Meet our new favourite super-herbs!

These four potent little herbs are all in our winter menu. They have some pretty noteworthy health benefits. Check them out:

Mint

• Digestive aid: relieves bloating, nausea, indigestion, cramps, spasms, IBS
• Antispasmodic: relaxes smooth muscle in the GIT
• Anti-microbial: wages war on germs and nasties
• Anti-allergic: helps prevent histamine release
• Analgesic: helps reduce pain – great for tension headaches!
• Respiratory aid: clears and soothes the respiratory tract
• Stimulant and cognitive aid: mint tea is a good alternative to caffeine when you need your brain cells to get their busy on in the evening but still want to fall asleep afterwards!
• Antioxidant (oh yes, we all love a bit of anti-ageing, cell-protecting goodness)

Parsley

• Digestive aid: it… um, helps you go to the loo more often
• Astringent and purifier: cleanses the liver, kidneys, intestines and blood
• Anti-microbial: helps ward off infection
• Immune booster: repairs and strengthens
• Cardiovascular aid: prevents hardening of the arteries and helps eliminate blood clots
• Anti-inflammatory: supports joint health and relieves arthritis
• Anti-carcinogenic: helps inhibit tumor formation and neutralizes carcinogens
• Antioxidant (bye bye free radicals)

Rosemary

• Anti-bacterial: less bugs, more goodness
• Antispasmodic: reduces cramps and spasms in the gut
• Hepatoprotective: loves your liver (someone has to)
• Anti-inflammatory: reduces inflammation throughout the body
• Anti-mutagenic: doesn’t stop you from turning into a mutant but does reduce the effect of toxins on cells (we like)
• Improves cognitive function: making you all alert and perky and stuff
• Mood booster: popular remedy for depression
• Antioxidant (yep, this super-herb keeps your cells young too)

Thyme

• Respiratory aid: your new super-weapon against colds, flus and the like
• Anti-tussive and expectorant: calms coughing and helps produce um… mucus
• Antimicrobial: less of the nasty stuff
• Astringent: it’s a great disinfectant for skin conditions
• Digestive aid: useful in treating gastritis, dyspepsia and other stomach complaints
• Antispasmodic: reduces cramps and spasms in the gut
• Antihelmintic: fights off parasites (particularly of the wormy kind, ew)
• Antioxidant: (herbs really are your new anti-ageing friends)

And there you have it. Who would have thought these weed-like creatures could be so darn useful... Is it us or do herb gardens suddenly seem less pretentious master-chef, more medicinal genius?

Sources: 
1. Herbs & Natural Supplements, An evidence-based guide, 2nd edition, Lesley Braun and Marc Cohen, Churchill Livingstone (Elsevier), Australia, 2007
2. The Juice Fasting Bible, Sandra Cabot M.D., Ulysses Press, USA, 2007