Herbs have been used for food and healing, by all cultures, for thousands of years. Many of the common culinary herbs are rich in vitamins, minerals and trace elements and are recognised as being beneficial to good health. For example, garlic is a natural antibiotic, parsley is rich in vitamin C and iron, mint aids digestion. The most natural way to benefit from these herbs is to include them regularly in a balanced diet.
Until the development of Chemistry and, particularly, of the synthesis of organic compounds in the 19th Century, medicinal plants and herbs were the sole source of active principles capable of curing man's ailments. Many modern pharmaceuticals still rely heavily on medicinal plants, as a source of proven medicaments and of new and revolutionary drugs.
