though to seek out an organic brand to avoid unnecessary pesticides in your cup.
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Some Interesting facts about Basil
There are at least 60 different varieties of Basil grown across the world
The variety Sweet Basil is the queen of all Italian herbs (in fact the word Basil comes from the Greek word for royal – basilikon)
It is considered a holy herb in Asia, where it is literally called Holy Basil (also called Tulsi)
It is a digestive herb, meaning it aids the breakdown of foods in the intestines
It is anti bacterial and anti-worm
It loves to live on a sunny window sill
It will (mostly) always come to back to life with a good watering
Regular pruning (ie eating) of the plant keeps it bushy and producing new leaves
It belongs to the same plant family as mint (and with similar health benefits)
Holy Basil contains two flavonoids (orientin and vicenin) that have been found to protect our DNA from damage and maintain cell structure [3].
Some interesting facts about Parsley
It has been grown for some 2,500 years and prior to being eaten as a food was a popular medicinal plant
It is very rich in both vitamin C and iron (a helpful combination that means more iron is absorbed) as well as vitamin A and folic acid (which tends to be found in highest concentration in green leaves) and contains good amounts of the minerals calcium, magnesium and potassium.
It is a “depurative” herb, which means it has purifying and detoxifying benefits. It helps to eliminate toxins from the body and is therefore helpful for cellulite
It is a great breath freshener thanks to its high chlorophyll content and has traditionally been found in recipes using garlic…
It is an anti viral
It stimulates the digestion
It can curb your appetite
It is helpful to counter water retention – like celery it contains a compound called coumarin that draws out water held in the space between the cells
Some interesting facts about Coriander
Both the dried seeds (the spice) and the fresh leaves (the herb) are used in cooking
The herb may help to remove toxic heavy metals from tissues in the body, such as mercury, lead and aluminium, and also the viruses like chlamydia and herpes simplex that hide out alongside them [4]
It belongs to the same family as parsley (and looks quite similar) and is also known as Chinese parsley
It has been used in cooking for 7000 years, making it one of the oldest herbs in the world
Some interesting facts about Rosemary
It also belongs to the same family as mint and basil (but looks completely different, more like pine needles)
A sniff of Rosemary oil (released if you crush some of the leaves between your fingers) can aid memory, attention and focus
Can easily be boiled in hot water to make a brain boosting tonic tea
It is helpful for boosting circulation to the extremities
It is a digestive aid
It is unofficially classed in the “adaptogen” bracket (alongside the likes of official adaptogens ashwaghanda, rhodiola and Siberian ginseng), thanks to its wide array of health benefits for different body systems
Given its extremely high antioxidant content, rosemary extract is now used a natural antioxidant/preservative in many processed foods
The main antioxidant in Rosemary, rosmarinic acid, is a powerful anti-inflammatory and as such helpful for conditions such as asthma, arthritis, heart disease and even obesity [5].
Herbs are truly versatile and are a great way to add flavour, colour and antioxidants to what can otherwise be bland meals. What’s your favourite herb? And after reading about their benefits, which might become your new favourite? Let me know in the comment section below.
References
[1] Henning, Susanne M et al. “Antioxidant capacity and phytochemical content of herbs and spices in dry, fresh and blended herb paste form.” International journal of food sciences and nutrition vol. 62,3 (2011): 219-25. doi:10.3109/09637486.2010.530595
[2] Martínez Góngora, Victoria et al. “Dietary Heterocyclic Amine Intake and Colorectal Adenoma Risk: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.” Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention : a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology vol. 28,1 (2019): 99-109. doi:10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-17-1017
[3] Sharma, Pooja et al. “Structure-Activity Relationship Studies on Holy Basil (Ocimum sanctum L.) Based Flavonoid Orientin and its Analogue for Cytotoxic Activity in Liver Cancer Cell Line HepG2.” Combinatorial chemistry & high throughput screening vol. 19,8 (2016): 656-666. doi:10.2174/1386207319666160709192801
[4] Omura, Y, and S L Beckman. “Role of mercury (Hg) in resistant infections & effective treatment of Chlamydia trachomatis and Herpes family viral infections (and potential treatment for cancer) by removing localized Hg deposits with Chinese parsley and delivering effective antibiotics using various drug uptake enhancement methods.” Acupuncture & electro-therapeutics research vol. 20,3-4 (1995): 195-229. doi:10.3727/036012995816357014
[5] Vasileva, Liliya V et al. “Rosmarinic acid attenuates obesity and obesity-related inflammation in human adipocytes.” Food and chemical toxicology : an international journal published for the British Industrial Biological Research Association vol. 149 (2021): 112002. doi:10.1016/j.fct.2021.112002