I want to discuss the efficacy of herbs in giving/maintaining good health. I
want to share something that is only my empirical research, carried out upon
myself for the past 25 years.

I eat a little bit of fresh culinary herbs every day. Thyme, mint, rosemary (my
favorite!), Italian parsley, oregano, sweet marjoram, whatever suits the dish or
salad I’m preparing. Scientific research, backed by the USDA and other
governments has certified that there are antimicrobial and antifungal and
antiviral properties in many of these culinary herbs.

I have not had a cold or flu in those 25 years. People around me can be dropping
like flies, I carry on. I truly believe that the slow buildup of the essential
oils in my bloodstream and organs contributes to my great immune system.

I *never* drink herbal teas such as echinacea or red raspberry. On ocasion, I
have taken the capsules, but really find them unnecessary. I have seriously
studied herbalism this entire time, and have 50 or more research books.

Our ancestors evolved selecting and incorporating the wonderful members of the
Labiatiae family and other essential-oil-rich herbs (some cultures regard
members of the Amaryllidaceae family such as garlic, leeks, chives and onions as
herbs, and they are in the Herbs and Spices Golden Guide book, listed as such)
into their diet, and I believe that their own empirical observations over time
provided/proved the wonderful prophylactic properties of these herbs.

So, yes, I am the Herblady, and I lecture on the use of herbs in landscaping,
harvest and usage , and I contribute my knowledge of “medicinal” herbs here and
in lectures, but I believe good health can be maintained with *fresh* culinary
herbs. Anybody else have a similar observations?

I use herbs in most of the cooking I do, I throw them in the bath, I use
them for craft work; I rarely get a cold and when I do they don’t seem to be
as bad or last as long. When I was a kid I spent most of the winter with a
cold, flu or even bronchitis. I first noticed it when I started learning
aromatherapy when I was sixteen; I used oils every day for something, even
if only for perfume, and went for many years without a single cold. I don’t
suffer from seasonal allergies any more either. I do have a couple of more
serious health issues which are not safe to try and treat myself (notably a
heart condition which requires some fairly serious medication) but as far as
respiratory conditions, headaches, etc. go I’m convinced my frequent use of
herbs for pleasure and culinary reasons is the reason I don’t suffer
anywhere near as much as other people do.