Herbs are very important for healthy living. Not only do they make wonderful ingredients for seasoning, they add richness, flavor and color to a person’s life even when used in inedible solutions. This is because many of them contain a lot of nutrients and components that make them useful in the treatment of several ailments and diseases. Quite a number of them are also good at building up a person’s immune system, in order to prevent them from getting such diseases in the first place.
USES OF HERBS
Herbs have been used by many people – and cultures around the world – for quite some time. There are documents and historical records that show that many of them are highly useful in combating different kinds of illnesses that have also been around for thousands of years. The spread of such information makes many people use herbs in the prevention and treatment of several ailments.
In certain circles, some people may be skeptical about using herbs to combat and treat some diseases. However, the fact remains that herbs are good, and they also make up a lot foundations on which modern medicine and pharmacy is built. This is because it was when people got curious about herbs and started investigating their components (as well as some of the things that make them effective for health care), that the field of pharmacy actually began to take shape. And this is why a lot of medicines and proper drugs we have today were actually made from components, obtained and distilled from herbs.
While the general consensus is that herbs alone may not be capable of treating some diseases, there are medical research records that prove that they are very effective in the prevention, management and treatment of the following diseases:
- Heart disease
Herbs such as garlic, fenugreek, linseed, cinnamon, flaxseed, sage, cloves, lemongrass and many others can help in lowering a person’s cholesterol, which makes them extremely great for preventing and treating heart diseases. They are especially effective when used in cooking in their raw state (instead of when they have been dried, although they are still useful in this state). By assisting to lower blood cholesterol, herbs help in protecting a person’s heart; thereby reducing the risk of heart diseases like arrhythmia, cardiac arrest and heart attack.
Proper usage of these herbs can also help a person who has such heart conditions – and other similar ailments – to get better; especially when their usage is coupled with actual medical treatment (i.e. they can be used as effective supplements).
- Diabetes
Diabetes is a medical condition that is caused when there is too much sugar (i.e. glucose) in a person’s bloodstream. However, this isn’t the only cause of diabetes. This disease is actually caused because the amount of sugar in the blood stream cannot be successfully managed by th insulin produced by the pancreas. Herbs that are very effective in the treatment of (Type 2) diabetes include; ginseng, cinnamon, fenugreek, aloe vera, milk thistle, bitter melon, curcumin and many others. Many of these herbs have been used as spices for several hundreds and thousands of years, and their positive effects in the treatment of diabetes have been noted and studied over time. Some of them have even been utilized in medical trials, and have been implemented in the creation of medicines, used in improving people’s blood sugar levels.
- Cancer
Cancer is a disease that is caused when abnormal cells in the body divide at an exponential rate and damage the body. Herbs that can help in the treatment of cancer include garlic, ginger, turmeric, saffron, cayenne pepper and many others which can be used as supplements, alongside medical treatment.
- Inflammation
Herbs can be used to relieve inflammation in all parts of the body, including the skin and stomach. Examples of popular herbs that can be used for this purpose include; turmeric, garlic, ginger, rosemary, ginseng etc.
- Blood clots
Herbs can also be used to prevent the risk of blood clots in the human body, which goes a long way in securing and maintaining good health.
POPULAR HERBS USED AROUND THE WORLD
Different types of herbs exist all across the world. Some of them are very common, while others can only be grown in specific areas of the world. Examples of popular herbs used around the world include; basil, curry leaves, dill, rosemary, parsley, mint, cilantro, cayenne pepper, thyme, sage and oregano. They are usually used for a lot of purposes, either in their raw or dried forms.
CAN YOU PUT DRIED HERBS IN CANDLES?
Herbs are usually dried in order to make them last longer; this way, they can be used long after they have been harvested. Also, by drying herbs, we are making them more suitable to be transported and sold in different parts of the world outside the areas where they have been grown.
Dried herbs are used for many of the same purposes that raw (un-dried) herbs are typically used for. One of the many uses people have found for it is to put it in candles.
Dried herbs can be used in candle making, and usually have a great effect on the candle’s texture and wax structure. However, the fragrance of the resultant candle is particularly noteworthy too. When dried herbs are added to hot wax, the herbs usually mix into the wax which manages to extract some of its components. This then contributes to the candle’s fragrance.
Candles that contain dried herbs that give them fragrance are usually packaged and sold as aromatherapy candles, which can be used to aid relaxation and relief stress (among other uses). Herbs that can be used for this purpose include; bergamot, thyme, lavender, rosemary, hyssop, mint and others that emit pleasant scents. The resultant candles are usually very good, in terms of health (aromatherapy) benefits, scent and overall quality because they contain materials that have a wide range of desirable health benefits.
Therefore, it is safe to say that: “Yes. You can put dried herbs in candles.”
