There are medicinal herbs right in your own kitchen cabinet

Most people don’t realize it, but we all have medicinal herbs right in our kitchen cabinets. Once you know what you have, you can begin cooking to improve your health.

The following is a list of some of the most common kitchen herbs and their medicinal uses.

Basil – Relieves menstrual cramps and gas, reduces fever.
Bay Leaf – Good for indigestion, relieves cough and congestion.
Cayenne – Kills germs, boost immune system, clears congestion.
Cinnamon – Kills germs, regulates blood sugar, reduces diarrhea.
Cumin – Helps with pain and indigestion.
Dill – Good for colds, boosts immune system, relieves constipation.
Fennel – Aids digestion, improves eyesight, relieves cough and cramps.
Garlic – Boosts immune system, lowers cholesterol, combats fatigue.
Ginger – Helps with indigestion, reduces nausea, reduces headaches.
Mint – Relieves gas and cramping.
Nutmeg – Reduces nausea, stress and insomnia.
Oregano – Reduces pain and inflammation.
Parsley – Combats bladder infections and dandruff.
Rosemary – Boosts energy and memory, high in antioxidants.
Sage – Good for sore throats, relieves cramps and bladder infection.
Thyme – Good for bronchitis, antiseptic and anti-fungal.

Of course, this is just the tip of the iceberg. There are more uses for the herbs I’ve listed, and many more herbs that can be used in your cooking. It can be well worth your time to learn the potential medicinal properties of the herbs and spices you keep in your cabinet. Once you know what you have, you can easily create meals that have real healing properties. As you become more familiar with your cooking herbs, you can improve your family’s health by making food that is not only tasty, but medicinal as well.

Take some time, and take stock of what you have in your spice rack. Get a book on cooking herbs and their medicinal properties, or do some research online. Don’t be afraid to look beyond what you already have as well. You will find that there are many delicious herbs and spices that have great health benefits. With a little time and research, you could be baking spiced cookies that cure your kid’s colds, or making soup that relieves your menstrual woes.

As with any herbal use, you should be sure that you know potential side effects that may occur from overuse or improper combination of herbs. Even when you’re cooking, you need to be mindful of what herbs can do. It is particularly important if anyone you’re feeding is taking prescription medication, as herbs can sometimes have poor interactions with those products. Gain some knowledge, then have fun making some truly healthy food!

Briana Blair

Briana Blair is an author and artisan. She has published more then 30 books and thousands of articles across multiple sites. After practicing Paganism and witchcraft for 25 years, she's now on a journey as an atheist and skeptic. She's eclectic, unpredictable, and always evolving. Facebook - Twitter