Herbs—good and bad

Press, 7 December 1985, Page 14

Herbs —good and bad

FOOD ALERT

JANICE BREMER DIETITIAN

Sugar can be food to help the medicine go down, but in this second article about flavourings used in foods we discuss medicine that may help the food go down. The culinary use of herbs to impart flavour to foods is universal. It has a long history, as does the use of herbs as medicinal potions. But there are dangers “When modern man samples once again some of the ‘traditional’ foods, but without the knowledge of his forebears,” according to Dr Roland Jung, a Scottish physician writing in the medical journal, “Update.” Beware of accepting a return to herbal medicine without knowledge of the potential for side effects. There are more than 400 distinct herbs and spices commmercially available around the world. Thousands of herbal products are also sold in the form of blends, capsules, or teas. Many contain potent drugs, but in such trace amounts that few really show effects. Some promote allergic reactions, such as camomile. Others have cardiovascular effects, and others have psychoactive effects.

Those named by Dr Jung as having an hallucinogen effect include African Yohimbe bark, catnip, kavakava, mandrake, nutmeg, passion flower, thorn apple, or jimson weed.

Relaxants or tranquillisers include snakeroot, valerian, wormwood. Stimulants are burdock, kola nut, gotu nut, mate, “Nevada”

tea; and lobelia is a mild euphoriant. If taken in concentrated form such herbal “remedies” can hardly be any “better” than chemical drugs. Many drugs are, after all, synthesised to mimic and medicinal action of plants to meet the twentieth century demand for quick cures.

The slow effect of herbal medicine, together with the difficulty in isolating the active ingredients of herbs, limits the scientific confirmation of their efficacy. Medical jouurnals express concern that there are no quality controls for herbal preparations, as there are for other drugs. Herbal medicine cannot, therefore, replace conventional medicine as it is without the benefit of clinical trials and relies on trial and error for each individual.

Herbalists generally believe they have something to offer in cases which have defeated conventional treatment. However, there is cause to remain sceptical as some products may cause cancer or birth defects, or be directly poisonous. Large amounts of herbs used for laxative effect may actually cause bowel problems. While most herbal teas have no caffeine, some have been found with twice the caffeine of coffee.

Specific remedies

Ginseng, one of the best known herbal remedies, is

held in high esteem in Chinese medicine. Claims of tonic, stimulant, and aphrodisiac action have not been substantiated by proper clinical evaluation.

As the drug effects are not well understood, the harmful effects and interactions with other substances are also not known.

However, doubts about the purity of the products and the reports of such symptoms as high blood pressure, insomnia, nervousness, confusion, depression, and menstrual irregularities, fluid retention, and diarrhoea with doses of only three grams per day (one to three grams needed for the stimulatory effects) emphasize that caution is warranted.

Some preparations have been found to contain alkaloids that may be toxic: such as burdock and comfrey. Comfrey also causes liver damage and cancer in animals when fed in high doses.

Garlic is widely used as a “potion.” Historically its uses have been as a diuretic and treatment for other maladies. Recently it has been associated with preventing the rise in blood cholesterol and clotting factors after a fatty meal. The dosage required far exceeds the amount we can eat from the food form in normal meals. Other dietary measures, such as avoiding fatty meals are probably more effective. Culinary value The direct nutritional value of herbs is small, since they are used in such small quantities. They are best eaten fresh. If you use

them in abundance in, green salads they contribute most nutritionally providing good amounts of potassium, folate, calcium, iron vitamin C and carotene. Dried herbs are usually used in much smaller amounts — about half a teaspoon to two or more teaspoons of fresb herbs.

Indirectly herbs contribute to nutrition by flavouring otherwise bland foods such as starchy staples like breads, rice, com. This is important in populations where these staples constitute a major part of the diet.

Herbs have a very low sodium (salt) content; in general less than one milligram in a teaspoonful (celery flakes are an exception.) They are therefore invaluable for flavouring unsalted foods if you are trying to limit your salt intake. Herb charts showing which herbs for which foods are popular in many recipe books. “Consumer” magazine published a chart along with details, for growing, drying, (including in the microwave), making herbal oils and vinegars this year (No. 226).

The following is a list showing how to enhance the flavour of some foods. To promote health, we should include more of these foods in our daily diet.

Herbs to have with food

Any herbs can be used in soups and broths or drinks, either cold, in vegetable juices or infused in boiling water as tea.

CEREALS — breads, rice, pasta, scones etc., — caraway, rosemary, sage, thyme, dill, fennel, garlic. FRESH SALADS - parsley, tarragon, chives, lovage, chervil, dill, lemon thyme, marjoram, mint, fennel, any other with green leaves.

COOKED VEGETABLES - basil, dill, garlic, sage, marjoram with lemon, bayleaves, oregano, rosemary, parsley, tarragon, caraway, savory, mint, chervil.

FRUITS — lemon balm, lemon thyme, mint, aniseed, coriander, spearmint, dill, parsley, (try with cottage cheese), seasame/poppy seeds, rosemary, marjoram.

FOOD ALERT @ Herbal products should not be used as medicines or social drugs without extreme discretion, and never during pregnancy. •If yon drink herbal teas, brew them fresh each time, vary the types used, and have no moe than three to four cups a day. ® Replace salt in the salt shaker with combinations or single herbs ground to a powder (suggestions — oregano, marjoram, celery leaves with thyme, and curry or marjoram and rosemary with a touch of cayenne). ® Fresh herbs are becoming increasingly available at select druit and vege shops and supermarkets, as well as health food shops. Use dried herbs more for cooked foods, especially when fresh are unavailable (too much can cause intestinal gas and digestive troubles.)- ® Herbs in normal amounts to flavour foods do not present the problems associated with concentrated doses used for medicinal effect.