Herbs possess exciting benefits for the humans and our pets. Herbs are used for health benefits since thousands of years. Yet after all these years of experience, a large number of herbs species are still not known to man. With passage of time, scientists are still discovering new properties of herbs.

Due to its fascinating benefits, herbs are used in cosmetics. There are so countless ways of using herbs at home for cosmetics, culinary and medicinal use. There is no limit to knowledge related to herbs. This site is designed to provide you with precious information about your favorite herbs.

Herbs are generally considered safe and are believed to bear no side effects. This assumption should be evaluated carefully, as it is not correct for all herbs. Please ask opinion of your herbalist or a professional practitioner before using. They will tell dosage information, health benefits, safety instructions and even preparation and storage information.

Herbs & allergies

Have you ever seen literature that comes with some antibiotic drugs with a caution for those who may be allergic to certain ingredient? Herbs are no exception. During my years of practice, I have seen many patients who are seriously allergic to something as simple as black peppers. Black peppers are also sometimes known to aggravate colon problems. Compounds containing black seeds can sometimes result in skin rash. I have seen simple dried nuts causing severe asthmatic attack. 

For this reason, those suffering from various kinds of allergies should practice caution before taking any medicine

Remarkable medicinal properties of herbs

Anise
Its scientific name is Pimpinilla Anisum. It has medicinal and culinary uses. Anise is a famous herb with plant reaching up to 70 centimeters in height.

Its bulbs, seeds and roots are used as medicine. According to earlier apothecaries, Anise is good for insomnia, abnormal appetite, some fertility issues and digestion. Today we know its main constituents which are Vitamin B complex, Vitamin C, Calcium, Phosphorus, Potassium, sulphur, Iron. It also contains some aromatic essences.

Anise is a great carminative agent, for this purpose it is taken alone or combined with other appropriate herbs. The herb has known antispasmodic and expectorant properties.
     
In the kitchen anise is used for cooking sweet and spicy dishes. It has been used as an aphrodisiac since ancient times. Anise stimulates lactation in mothers with babies. For stomach upsets and sleep problems of milking babies, a simple anise tea, sweetened with some honey can be a blessing. Anise tea can also be mixed with the baby’s milk in small quantities for the same effect.

Alternatively, for same baby problems, a cup of anise tea can be given to the mother one to three times daily.

The plant has been found useful for nervousness, migraines, bronchial asthma, stomach upsets, especially for accumulation of gases, gastric pains and other digestion problems.

Anise is very easy to get, as it is very common. For most of the problems mentioned above, its infusion is very easy to make. Boil a cup of water and put 1 or two tea spoons of anise seeds in the cup and cover it with a lid for about 10 minutes. Sweeten to taste with honey or sugar. It is best consumed before meals two to three times daily.

This infusion can be safely used as alternative to tea or coffee. In fact it is not a nerve or heart stimulant as tea or coffee. Its use for few days produces pleasant change in your life as it cures constipation, eliminates gases in the stomach and relaxes the nerves.

For bronchial asthma, prepare a fresh anise tea with two tea spoonful of anise seeds in a cup of water, boiled for about two minutes and sweetened to taste by sugar or honey. This tea should be taken twice daily after meals. This tea is also good for cough and digestion problems after meals.

There is a simple preparation of anise see which is useful for many health problems. This formula is good for improving eye sight. I do not claim it will completely remove the eye glasses, but it surely improves the sight and within a matter of two – three months, most of my patients have rechecked their eyes and found the numbers to be decreasing fast.

Anise seeds        -       50 grams

Almonds             -       50 grams

Crystal sugar      -       30 grams

Immerse almonds (without the outer hard shell) in water for 24 hours. Peel off the inner brown skin with hands and spread them on a tissue paper for few hours to dry. Then crush them (don’t grind them). Similarly crush the crystal sugar into small pieces. Put the anise seeds in a dry frying pan (with oil) and roast them for about 15 minutes on low heat. Mixed all three ingredients in a glass container and keep it beside your dining table.

This mixture should be taken one to two tea spoons after each meal, including breakfast.

It is extremely good for improving eye sight as I mentioned above. It has been proved to be good for migraines. It can be safely used with other remedies. It helps digestion of food and improves memory. Anise properties combined with those of almonds is both a cheap and effective combination without known side effects.