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Spices & |
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| HERBS | |
| SPICES |
Ajwain
:: Allspice ::
Bay Leaf ::
Black Cardamon ::
Green Cardamon ::
Cinnamon ::
Cloves ::
Cumin ::
Cayenne Pepper
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| VEGETABLES |
Herbs are classified in many ways. Some of them are
The classification system is discussed in detail under but we will
describe the hers as classified according to the period of the life.
According to the usage, the herbs are classified in four parts:
Medicinal herbs, Culinary herbs, Aromatic herbs, Ornamental herbs.
Medicinal herbs have curative powers and are used in making medicines because of their healing properties.
Culinary herbs are probably the mostly used as cooking herbs because of their strong flavors like mint, parsley, basil.
Aromatic herbs have some common uses because of their pleasant smelling flowers or foliage. Oils from aromatic herbs can be used to produce perfumes, toilet water, and various scents. For e.g. mint, rosemary, basil etc.
Ornamental herbs are used for decoration because they have brightly
colored flowers and foliage like lavender, chives.
According to the active constituents present in them, the herbs
are divided into five major categories: Aromatic (volatile oils),
Astringents (tannins), Bitter (phenolic compounds, saponins, and
alkaloids), Mucilagnious (polysacharides), and Nutritive (food stuffs).
Aromatic Herbs, the name is a reflection of the pleasant odor that many
of these herbs have. They are used extensively both therapeutically and as
flavorings and perfumes. Aromatic herbs are divided into two
subcategories: stimulants and nervines.
Stimulant Herbs increase energy and activities of the body, or its
parts or organs, and most often affect the respiratory, digestive, and
circulatory systems. E.g. fennel, ginger, garlic, lemon grass.
Nervine Herbs are often used to heal and soothe the nervous
system, and often affect the respiratory, digestive, and circulatory
systems as well. They are often used in teas or in encapsulated form, e.g.
ginger, catnip.
Astringent Herbs have tannins, which have the ability to precipitate proteins, and this "tightens," contracts, or tones living tissue, and helps to halt discharges. They affect the digestive, urinary, and circulatory systems, and large doses are toxic to the liver. They are analgesic, antiseptic, antiabortive, astringent, emmenaggogue, homostatic, and styptic. For e.g. peppermint, red raspberry.
Bitter Herbs are named because of the presence of phenols and phenolic
glycosides, alkaloids, or saponins, and are divided into four
subcategories: laxative herbs, diuretic herbs, saponin-containing herbs,
and aloaloid-containing herbs.
Laxative Bitter herbs include alterative, anticatarrhal,
antipyretic, cholagogue, purgative, hepatonic, sialagogue, vermifuge, and
blood purifier. For e.g. aloe, cascara, licorice, pumpkin, senna, yellow
dock, yucca, barberry, gentian, safflowers, and golden seal.
Diuretic Herbs induce loss of fluid from the body through the
urinary system. The fluids released help cleanse the vascular system,
kidneys, and liver. They are alterative, antibiotic, anticatarrhal,
antipyretic, antiseptic, lithotriptic, and blood purifier in nature. For
e.g. asparagus, blessed thistle, burdock, butcher's broom, buchu,
chaparral, chickweed, cornsilk, dandelion, dog grass, grapevine, and
parsley.
Saponin-containing Herbs are known for their ability to produce
frothing or foaming in solution with water. The name "saponin"
comes from the Latin word for soap. They emulsify fat soluble molecules in
the digestive tract, and their most important property is to enhance the
body's ability to absorb other active compounds.
Saponins have the ability to effectively dissolve the cell membranes of
red blood cells and disrupt them. They are alterative, anticatarrhal,
antispasmodic, aphrodisiac, emmenagugue, cardiac stimulant, and increased
longevity in nature. For e.g. yam root, schizandra, black cohosh, blue
cohosh, devil's claw, licorice, alfalfa, yucca, ginseng, and gotu kola.
Mucilaginous herbs derive their properties from the polysaccharides they
contain, which give these herbs a slippery, mild taste that is sweet in
water. All plants product mucilage in some form to store water and
hydrates as a food reserve. Since most mucilages are not broken down by
the human digestive system, but absorb toxins from the bowel and give bulk
to the stool, these herbs are most effective topically as poultices and
knitting agents, and are also used topically in the digestive tract. When
used as lozenges or extracts, they have a demulcent action on the throat.
They eliminate the toxins from the intestinal system, help in regulating
it and reduce the bowel transit time. They are antibiotic, antacid,
demulcent, emollient, culnerary, and detoxifier in nature. For e.g.
althea, aloe, burdock, comfrey, dandelion, echinacea, fenugreek, kelp,
psylium, slippery elm, dulse, glucomannan from Konjak root, Irish moss,
and mullein.
These herbs derive both their name and their classification from the
nutritive value they provide to the diet. They are true foods and provide
some medicinal effects as fiber, mucilage, and diuretic action. But most
importantly they provide the nutrition of protein, carbohydrates, and
fats, plus the vitamins and minerals that are necessary for adequate
nutrition. For e.g. rosehips, acerola, apple, asparagus, banana, barley
grass, bee pollen, bilberry, broccoli, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower,
grapefruit, hibiscus, lemon, oatstraw, oniono, orange, papaya, pineapple,
red clover, spirulina, stevia, and wheat germ.
According to the period of life, herbs also can be
classified as annuals, biennials, and perennials. Annuals bloom one season
and then die. Biennials live for two seasons, blooming the second season
only. Once established, perennials live over winter and bloom each season.
Annual herbs complete their life cycle in one year; start them
from seed. Annual herbs include
Perennial herbs grow for more than one season and include sweet marjoram, parsley, mint, sage, thyme and chives. Most can be started from young plants except for parsley.
Biennial herbs are plants which live two season and bloom in the second season only.
