New research from Cardiff University has revealed a daily diet of fresh herbs can help combat a range of serious stress-related conditions, including high blood pressure, insomnia and anxiety.
Basil, chives and coriander were found to have particularly powerful health-boosting and calming properties.
Professor Tim Jacob, from Cardiff University’s school of biosciences, said: “Fresh herbs are full of flavonoids which are proven to assist with many different health complaints; they can actively reduce the effects of anxiety and insomnia by acting as a calming agent. Certain herbs contain compounds that can actually reduce blood pressure and other stress-induced symptoms.”
The findings reveal that basil is rich in the anti-inflammatory agent eugenol, an active ingredient of clove oil, which acts as a natural anaesthetic and helps relieve pain. Its high linalool content, a naturally occurring chemical found in many flowers and spice plants, also helps to promote sleep and calm the nervous system.
Chives can have a positive effect on the circulatory system, while also helping to lower blood pressure and protect against cancer. Packed full of phytochemicals which have potent anti-cancer properties, along with the chemical compound organosulphides, chives help to boost levels of essential detoxifying enzymes; especially beneficial for city-dwellers who are exposed to higher daily levels of pollution.
Coriander has long been recognised in traditional folk medicine as a cure for anxiety and insomnia. In modern times, this has been dismissed as an old wives’ tale, but recent research supports the use of coriander as an anxiolytic. In experiments on mice by the Iranian department of pharmacology at Shiraz University of Medical Sciences - the first study of its kind to measure the effects of coriander on the central nervous system - scientists concluded that the herb does indeed have potential sedative and muscle relaxant effects, verifying its value as a treatment for anxiety-related complaints.
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