Culinary Herbs and Cancer

Culinary herbs are generally included in diets of most people today. Until comparatively recently there have been only a few herbs traditionally used in Australian kitchens and these offer nutritional benefits as well as palatability. However, they are also included amongst remedial or medicinal herbs and have been for centuries used in the treatment of disease.

Cancer being such a complex disease that has grown to epidemic proportions in the western world cannot be cured by a single medicine or herb so we must allow that it is mainly in the preventative aspect that we can be confident that the introduction of a variety of herbs is a sure long term help in improving our diet.

Of course if our modern 'fast foods' popular diet is maintained along with continued drinking of carbonated drinks and artificially flavoured juices, excessive alcohol, fried animal fats, and denatured products, herbs can offer no miracle. The incentive to change our ways could be offered if we consider that he increased popularity of commercially produced negative food quality, coca cola and associated artificial drinks, chocolate and white bread products may just be the cause or one of the causes of increased incidence of cancer, we would be better off without these items in our food.

So to increase our use of the following herbs makes a positive move towards taking the opportunity nature offers to add trace elements, minerals and vitamins to complement our nutrition. We can use them in abundance once we enjoy their flavours. Many of them have been thoroughly researched in China and Russia in particular, where simple herbs and foods are not scorned regarding their prime importance in both building health and in curing disease.

Angelica - generally only available in crystallized form but if the extract is available from a herbalist, or you can make your own garden plant befriended as a tonic, it is showing great results as a cure for cancer.

Beetroot tops and Beetroot Juice - this is an important success in cancer treatments in Europe. The fresh root can be grated and eaten raw in combination with cottage cheese, or as a salad dish with squeeze of lemon. The juice provides the concentrated medicine for cancer as it directly helps the quality of the blood.

Black Cumin seeds - a remedy now being confirmed for positive value in cancer

Burdock root - this was once a common vegetable in past centuries, only now becoming integrated into modern health foods.

Carrot Juice has been used in western medicine for a considerable time for many health reasons including a cure for cancer. It is a delicious and easily procured remedy. The juice however is very concentrated and should be used in moderation.

Celery Tops - these provide elements missing in the celery stalks and should be used when possible to add to salads and soups. They have a direct affect upon the kidneys as do the seeds that can be made into tea, or also added to soups.

Comfrey - the leaves when young are commonly eaten in salads. The root is also used in cancer therapy but usually only available in tablet form.

Dandelion- root - this is popular as an alternative to coffee but both leaves and root are used in Chinese medicine. Leaves are eaten fresh, and when young are not bitter tasting.

And as a tea. As a herb tonic parsley helps to eliminate toxins through the kidneys.

Galangal - Claimed by many S E Asians to be an effective cancer cure

Garlic- the fresh clove is invaluable as a health food and natural antibiotic. Much of its value is destroyed with cooking. It is advised for inclusion in all diets but is particularly important inclusion if seeking natural treatment for cancer,

Ginger - a little fresh ginger makes a wonderfully tasty addition to many foods, salads, and cooked dishes but as a cancer remedy should be taken fresh or as a tea.

Ginseng - a traditional Asian tonic for just about everything, including some of the many forms of cancer.

Goji Berries - now readily available in health stores as a snack food

Grape Cure - as the term implies, is the concentrated use of grapes, usually as a exclusive food for a period of time, to eliminate cancer. It is hailed as the Brandt Grape Cure to drink only water and the juice and avoid solid food .

Green Tea - is a well known tonic to prevent cancer and deal with the free radical problem so reducing likelihood of cancer

Kelp - granulated seaweed can be added to savoury foods, soups and cooked dishes. It is high in mineral content and trace elements missing from many of our earth cultivated foods.

Liquorice - an enjoyable sweet tonic when eaten together with the sugary confection but in itself, the extract from the root is one of the finest cancer remedies in the world.

Reishi mushrooms - many direct claims of cures involve this famous variety of mushroom now generally available in supermarkets to add to your diet.

Rosemary - used in a lot of meat dishes, potato dishes, in curries, soups, and as a tea to strengthen brain and nervous system and found in medical treatment of cancer and chemotherapy to be advantageous. It is thought to stall Alzheimer's symptoms.

Tomatoes - many are now confident of the efficacy of tomatoes to help with problems that can lead to cancer - so they are one of the best known common vegetable tonics

Tumeric - many in Asia claim this root as the reason for curing cancer. It can be used to replace the extraordinarily expensive saffron.

Violet leaves - a few leaves in salads count as a preventative. The extract from this lovely little plant is one of the ingredients in many cancer herbal remedies.

All foods and herbs should be taken fresh if possible as cooking destroys over 90% of the enzymes needed to aid digestion.

Sally Wilson, professional herbalist and naturopath has wide experience in herbal remedies and is renowned for research in a range of specializations. Most dominant is the application of medicinal healing herbs. Another interest has been to identify garden plants that cause infant and animal poisoning. In addition to the range of well known pasture poisons that affect stock, there are common plants that are toxic to our pets, as detailed in her book Some Plants are Poisonous published by Reed Books, Australia 1997.
Traditional herbalism is based on its principle is to retain the whole plant chemistry as nature has created it. It is this essential that makes herbal remedies unique and so safe to use.
Many plants that otherwise have a potential for toxicity are judiciously used in medicine today.
However, we all have easy access to kitchen herbs that can help treat cancer and proving a popular alternative to other forms of treatment including chemotherapy.