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Mint is a perennial with very fragrant, toothed leaves and tiny purple, pink, or white flowers. It has a fruity, aromatic taste. There are a number of varieties of mint—all fragrant, whether shiny or fuzzy, smooth or crinkled, bright green or variegated. However, you can always tell a member of the mint family by its square stem, this include sweet mint, spearmint, peppermint, and chocolate mint which are fast-growing, spreading plants, so you must give them a place to spread without getting in the way, or plant them in a pot.

Mint sends out runners that spread above and just below the ground, quickly forming large, lush green patches. In the right place it makes a pretty seasonal ground cover. You can also contain mint in tight places such as between pavers of a walkway where your feet will brush against the leaves to release its fragrance.

Benefits and its Uses:

• Mint is used as flavor cubes by freezing a few trays of strong mint tea, then using the ice cubes for cooling summer drinks.
• Mint is a breath freshener, Just chew on a few mint leaves. However, don’t use chew mint-family herbs if you’re breastfeeding, as this may reduce milk supply
• Fresh mint leaves are a nice complement to lamb, fish, poultry, and vegetables such as peas, new potatoes, and carrots. Mint also blends well with green or fruit salads and beverages such as punch, lemonade, and tea.
• Mint is also known for easing queasy stomachs, calming anxiety, and promoting restful sleep.

 Thyme is an aromatic perennial evergreen herb with culinary, medicinal, and ornamental uses. The most common form has the scientific name Thymus vulgaris. This herb is native to the Mediterranean region and certain parts of Africa, and its use dates back to the Egyptian empire. Thyme is thought to have antifungal, antibacterial, insecticidal, and possibly antifungal properties.

Benefits

Let’s take a detailed look at some of the health benefits of this shrub:-

• Extracts of mastic thyme may protect from colon cancers while wild thyme induces cell death in breast cancer cells.
• Thyme has been used as an expectorant and is particularly helpful as a remedy for upper respiratory tract problems like bronchitis.
• It is packed with vitamin C and is also a good source of vitamin A. If you feel a cold coming on, thyme can help get you back in good health,
• Thyme is a good source of copper, fiber, iron, and manganese.
• Thyme is a wonderful ingredient that’s used in cuisines around the world, particularly in France, Italy, and across the Mediterranean. It is a main ingredient in this cleansing take on pesto sauce, which you can use as a condiment or add to pasta or rice.
• The most active ingredient found in thyme is thymol. This organic compound has a wide range of effects on the body, including its ability to prevent fungal and viral infections, thereby reducing strain on the immune system.
• The high concentration of iron and other essential minerals in thyme make it ideal for stimulating the production of red blood cells, thereby boosting blood circulation and oxygenation to the essential organ systems of the body.
• The concentration of carotenoids and vitamin A found in thyme make it an effective antioxidant agent for your vision health. Carotenoids can neutralize the free radicals in your ocular system and slow the onset of macular degeneration and prevent cataracts.
• The rich blend of antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins in thyme have many small effects on the heart, but potassium and manganese are particularly important. Potassium is a vasodilator, meaning that it can reduce the stress on the cardiovascular system by relaxing blood vessels and lowering blood pressure. This can extend your life by preventing atherosclerosis and avoiding strokes, heart attacks, and coronary heart diseases.
• Organic and natural skin care products can now be found at most retailers, and many contain thyme, thanks to its antiseptic and antifungal properties, it is also a common ingredient in mouthwash. Thyme is also a popular ingredient in natural deodorants and is often included in potpourri.

 

You probably recognize parsley as a familiar fresh herb or dried spice, but did you know that this everyday herb could prove to be a boon to your health? Even when eaten in small amounts, there are numerous parsley health benefits because it’s packed with beneficial nutrients, essential oils and antioxidants — to the point that it’s often called a superfood.

Parsley is a pretty little Mediterranean herb that lends a sprinkling of color to your plate. But let’s not think of it as just a garnish—after all, parsley has been around for more than 2000 years and was highly regarded in Greek culture since it was used in various ceremonies. The Romans also used it in many ways. Pliny the Elder, a 1^st century AD historian, wrote that it was consumed by people from all walks of life. At first, it was used only as a medicinal plant, but later on, it was consumed as a food and boasts some time-tested benefits that you should know about.

Using parsley in cooking is a great way to boost the taste and improve the look of a dish without adding extra sodium, or salt, to the meal. Parsley can also provide nutritional benefits to the bones and immune system.

 

The following possible health benefits have been linked to consuming parsley.

Provides beneficial essentials that fight Cancer:

Parsley contains unique elements in its oil known as volatile oil components — myristicin, limonene, eugenol and alpha-thujene. These powerful oil components benefit the body’s immune system and help fight cancer formation, in particular slowing tumor growth, neutralizing oxidative stress and fighting off carcinogens from harming the body.

Improving one’s bones health:

Low vitamin K intake has been associated with a higher risk of bone fracture. Consuming an adequate amount of vitamin K may improve bone health by improving calcium absorption and reducing the excretion of calcium in the urine. It works together with the other bone-building nutrients in parsley — calcium, phosphorus, vitamin D and magnesium.

Improves Digestion:

Parsley, and parsley essential oil, are used to cure a number of gastrointestinal symptoms and disorders, including gas, constipation, bloating, indigestion and nausea. According to Ayurveda practices, parsley benefits digestion because parsley essential oil can help increase bile production and beneficial gastric juices that are needed for proper enzyme functions involved in food and nutrient absorption. Parsley essential oil can be added to a bath or diluted and rubbed on the stomach area for relief.

Reduce Bad breath:

Another parsley benefit is that it’s a great way to naturally reduce bad breath. Parsley is a natural breath freshener because it kills the bacteria in the mouth that cause odors.

Hormonal Balance:

Since it helps to prevent neural tube defects that can result when a folate deficiency takes place, the folate within parsley is also important for a healthy pregnancy. Another one of the parsley’s benefits? It’s believed to help balance hormones — important for fertility and preventing symptoms of PMS.

Parsley can be grown in cooler climates, or in subtropical warmer climates, but it does best when planted in moist soil that gets a lot of sunshine. You can normally find parsley year-round, as it’s cultivated in many different areas of the world with varied climates and tends to grow in large quantities pretty easily.

Oregano is a popular herb that many people think of as merely a spice to improve or enhance the flavor of their food, but in reality, this perennial herb, with the scientific name of Origanum vulgare, has a treasure of health benefits that most people don’t realize at all. Its name means “mountain joy,” and oregano was revered as a symbol of happiness by the ancient Greeks and Romans.

The chemicals that give the herb its unique and pleasant smell are thymol, pinene, limonene, carvacrol, ocimene, and caryophyllene. It is believed to contain potent antioxidants and to have anti-bacterial properties. Oregano has developed a popular following as a veritable cure for many health concerns, but the research to back up all of those claims is still a topic of debate. However, there are a number of potent active ingredients in oregano that have been deeply studied, and their effects on the body are redundant. Oil of oregano is an extremely concentrated form of oregano and is used to treat a number of conditions, but it should always be diluted, as it is very potent.

The oregano plant has tiny leaves which have a pungent aroma. These leaves are widely used in various Mediterranean cuisines. The plant bears pink or purple flowers. These flowers are also edible and are used in some rice dishes, pasta, pizza and any broccoli dishes. Its leaves are used in a fresh or dried form.

 

 

Health benefits of oregano include:

Boosts Immunity:

Two of the most important components of oregano is rosmarinic acid and thymol, both of which are powerful antioxidant compounds that have been closely linked to reducing oxidative stress in the body.

adding oregano to your diet by sprinkling it on your meals can improve your immune health and keep your body safe from some of the most dangerous and silent killers.

Rich Source of Vitamin K:

Oregano is a rich source of Vitamin K, a vital vitamin that is quite often ignored. Vitamin K is known to promote cardiovascular health and is integral to keeping calcium out of the arteries. It effectively helps in the bone development and promotes proper blood clotting too.

Detoxifies the body:

The nutrient-rich oregano, with a high content of manganese, calcium, iron, vitamin K, fiber, and a wide range of other organic compounds, makes this an ideal herb for detoxifying the body. Oregano can help liver function and speed up the process of toxin elimination.

Anti-inflammatory Properties:

Oregano contains beta-caryophyllin (E-BCP), a substance that inhibits inflammation and may also be beneficial for conditions including osteoporosis and arteriosclerosis, as well as metabolic syndrome.

Anti- bacterial Properties:

Oregano oil provides sedating effects on the hypersensitivity of allergies. It is an effective aid for irregular menstruation and reduces the negative effect of menopause.

Although some people who are allergic to mint and other herbaceous perennial plants may experience some discomfort while eating or touching oregano, it is not commonly known as an allergenic substance. Also, the symptoms of an allergic reaction to oregano are very mild. Toss some oregano into your next meal and see just how beneficial it can really be!