Medicinal Culinary Herbs + Spices
Nov 25, 2022
Almost all culinary herbs have their place in herbal medicine and, though often overlooked, they make great remedies to very common ailments.
Something I really appreciate about simple kitchen herbalism is that it is incredibly accessible. Most of these herbs and spices are available to everyone, even if you are on food stamps.
The Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 states that families can use SNAP benefits to purchase seeds and plants that produce food for consumption.
If you are trying to get into herbal medicine and you see the value in empowered health care, or if you work with people or have family members that need more assistance, working with culinary herbs is a really effective, simple, and good place to start.
I took a workshop a few years ago with Amanda David from Root Work Herbals on this very subject at an herbal conference, and it was very enlightening. This workshop serves as a solid reminder that some of the most effective remedies are simple and easily accessible for all!
Wellness culture often tries to sell us herbs that are expensive, beautifully packaged and strongly marketed to us as a luxury item. This is what we call gatekeeping. These herbal remedies and resources are often overpriced and difficult to access which is just another way that our wellness and collective healing as well as our relationship to the earth gets co-opted, capitalized, and made inaccessible.
Engaging in kitchen herbalism is a great way to push back against the commodification of herbal medicine and to include the medicinal, therapeutic properties of herbs in your everyday meals.
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KITCHEN HERBALISM
When I talk about kitchen herbalism, I am referring to the use of culinary herbs and spices as medicine. Herbs are the fresh aerial parts of the plant while spices refer to the dried seeds or root of a plant.
Most culinary herbs will fall under the label of aromatics.
Aromatics are substances that deliver deep, rounded flavor and aroma when heated or crushed.
Aromatics with the root word aroma might make you think of aromatherapy, and you are correct in making this association!
Many of our common kitchen herbs have high volatile oil content; volatile oils are the essential oils in plants that serve different functions in the plant like protection, attracting pollinators, and general defense.
Volatile oils have wide effects on the body, and one of the most remarkable benefits is that they have a relaxing effect on the soft muscle of the body. Soft muscle can be found in digestive system organs as well as other other organ tissue.
In fact, when used in cooking and in medicine, these herbs improve your digestion process. This is why you will find meats and animal products being paired with strong herbs in many cultures such as mints and sages being mixed with fatty pork or sage. In Indian cuisine, you see heavy creams and fats paired with pungent spices like cinnamons, gingers, curry, turmeric, and cumin.
Not only do aromatics make food taste amazing and pleasurable, but they also help us digest our food better because of their effects on our different systems.
Whether you are inviting these herbs and spices into your meals or into your life as medicine, you really can’t go wrong either way!
GARLIC
Allium sativum
Always the star of the show, garlic is a simple and amazing plant used in countless cultures to make food taste amazing. It also has phenomenal healing properties, meaning that it is anti-fungal, antiviral, antibacterial, and a general immune modulator.
Garlic can be soothing to colds and flu symptoms and decrease microbial infections in general. It does not work like a pharmaceutical antibiotic which will often wipe out all bacteria. Instead, garlic actually differentiates between good and bad bacteria in the gut.
Garlic also inhibits bacteria and viruses which makes it an incredibly effective treatment for conditions like upper respiratory infections, small intestinal bacteria overgrowth, ear infections, and other ailments.
One of the reasons why garlic has an affinity for the upper respiratory tract and the lungs is because it is expelled from the body via the detoxification pathways in the lungs. This is also why when you eat a lot of garlic, your breath gets smelly.
Garlic is also a valuable circulatory system herb used for decreasing the build up of plaque in arteries, to optimize and lower cholesterol, and to decrease blood pressure. When using garlic for its antibacterial properties, raw garlic is ideal since garlics antimicrobial properties are killed off in heat. However, when working with garlic for the circulatory system, raw or cooked will get you the benefits you are seeking.
Depending on how you want to work with garlic, you do have options, but I always recommend taking it with food.
My favorite way to eat garlic is to add it to a stir fry, to my eggs, or in whatever soups and sauces I am cooking. I like to add fresh garlic to yogurt alongside herbs like dill, onion, parsley, and salt and pepper and eat that with chicken or fresh veggies.
In a pinch for medicine, I often crush it up, let it sit on the counter for a few minutes which helps to activate the allicin content (garlic’s primary anti-microbial compound) and then chew it up and swallow it with water.
GINGER
Zingibar officinalis
Another common culinary herb that is a valuable addition to our kitchen and medicine cabinet is ginger: zingibar officials. Ginger is commonly used in asian dishes in my household and in immune boosting medicines in my apothecary.
Ginger is my go to herbal catalyst in formulations; and herbal catalyst is an herb that increases movement in the systems because of its pungent taste and warming properties.
A catalyst simply helps other herbs do their job because of how it moves energy in the body, perhaps by affecting the liver, the circulatory system, the digestive system, and so on.
Ginger is an antiviral and is good for colds and flus. It is often recommended topically for inflammation, muscle cramps, menstrual cramps, and soft tissue healing. Ginger can also help to reduce inflammation and repair damaged joints, alleviate arthritis pain, and reduce nausea.
We often hear about ginger being a first trimester herb because of its ability to soothe muscles, headache symptoms, and morning sickness.
Because of ginger’s essential oil content, it soothes stomach cramps, indigestion, gas, and bloating. Remember, all essential oils will have an effect on the smooth muscle of the body which is the organ tissue of the digestive system.
Because of its essential oil content, I most prefer ginger as a tea, fresh or dried. I do find that it is one of the rare herbs that translates well into pre-bagged tea. You can eat this plant, drink its tea, add it to your meals or desserts, and so much more. You really can’t go wrong by adding it to your medicine or kitchen cabinet!
SAGE
Salvia officinalis
Sage leaf is another aromatic herb that supports the digestion of rich and fatty meat. Beyond its classic culinary pairings, sage also helps to lower cholesterol, supports the liver with bitter compounds, rebuilds vitality after a long illness, and is a mild hormone stimulant.
This quality makes it valuable to stimulate stagnant menstruation, offers relief to hot flashes and night sweats, and pre-mature ejaculation and night emissions. It seems to work primarily because of its drying effect on the body. Sage also helps to reduce sweating and dries up breast milk.
Beyond its hormonal effects, sage is a cold and flu fighter. It is an antiseptic and has a relaxing action on the mucous membranes. Sage is a classic remedy for inflammation in the mouth, throat, and tonsils and makes a good throat spray or gargle for itchy and sore throats. It can be used to soothe the pain of sore gums and reduce canker sores as well.
ROSEMARY
Rosmarinus officinalis
Rosemary is an easy-to-grow culinary and medicinal herb that boasts warming, drying, pungent, aromatic, carminative, circulatory simulating, hepatic, antimicrobial, stimulating/relaxing nervine properties, and antioxidant properties.
It is often paired with fatty meats because it supports the liver’s ability to digest fats, and because it is warming, it can ease slow or cold digestion. This quality makes it a valuable medicinal herb to reduce gas, nausea, cramping, and bloating.
Rosemary is valuable for pain relief and its antioxidant properties decrease oxidative stress and inflammation in the body. It is anti-arthritic, both topically and internally.
Symbolically, rosemary has been used in funerals and weddings as an herb of remembrance. It is also shown to boost short-term memory and increase cognitive function, benefits that can be accessed through simply smelling the essential oil or live plant.
Finally, rosemary is beneficial to heart health and can be used to increase circulation and decrease inflammation in cardiovascular system.
Fennel
Trigonella foenum-graecum
Our last herb is the wonderful fennel plant. Fennel is a warming, drying, and pungent herb. It is an aromatic, anti-spasmodic, and carminative classically served with Indian cuisine at the end of the meal to support digestion.
As a digestion supporting herb, it assists motility in cases of constipation, relieves indigestion, reduces gas and bloating, and improves digestion overall.
Fennel is a natural antacid, neutralizing excessive acids in the stomach and intestines and clearing uric acid in the joints in the case of excess joint pain.
Fennel makes a great addition to food like meats and beans, and it can also be used as a tea, tincture, syrup, or essential oil!
I hope this list helps you see the benefits of culinary herbs on your wellness journey and encourages you to start incorporating more herbs and spices into your cooking routine!
Listen to this post on the Herbs + Ease Podcast for a more detailed educational experience!
Kristen Prosen