17 Kitchen Herbs for Pain Relief

What options are there for pain relief when regular pain killers don't work for your pain? That is the question I have been contemplating recently. The question was sparked after talking to a couple of people who found that sometimes the pain killers just don't work.

Because I have found herbs to be very useful for all kinds of ailments in the past I thought it would be interesting to see how many culinary herbs and spices might have a pain relieving component.
There are other herbs that are not used in the kitchen that also have pain relieving function but I wanted to stick to those herbs and spices that people could reasonably find either already in their kitchen or easily buy in the supermarket.

All of the herbs in this list are known to have an analgesic factor. According to Wikipedia the word analgesic means without pain. Of course just because a herb has an analgesic factor does not mean that a cup of herbal tea for example will necessarily ease a particular pain. However, it can be useful to have some idea of the wide variety of herbs that do have this function.

Each of these herbs also has many other functions as well. Many of them are also antibacterial, anti spasmodic, anti viral, anti fungal or anti inflammatory.

The List

• Allspice
• Bay Laurel
• Caraway Seeds
• Cardamon
• Chamomile
• Cinnamon
• Cloves
• Coriander
• Fennel
• Ginger
• Marjoram
• Nutmeg
• Peppermint
• Rosemary
• Sage
• Thyme
• Turmeric

I found a great web site that has loads of information about different herbs and spices. It includes common uses and information on how to use them. This page will take you to the list of analgesic herbs for natural pain relief.

The only ones in the list that I have personally tried are rosemary, sage and peppermint although I used mint instead. I did find that they helped me. All I did was use 1 teaspoon of dried herb in a cup of boiling water and let it steep for a while. Use a tea pot or an infuser in a cup.

To a pain free, healthy life

Jocelyn

Spice Up Your Food For Health

Having just written about turmeric and previously cinnamon, I was interested to see what other herbs and spices might have antibacterial, anti fungal, antiviral or antioxidant properties. I am sure that there will be many that I have missed. If your favourite is missing from my list please share it with us by leaving a comment.

"An herb is a friend of physicians and the praise of cooks." - Emperor Charlemange, 9th Century

Researchers recently discovered that the phenolic compounds in a study of 26 common spice extracts contributed significantly to their antioxidant capacity.
Other studies have shown the herbs and spices that were the best all round bacterial killers, that killed all of the 29 common food borne bacteria that they were tested with, were:

• garlic
• onion
• allspice
• oregano
  

Those that killed up to 80% of bacteria types tested were:

• thyme
• cinnamon
• tarragon
• cumin
  

Killing or inhibited up to 75% of bacteria types tested were:

• hot peppers including chilies and capsicums
  

Others that tested as inhibiting 25% of bacteria types tested included:

• ginger
• anise seed
• celery seed
• juice of lemons and limes
• black and white pepper
  

Other spices said to have antibacterial activity are:

• cloves - used to stop bad breath.
  
• mustard
• rosemary
• sage
• turmeric
  

Others

Nutmeg has, in animal studies, shown possible antidepressant possibilities. It also is active against Helicobacter pylori and E. coli. Be careful in using nutmeg because 1 to 2 ounces of nutmeg has been known to cause delirium and toxicity.
Peppermint, as well as its antimicrobial, antiviral and antioxidant properties, is said to show potential for anti tumor and anti allergenic actions. It is also known for its effect on relieving gas, and its analgesic and anesthetic effects in the central and peripheral nervous system.
Basil is used in some countries to reduce plasma cholesterol. Basil extract has been shown to contain antioxidant substances. Cloves has the highest antioxidant activity followed by cinnamon, pepper, ginger, garlic, mint and onion.

This is not intended to be a through coverage of all of the properties and uses of these herbs and spices, but just an overview to show the wonderful resources available to us. Using a greater variety of herbs and spices in our cooking could certainly contribute to our health and well being. Adding herbs to a salad dressing for example can increase the antioxidant capacity of the salad by 150% to 200%.

Have fun, experiment with the added flavour of herbs and spices. Even add them to canned or already prepared foods as they will add a lift to the taste.

Enjoy and be in good health

Jocelyn