Herb-Important Role of Herbs

Natural herbs play an enormously important role in todays modern world, and if you are to appreciate the importance natural herbs have, then you must first understand about where they came from, and what use they are primarily used for in today’s world.

What are Natural Herbs?

In essence, natural herbs have been around for ages, they have been a great source of nutrition and flavor in the human diet, and they have also been the main source of medicine and healing throughout human history, and the fact that they are still used widely today is not a throwback to the olden times but rather is an indication that natural herbs are a growing part of even today’s high technology world.

Many people with chronic diseases turn to natural remedies for cure, relief and a better life. Medicinal herbs fall into a category known as complementary or alternative medicine. For centuries, herbs have come to our rescue helping us cure serious illnesses and give us relief from pain and suffering.

There are hundreds of species of the herb. It has been regarded as a medicine for thousands of years. It has extremely active compounds such as choline, pectin, hypericin and pseudohypericin. The flowers and leaves act as analgesic, antiseptic, digestive, diuretic, astringent, sedative and stimulant. Some compounds of the plant have proven anti-retroviral capabilities without grave side effects. It is said in some medical circles to play an important role to play in the treatment of AIDS.Herbs is also known to have mild anti depressant qualities.

Herbs have higher antioxidant activity than fruits, vegetables and some spices, the researchers say. Oregano ranked highest among the more familiar herbs, but dill, thyme, rosemary and peppermint also had a very high antioxidant capacity. One tablespoon of fresh oregano contains the same antioxidant activity as one medium-sized apple says Shiow Y. Wang, Ph.D., the study’s lead researcher and a biochemist with the USDA’s Beltsville Agricultural Research Center in Beltsville, Md.




Their findings appear in the November, 2006 print issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Chemical Society, the world’s largest scientific society.

The science community believes that consumption of antioxidant-rich foods reduces damage to cells and biochemicals from free radicals - charged molecules that are generated by a variety of sources including pollution, UV sunlight, and environmental toxins.This may slow down, prevent, or even reverse certain diseases that result from cellular damage including cancer, heart disease and stroke, and perhaps even slow down the natural aging process.

Fruits, vegetables and whole grains have long been considered as a rich source of antioxidants. Now, herbs have emerged as a quick and easy way to get a concentrated source of antioxidants — without all the extra calories of whole foods, Wang says.