HERBS

Herbs

Herbs: basil

Herbs have a variety of uses including culinary, medicinal, or in some cases even spiritual usage. The green, leafy part of the plant is often used, but herbal medicine makes use of the roots, flowers, seeds, root bark, inner bark (cambium), berries and sometimes the pericarp or other portions. General usage differs between culinary herbs and medicinal herbs. A medicinal herb may be a shrub or other woody plant, whereas a culinary herb is a non-woody plant, typically using the leaves. By contrast, spices are the seeds, berries, bark, root, fruit, or other parts of the plant, even leaves in some cases; although any of these, as well as any edible fruits or vegetables, may be considered "herbs" in medicinal or spiritual use. Culinary herbs are distinguished from vegetables in that they are used in small amounts and

There are several reasons for the new popularity of herbs including the fine quality and increased flavor and oils. For example, a test done in Minnesota revealed that hydroponic basil being prepared for flash freezing had an increase of 40% in flavor over field grown. These kinds of results encouraged me to take more interest in the commercial production of all kinds of herbs...culinary, pharmaceutical and cosmetic. I now recommend to all my clients that they look into the feasibility of growing herbs as a commercial crop.The growers who took my advice are now growing and selling their herbs and are showing a better profit margin than if they grew other conventional hydroponic crops. Some growers are processing their herbs into pesto or are freeze-drying..

Apothecary

Interior of an apothecary's shop. Illustration from Illustrated History of Furniture, From the Earliest to the Present Time from 1893 by Litchfield, Frederick, (1850-1930)

In addition to pharmacy the apothecary also offered general medical advice and a range of services that are now performed solely by other specialist practitioners, such as surgery and midwifery. Apothecaries often operated through a retail shop, which in addition to ingredients for medicines, would also sell tobacco and patent medicines.

In its investigation of herbal and chemical ingredients, the work of the apothecary may be regarded as a precursor of the modern sciences of chemistry and pharmacology, prior to the formulation of the scientific method.

From the 15th century the apothecary gained the status of a skilled practitioner, but by the end of the 19th century the medical professions had taken on their current institutional form, with defined roles for doctors and surgeons, and the role of the apothecary was more narrowly conceived as that of dispensing pharmacist.

In England, the apothecaries merited their own livery company, the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries, founded in 1617. Elizabeth Garrett Anderson became the first woman to gain a medical qualification in Britain when she passed the Society's examination in 1865.

Apothecaries used the now obsolete apothecaries' measure to provide precise weighing of small quantities.

If you are deciding whether or not to grow herbs, there are a few simple rules to go by. First, you must evaluate your market area and the ethnic make-up of the population around it. For example, my wife and I are both English and, generally speaking, if an English person saw basil or cilantro in a grocery store they would not know how to use it. However, mint is very popular in England and is well known as a condiment served in a sauce with a meal of roast lamb.

Herb garden

Borage is commonly grown in herb gardens; its attractive flowers can be used as a garnish.

A herb garden is a garden specifically designed and used for the cultivation of cooking and/or medicinal herbs.

Herb gardens developed from the general gardens of the ancient classical worlds, used for growing vegetables, flowers, fruits and medicines. During the medieval period, monks and nuns acquired specialist medical knowledge and grew the necessary herbs in specialist gardens. Typical plants were rosemary, parsley, sage, marjoram, thyme, mint, rue, angelica, bay and basil. With the advance of medical and botanical sciences in Renaissance Europe, monastic herb gardens developed into botanical gardens. The section in which herbs was grown became known as a Garden of Simples.

Herb gardens experienced a revival with the work of the British garden historian and horticultural, writer Eleanour Sinclair Rohde (1882–1950). Modern herb gardens may be purely functional or may be ornamental, sometimes as part of a design and containing boxes and raised beds. The development of alternative medicine is also encouraging people to grow and use fresh herbs (e.g., for the treatment of acne).

So, as you can see, what you grow and where you sell your product is an important decision when planning your business. There is no point growing it if you cannot sell it!Therefore, you must visit your local supermarkets in the area you wish to sell and check the produce shelves and talk to the produce manager. He will be able to tell you what herbs he can sell, what he finds is in demand the most, what he has a problem obtaining and those herbs that mostly get thrown away. At the same time you can check on the packaging that he is currently using and determine if he would prefer another type of bag or box that would help present and sell the product better. Some buyers prefer Ziploc bags, others prefer the clear clamshell boxes and some like the look of “fresh” open bunches.Most supermarkets have fixed ideas on the packaging, some for safety reasons and others for looks. Remember, the more sophisticated the packaging the more labor intensive it becomes...leading to your cost going up and your profit going down! For example, the Ziploc bag costs less than one cent, whereas clamshell boxes can be as high as .20c each, depending on the volume.

Herbalism

Dioscorides’ Materia Medica, c. 1334 copy in Arabic, describes medicinal features of cumin and dill.

Herbalism, also known as medicinal Botany (a neologism by Dr. K. Seshagirirao, University of Hyderabad, India), medical herbalism, herbal medicine, herbology, botanical medicine and phytotherapy, is a traditional medicinal or folk medicine practice based on the use of plants and plant extracts. The bioinformatics related to this subject could be referred to as MedBotanics (Seshagirirao).

Utilizing the healing properties of plants is an ancient practice. People in all continents have long used hundreds, if not thousands, of indigenous plants for treatment of various ailments dating back to prehistory. There is evidence that suggests Neanderthals living 60,000 years ago in present-day Iraq used plants for medicinal purposes (found at a burial site at Shanidar Cave, Iraq, in which a Neanderthal man was uncovered in 1960. He had been buried with eight species of plants)^[1] These plants are still widely used in ethnomedicine around the world.

The first generally accepted use of plants as healing agents was depicted in the cave paintings discovered in the Lascaux caves in France, which have been radiocarbon dated to between 13,000 - 25,000 BC.

Anthropologists theorize that over time, and with trial and error, a small base of knowledge would have been acquired within early tribal communities. As this knowledge base expanded over the generations, the specialized role of the herbalist emerged. The process would likely have occurred in varying manners within a wide diversity of cultures.

Indigenous healers sometimes claim to have learned by observing animals. According to folklore sick animals change their food preferences to nibble at bitter herbs they would normally reject. Similar animal behavior has been reported by farmers, travelers and outdoorsmen. Unfortunately such reports are largely anecdotal. Nevertheless, field biologists have provided corroborating evidence based on observation of diverse species such as chimpanzees, chickens, lambs and butterflies. Sick animals tend to forage plants rich in secondary metabolites such as tannins and alkaloids. Since these phytochemicals often have antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal and antihelminth properties, a plausible case can be made for self-medication in the wild. ^[2]

Plants have an almost limitless ability to synthesize aromatic substances, most of which are phenols or their oxygen-substituted derivatives such as tannins. Most are secondary metabolites, of which at least 12,000 have been isolated, a number estimated to be less than 10% of the total. In many cases, these substances (esp. alkaloids) serve as plant defense mechanisms against predation by microorganisms, insects, and herbivores. Many of the herbs and spices used by humans to season food yield useful medicinal compounds.

The use of and search for drugs and dietary supplements derived from plants have accelerated in recent years. Pharmacologists, microbiologists, botanists, and natural-products chemists are combing the Earth for phytochemicals and leads that could be developed for treatment of various diseases. In fact, approximately 25% of modern drugs used in the United States have been derived from plants (citation needed).

The use of herbs to treat disease is almost universal among non-industrialized societies. A number of traditions came to dominate the practice of herbal medicine in the Western world at the end of the twentieth century:

The Western, based on Greek and Roman sources,
The Ayurvedic from India, and
Chinese herbal medicine (Chinese herbology).
Shamanic Herbalism
Simple Herbalism

Many of the pharmaceuticals currently available to Western physicians have a long history of use as herbal remedies, including opium, aspirin, digitalis, and quinine. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 80 percent of the world population, presently use herbal medicine for some aspect of primary health care. Herbal medicine is a major component in all traditional medicine systems and a common element in Ayurvedic, homeopathic, naturopathic, traditional Chinese medicine, and Native American Indian medicine. According to the WHO, 74% of 119 modern plant-derived pharmaceutical medicines are used in ways that correlated directly with their traditional uses. Major pharmaceutical companies are currently conducting extensive research on plant materials gathered from the rainforests and other places for possible new pharmaceuticals.^[3] →

After completing your market research you should have a pretty good idea of what to grow and how much of each herb you will need to produce to be able to provide your customer with a constant supply. I remember my first trip to the buyer of a large chain when I first started to grow herbs in a 6,000 sq.ft. greenhouse. He loved my product and went on to explain that he had over 300 stores in the South-East division and would like eight cases a week for each of the stores. This staggered my imagination since that meant over 2,400 cases a week. At that time, I was only producing about half that much and could not meet his expectations. I therefore had to find a smaller chain until I could expand my greenhouse to fulfill the needs of the large chain stores. So you must be able to supply on a constant basis for the needs of your customer. The buyer will not give you space if you cannot produce consistent quality and quantity.

When planning a project, leave enough in your budget for such things as racks and promotional needs. Most start-up growers forget such simple things as UPC codes and liability insurance which most supermarket chains require before they purchase produce. These items are not usually expensive but should be planned ahead of time.Self Watering, Gardens, Vegetables, Growing Systems, Build Your Own, Dirtless.

The best method for growing herbs, in my opinion, is the 12” roof-pan system. The aluminum roof-pans are covered with enamel. I have used these pans for over ten years and hardly have seen any deterioration or corrosion. They lock together and will make a beautiful 4’ bench. I have run them up to 30’ in length with a depth of 2.” They are filled with a coarse grade of perlite and are set on supports that provide a 4” drop over 24.’ This gives a gentle slope for the nutrient to run from one end to the other.The nutrient is fed by a dripper at one end, drains at the other end and then returned to the nutrient tank. The nutrient tank we use most is a 1,000 gallon septic tank set in the ground 1” above ground level. This prevents run off into the tank. The pump that I recommend is a one HP shallow well pump which is large enough to supply about 20,000 sq. ft. of greenhouse. If the set-up is in a tropical location then a chiller/aerator would be needed to keep the nutrient temperature cool enough for herbs.

The nutrient is kept at an EC (Electrical Conductivity) level of 2000 and a pH of 6.8. All the herbs I have grown commercially do very well at these levels. I have also grown herbs at these levels in my home system which is a small 12’ unit.Many of the herbs (e.g. basil, mint, oregano, marjoram and others) can be cut and will re-grow very quickly. Basil, for example, will grow back in about 12 days depending on the light and temperature. The output of herbs in this system can vary with climatic conditions. Here in the Southern part of the United States herbs grow very quickly. In the northern states where it is colder with less light during the winter months, growth will take much longer. Other herbs such as arugula and cilantro will re-grow but I have found it quicker to re-seed. I have grown up to 1.5 lbs. of basil per month per square foot but I prefer to keep it down to about 3/4 to 1 lb. per square foot.The feasibility of hydroponically growing pharmaceutical and cosmetic herbs is also increasing. With a large greenhouse and hydroponic system, one could supply this market. Most companies who buy medicinal herbs require huge volumes and like to get herbs grown in a controlled environment because of the purity and cleanliness of the environment and the extra oils present in the herbs.

[edit] Types of herbal medicines

Medicinal plants can be used by anyone, for example as part of a salad, an herbal tea or supplement, although some herbs considered dangerous are restricted from sale to the public. Sometimes such herbs are provided to professional herbalists by specialist companies. Many herbalists, both professional and amateur, often grow or wildcraft their own herbs. Many common weeds have medicinal properties (e.g. dandelion).

In the herbal "Healing Wise" by Susun S Weed, the three traditions of healing include" the Wise Woman Tradition, the Heroic Tradition, and the Scientific Tradition. The Scientific tradition relies on use of herbal medicines in the form of isolating the active ingredients in herbs, many modern pharmaceuticals are derived from isolating active ingredients from herbs. The Heroic Tradition relies on the belief that the body is dirty and must be cleansed, it promoted the use of purifying herbs and diuretics. The Wise Woman Tradition uses herbs to nourish and tonify the body, herbs are used in the most natural forms possible, and they are used to support the body in healing itself. The Wise Woman Tradition of healing with Herbal Medicine is explained in this article, which includes the Six Steps of Healing by Susun Weed

There are more sophisticated traditional herbal healing methods in Chinese medicine, Eclectic medicine, Cherokee Medicine, Unami Medicine and Ayurveda. In Chinese medicine herbs (which may include animal and mineral parts)are divided into Superior (food grade), Moderate (to be taken for disease for a short time) and Inferior (toxic, short term) grades. Herbal formulas are based upon the organ system which is out of balance, with chief herbs addressing the main complaint, deputy herbs which reinforce the actions of the chief or address other affected organ systems, and servants which may harmonize, balance temperatures or tastes of the herbs, direct them to various parts of the body or assist penetration. Herbal formulas tend to have five to 15 herbs. Eclectic medicine came out of the vitalist tradition, similar to physiomedicalism and bridged the European and Native American traditions. Cherokee medicine tends to divide herbs into foods, medicines and toxins and to use seven plants in the treatment of disease, which is defined with both spiritual and physiological aspects, according to Cherokee herbalist David Winston. Auyrvedic medicine has quite complex formulas with 30 or more ingredients, including a sizable number of ingredients that have undergone alchemical processing, chosen to balance Vata, Pitta or Kapha. In addition there are more modern theories of herbal combination like William LeSassier's triune formula which combined Pythagorean imagery with Chinese medicine ideas and resulted in 9 herb formulas which supplemented, drained or neutrally nourished the main organ systems affected and three associated systems. His system has been taught to thousands of influential American herbalists through his own apprenticeship programs during his lifetime, the William LeSassier Archive and the David Winston Center for Herbal Studies

Herbal teas

Main article: Tisane

There are two methods of making herbal teas, infusion and decoction. Infusion is steeping lighter parts of the plant (leaves, flowers, light stems) in boiled water for four to eight hours. Decoction is boiling tougher parts, such as roots or bark for a longer period of time. Herbal teas are often used as a home remedy, and as an alternative to tea and coffee.

Some popular herbal teas include borage, chamomile, dandelion, elderflower, hibiscus, nettle, and various species of mint. Each herb has unique medicinal properties, and a range of secondary effects; and this is linked to its use as a casual drink. For instance, Borage can be used medicinally (amongst other things) as an aid against depression; and it may be drunk more casually to lift the spirits. It was traditionally served as a pep drink for weary travellers. Secondary effects include use as an anti-inflammatory or balsam; and hormonal and metabolic regulation. Other herbs may have similar side-effects, but in different proportions and are used in different ways.

Mixing Herbs. To counteract the various complications and side-effects of an ailment, or to produce a more rounded taste, a number of herbs may be mixed. A well-known mixture used against a cold includes eucalyptus leaf, mint leaf (which contains Menthol) and juniper berry. Another is the age-old favourite "dandelion and burdock", from which the popular fizzy drink was derived.

Fresh or Dried? Many flower and leaf herbs lose volatile compounds within a few hours, as the juices and oils evaporate, the scent leaks away, and the chemicals change their form. Drying concentrates other compounds as water is removed. Most herbal traditions use dried material and the reported effects for each herb tend to be based upon dried herbs unless otherwise specified.

If you are using fresh herbs, you will need more of them, and the tea will have a somewhat different effect. Finely chop the leaf immediately before using it.

Generic Western Tea is usually the leaf of one specific plant, Camelia Sinensis, which grows mainly in India and China. It can be seen as just one of many herbal teas. It is a stimulant, and its main property is to increase alertness, along with a slightly sedative or calming effect. But unlike a fresh herbal tea, it may include artificial additives to enhance the taste and to preserve it in the shops. More expensive recipes include Darjeeling (from Darjeeling in India) and Earl Grey (which has bergamot added).

Making a Nourishing Herbal Infusion

Typically, one ounce by weight (about a cup by volume) of dried herb is placed in a quart jar which is then filled to the top with boiling water, tightly lidded and allowed to steep for 4-10 hours. After straining, a cup or more is consumed, and the remainder chilled to slow spoilage. Drinking 2-4 cups a day is usual. Since the minerals and other phytochemicals in nourishing herbs are made more accessible by drying, dried herbs are considered best for infusions.

Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) builds energy, strengthens the adrenals, and is said to restore youthful flexibility to blood vessels. A cup of nettle infusion contains 500 milligrams of calcium plus generous amounts of bone-building magnesium, potassium, silicon, boron, and zinc. It is also an excellent source of vitamins A, D, E, and K. For flexible bones, a healthy heart, thick hair, beautiful skin, and lots of energy, make friends with sister stinging nettle. It may make you feel so good you'll jump up and exercise.

Oatstraw (Avena sativa) reduces high cholesterol, increases libido, and strengthens the nerves. A cup of oatstraw infusion contains more than 300 milligrams of calcium plus generous amounts of many other minerals. Its steroidal saponins nourish the pancreas and liver, improving digestion and stabilizing moods. Oatstraw is best known however for its ability to enhance libido and mellow the mood. Do be careful whom you share it with, or you may find yourself sowing some wild oats. In Auryuvedic medicine, oatstraw is considered the finest of all longevity tonics.

Red clover (Trifolium pratense) is better in every way than its cousin soy. It contains four phytoestrogens; soy has only one (isoflavone). Red clover infusion has ten times more phytoestrogens than soy "milk," fewer calories, more calcium, and no added sugars. Red clover is the world's leading anti-cancer herb; soy isoflavone encourages the growth of breast cancer cells in the lab. Red clover improves the memory; Japanese men who ate tofu twice a week doubled their risk of Alzheimer's disease. Soy beverage can contain up to 1000 times more aluminum than milk, according to Sally Fallon, lipid researcher and fat specialist. She believes that "the highly processed soy foods of today are perpetuating . . . nutrient deficiencies. . . ."

Comfrey (Symphytum) leaf is free of the compounds (PAs) found in the root that can damage the liver. I have used comfrey leaf infusion regularly for decades with no liver problems, ditto for the group of people at the Henry Doubleday Research Foundation who have eaten cooked comfrey leaves as a vegetable for four generations. Comfrey is also known as "knitbone," and no better ally for the woman with thin bones can be found. And, don't forget, comfrey contains special proteins used in the formation of short-term memory cells. Its soothing mucilage adds flexibility to joints, eyes, vagina, and lungs.

Learn more about Tea and Infusions in the article series Be Your Own Herbal Expert - Tea for you, Infusion for me.

[edit] Coffee

See the main Coffee article for more information on coffee.

Coffee is prepared by roasting and then grinding up the ingredients, or sometimes by decoction. It is normally stored as a powder or as granules. This is dropped directly into the hot water. Some preparations dissolve completely, while others remain partly solid, giving the drink a gritty texture.

Where the coffee remains gritty, it must be left to infuse before drinking. To avoid the gritty texture, a machine such as a coffee percolator or French press may be used.

Generic Western Coffee is the roasted seeds of either Coffea arabica or Coffea canephora. Its properties are similar to the generic tea plant Camelia Sinensis, but it has about twice as much caffeine, a richer, mellower taste, and different additives. The roasting process eliminates caffeine, and (like tea) the darker the coffee, the less caffeine it contains. When coffee is scarce, people often drink coffee substitutes.

Herbal teas include many of the coffee substitutes, and others; but they are used here for a wide range of properties, rather than merely to simulate the taste of coffee.

This section is a stub. You can help by expanding it.

[edit] Herbal tinctures

Steeping a medicinal plant in alcohol extracts the alcohol-soluble principles into a liquid form that can be stored for long periods. Different concentrations of alcohol are used to extract different constituents of the plants. For example; resins require high alcohol content and sugars usually require low alcohol content for optimal extraction.

There are many schools of thought about tincture making. In the traditional view an herb is either steeped once (single maceration) or more than once. In a double maceration the mark (or used plant material) is removed and replaced by a new batch (using the same alcohol) thus increasing the strength of the tincture. Sometimes the mark is then ashed (burnt until ash) and added back in which increase the amount of some minerals in the tincture.

In the scientific model tincture strengths are measured by a ratio of herb to alcohol (1:5 and 1:2 are the most common where the 1:2 is the stronger tincture). Many tinctures use a combination of vegetable glycerine and alcohol to extract which changes the compounds that are extracted.

Herbalists often mix several herbal tinctures to form an individualized prescription for each patient.

Plant tinctures are also the basis for many homeopathic medicines. Herbal medicine and homeopathic medicine should not be confused with one another as they are very different. (see homeopathy)

To learn how to make your own tinctures in a kit, try the Herbal Medicine Making Kit

For a step by step instruction on how to make & use herbal tinctures visit the article series, Be Your Own Herbal Expert - How to Make Tinctures

Fluid extracts

Fluid extracts are stronger than herbal tinctures, and can be preserved with alcohol or glycerin. They are just highly concentrated tinctures, made by distilling off some of the alcohol used in the tincture process. The final result is a liquid plant compound that can be 40 times more potent than a tincture.

Note: glycerates are herbal extracts that use glycerin as the sole extractant. They are very different and often have completely different medicinal properties than alcohol extracts. Tinctures or fluid extracts that are alcohol free should have the alcohol removed after the extraction process and replaced with glycerin which then acts just as the preservative.

Solid extracts are made from tinctures just like fluid extracts, but the entire solvent is separated from the plant compound, leaving a soft paste-like solid exract or a dry solid extract that is often as much as 400 times more potent than tinctures. Solid extracts can be diluted back to either fluid extracts or tinctures.

Many solid extracts are made in the way that apple butter is made, by simply cooking the plant material and water slowly over low heat until it forms a paste. Sometimes these are sold with a preservative added (glycerine is the most common), and sometimes they need to be refrigerated when they are opened (like apple butter