Our ancestors relied on what was available, and much of their herbal knowledge has never died out. Photo / Getty Images
Our ancestors relied on what was available, and much of their herbal knowledge has never died out. Photo / Getty Images
“I always say, ‘If I have a heart attack or break my leg, don’t take me to a herbalist, take me to a hospital’,” says medical herbalist Pamela Spence. “But conventional pharmaceuticals are not always great with skin, mild anxiety or digestive problems – and that is where herbal remedies can be really useful.”
After all, we have centuries of experience on our side. Our ancestors relied on what was available, and much of their herbal knowledge has never died out. We have eaten pungent aromatic herbs such as rosemary to help digest fatty meats and filled pillows with lavender to relax us.
My own grandmother never finished a large meal without an “aguita”, a few leaves of lemon verbena or mint in a cup of hot water (lemon verbena is said to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties). She lived to 94, so was obviously doing something right.
“A third of the stuff I use in my clinic I can grow at home,” says Spence. So why not grow your own herbal health cabinet with these seven common herbs? All can be grown in garden soil or in pots if space is tight. Give them a sunny position for best results.
There is evidence that the pungent Mediterranean herb can help us remember better. In 2015 a study by Northumbria University found that older volunteers given memory tests in a room infused with rosemary oil performed better than those in a room without oil. It is thought that one of the compounds in rosemary oil, 1,8-cineole, causes an increase in a neurotransmitter called acetylcholine that can sharpen memory and alertness.
Teenagers taking exams might want to pop a sprig of rosemary in their water bottles, suggests Kim Walker, a medical herbalist and the co-author of The Handmade Apothecary (Kyle Books). Try a few sprigs of rosemary in hot water if you’re suffering from brain fog. Or make an infused oil and rub it on your wrists.
Popping a sprig of rosemary into your water bottle can help to banish brain fog.
The dock leaf doesn’t deserve its reputation for soothing nettle stings, says Barbara Wilkinson, medical herbalist and trustee of the Herb Society (herbsociety.org.uk). For a better all-round soother for stings, bites and sunburn, grow pot marigolds (Calendula officinalis). Easy to grow from seed, calendula not only brings orange and yellow exuberance to every corner, but the flowers are naturally antibacterial and anti-inflammatory. To use them, infuse them in oil and dab it on as required.
Calendula is an all-round soother for stings, bites and sunburn. Photo / Sarah Ivey
Fennel for digestion
Research suggests bloating can be eased with fennel seeds that soothe spasms in the intestines and disperse trapped wind. A study published in the Journal of Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases found that fennel oil combined with turmeric brought about a considerable reduction in IBS symptom scores and led to more than 25 per cent of patients being symptom-free.
Either infuse a teaspoon of the seeds in boiling water and drink as a tea or chew the aniseedy seeds, which are particularly sweet if picked fresh. In gardening terms, we’re talking about Foeniculum vulgare, the tall, feathery fennel with yellow flowers rather than the bulbous Florence fennel you eat as a vegetable. An annual, sow it in sunny, poor soil and watch it self-seed in perpetuity.
Fennel is an aromatic and flavourful herb with various medicinal uses. Photo / Getty Images
Thyme and sage for sore throats
These potent aromatic herbs are used for respiratory problems since their oil is antibacterial. Drink a tea made from a couple of sprigs or leaves regularly for best results, says Wilkinson, or to ease a sore throat, make a stronger infusion (3-4 sprigs or leaves) in a mug of hot water. Strain and gargle.
Gargling sage tea can have surprising benefits. Photo / Getty Images
Lavender for calm and to repel insects
Along with camomile, lavender is often used to promote sleep and calmness due to its high level of apigenin, a flavonoid that may induce muscle relaxation and sedation. A 2015 study, Effect of Inhaled Lavender and Sleep Hygiene on Self-Reported Sleep Issues, investigated 79 college students who had trouble sleeping to see if using lavender oil could make a difference. They were given inhalation patches to apply to their skin. One group received patches containing lavender essential oil; the other group were given blank patches. After five days, the lavender oil group not only reported better sleep quality than the control group but also reported waking up feeling refreshed.
Lavender will also keep biting insects away, says Spence, who suggests rubbing lavender oil or simply crushed lavender flowers around your wrists and ankles. Insect bites can be eased in the same way.
Lavender has been proven to do more than just promote relaxation. Photo / Chris Steel
The NHS recommends peppermint oil to relieve IBS, cramps and bloating since it is an anti-spasmodic, helping the muscle of the bowel wall to relax. You can buy it in capsule form, but it’s easy to grow the plant yourself and make it into a soothing and delicious tea. “Choose whichever mint you like the smell of,” suggests Spence (follow her on Instagram @pamelaspenceherbalist). “Chocolate, mojito and peppermint are all good.”
