Phytotherapy >>>> Spices and herbal medicine

Spices and herbal medicine.

Spicy plants that have a specific smell and taste, which attracted the attention of culinary experts back in ancient times, who learned to skillfully camouflage the natural, but not always attractive for nutrition, tastes and smells of fish, game, vegetables, as well as poorly prepared dishes - these are plants from the list of medicinal. Almost all spicy - flavoring plants are included in the catalog of medicinal plants.

It is precisely because of the pronounced healing effects of spicy plants that it is not customary to abuse it in the diet. The medicinal properties of spices lie in their ability to have a significant effect on the human body, in particular on the tissues of the digestive system, on the excretory function (urination and feces), on the human microbiocenosis, on the regenerative properties of tissues that form organs.

Spicy plants, used in unlimited quantities, can cause significant changes in human health towards its deterioration, but the skillful use of spices in cooking can have a twofold effect:

improve the taste of food and make it more attractive
heal the body by regulating some of its dysfunctions.

In other words, spicy plants can and should be used in nutrition, combining their pleasant properties with medicinal ones.

Essential oils (they are phytoncides) and bitterness are natural antiseptics, and they are not addicted to them if there are problems with disorders of the intestinal microflora. But the same substances of spicy plants are excellent defenders of the body in cases where there are reasons for disinfecting the body: the skin or mucous membrane (used externally) or the digestive tract (used with food). These spicy - flavoring plants are familiar to everyone: roots (radish, radish, horseradish), leaves (onion, garlic, mustard)

Tannins and bitterness in spicy plants, in turn, stimulate digestion. They are able to stimulate the secretion of digestive enzymes, speed up the digestion of food, and not cause stagnation in the intestines. These include Anise, Fennel, Cumin, Turmeric, Mint. Salivation (beginning of digestion) is enhanced by citrus peel, pepper, mustard.

Tannins in spices are hemostatic agents (narrowing capillaries) and protective agents (form a film on the mucous membrane, preventing the penetration of harmful microorganisms) - these are Cinnamon, Vanilla, Nutmeg, Oregano, Sage, Basil.

These plants remove fluid from the body and actively affect kidney function: Juniper, Parsley, Celery, Lovage, Marjoram.

Almost all spicy plants have their own area of influence on the functions of the body. For this reason, when using a seasoning for food, it is worth primarily interested in its medicinal properties in order to avoid unnecessary health problems, and to get a culinary dish with a healing effect, and not with adverse side effects on health.