Garlic has been used medicinally for hundreds of years to treat many conditions, such as sore throats, colds, blocked noses and infections, and to lower blood fats. According to an analysis by Australian researchers, garlic may be a useful addition to treatment for people with high blood pressure. The analysis combined eleven studies in which […]
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Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is an aromatic perennial herb of the ginger family (Zingiberaceae), grown for its rhizome (underground stem), which has a distinctive fragrance and a sharp, hot taste. It grows in the tropics, up to about 1 m tall, with lance-shaped green leaves and yellow flowers with orange or purple, white-spotted petals. When the […]
Read moreA new study by researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, published in the journal Colloids and Surfaces, shows that cranberry juice changes the physical properties of the bacteria that cause urinary tract infections, creating a barrier that stops them getting close to the cells of the urinary tract and so helps prevent infection. There are two […]
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Thyme (Thymus vulgaris) belongs to the mint family (Lamiaceae). It is a low, creeping perennial herb that grows wild in fields and in gardens. It reaches about 40 cm, with woody, much-branched stems and a taproot. The small, oval leaves (4–8 mm long and 3–4 mm wide) grow almost directly from the stem in opposite […]
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Tea (Camellia sinensis) is a shrub that grows up to about 1.8 m tall in the wild. There are more than 300 varieties, each with its own character, name and reputation: Assam tea is named after the Assam region of India and Keemun after Keemun in China. The soil and climate play the biggest part […]
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Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) is a small evergreen shrub of the mint family. It doesn't tolerate cold and needs a sunny place sheltered from wind. It grows 1–2 m tall, with an upright, much-branched stem and narrow leaves that are silvery on top and covered in fine white hairs underneath. The leaves smell of camphor and […]
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Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis) belongs to the mint family (Labiatae). It is an aromatic herb native to the Mediterranean, common on sunny limestone ground. It grows 50–60 cm tall, with an upright, branching, square stem and narrow, stalkless leaves. Small blue-violet flowers, rarely white or red, open on one side of the flower head between June […]
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