The Asda 60p favourite that helps stop you farting – gardening expert reveals
WHETHER it’s a twist of black pepper on dinner, a dollop of pesto on pasta or pretty much every curry going – our diets wouldn’t be the same without an incredible array of herbs from all over the globe.
Happily, here in the UK, we’re able to grow a great variety of them on our windowsills, patio pots or directly into the earth (if you’re lucky.) from a packet of seeds for less than £2.
And as our temperatures heat up, they’ve proving to be a perfect plant for hotter, dryer climates.
But not only are herbs great in food – there’s all sorts of medicinal and healing benefits too.
For example, did you know that Dill is good for flatulence? And in Scandinavian countries it used to be hung above baby’s cots to stop them crying with colic.
And it’s on sale in Asda for 60p right now.
According to new book ‘How Herbs Healed the World’ by Connor Smith, experts also use dill as a tea to treat stomach aches, colds and coughs, while the seeds can be chewed to prevent bad breath.
The book details how the Romans ate fennel seeds after meals to cleanse their palates, reduce wind, and stimulate digestion. Plus it contains the chemical Chloride, which helps the body produce hydrochloric acid – which aids the breakdown of food.
Parsley can treat autoimmune and inflammatory illnesses, while Chives come from the genus Allium – which are known to reduce blood pressure, with their high potassium content making them helpful in treating kidney stones.
And the book says that a study in 2010 showed that extracts from sage leaves reduced metastasis – the spread of cancer cells throughout the body.
It also claims that Rosemary improves memory and reduces nervousness and tension, as well as easing digestion and improving blood circulation and liver function.
Peppermint combats inflammation and aids digestion, while studies of Organo show it may be helpful in combating cardiovascular problems.
And it also claims that in 2021, researchers from an Iranian university prescribed Thyme essential oil to Covid patients – discovering that those who used it alongside their usual medication experienced shorter infections and more manageable symptoms.
To find out more – ‘How Herbs Healed the World’ is out now, published by Quercus at £22
In Veronica's Column this week
News, top tips, competition, jobs and more...
- NEWS! Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival finishes tomorrow (Sunday) and Best in Show was a Lion King inspired garden by designer Juliet Sargeant. See the Disney video above with actress Thenjiwe Thendiva Nofemele who plays Rafiki in the West End.
Celebrating 25 years of the West End musical, it aims to ‘rethink the English Garden’ with climate change in mind.
Surrounded by a wildlife-friendly dead hedge, it uses plants including red hot poker, Himalayan Fairy Grass, Echinacea ‘Flame Thrower’, Gleditsia Skyline, Szechuan pepper and cone flowers with dusty red soil planted with swathes of resilient grasses to reflect the Pridelands. And it offers visitors a space to sit and reflect on their own journey through the ‘Circle of Life.’ - NEWS! THE Big Butterfly Count is from July 12 to August 4. Visit www.bigbutterflycount.butterfly-conservation.org to download the Butterfly Conservations’ ID chart or free app to identify and record the butterflies you spot in a 15 minute session. British Garden Centres have revealed a list of Butterfly-friendly plants, including lavender, buddleia, sunflowers, scabious, sedem and asters.
- NEWS! A recent study by garden shop ‘J. Parker’s’ claims the best UK cities for gardening enthusiasts are Chelmsford, Oxford, Bath, Salford and South End, based on factors including average hours of sunlight, access to private gardens and number of local gardening groups.
- SAVE! Keep your clippings at bay with this Dunelm pop up garden waste bag for £19 – or choose B&Qs similar bag for a fiver.
- WIN! TEN lucky Sun Gardening readers can take the pressure of their knees with a Town and Country memory foam double fold up kneeler worth £19.99 each. Lightweight and easy to carry, it features a non-slip surface and extra padding. To enter visit www.thesun.co.uk/KNEELER or write to Sun Kneeler competition, PO Box 3190, Colchester, Essex, CO2 8GP. Include your name, age, email or phone. UK residents 18+ only. Ends 23.59GMT 20.07.24
- THIS WEEKS JOB Dahlia’s will be really coming into their own this month – make sure you feed weekly, stake, and keep well watered.
- TIP OF THE WEEK Now it’s (mostly) getting warmer, only water in the morning or evening – otherwise the heat will evaporate all the water
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