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Herbs that can replace your routine seasoning

Herbs are a great way to add flavour and colour to any sort of dish or drink, whether sweet or savoury, without adding fat, salt or sugars. In addition to flavour and colour, they each also tend to have their own set of health-promoting properties.

When cooking your favorite dish, try adding herbs, just be cautious because when too many herbs are added, their flavour will overpower other ingredients.

Consuming herbs may help to prevent and manage heart disease, cancer and diabetes. It may also help to reduce blood clots and provide anti-inflammatory and anti-tumour properties. Research is ongoing but studies have shown that:

• Garlic, linseed, fenugreek and lemongrass may help lower cholesterol.

• Garlic is useful for people with mildly elevated blood pressure.

• Fenugreek can help control blood sugar and insulin activity (as can linseed, flaxseed and cinnamon).

• Garlic, onions, chives, leeks, mint, basil, oregano, sage and many other herbs can help protect against cancer.

• Herbs are rich in antioxidants, especially cloves, cinnamon, sage, oregano and thyme, by helping to reduce low-density lipoproteins (‘bad’ cholesterol).

Cooking with herbs

You are only limited by your imagination with it comes to using herbs in the kitchen – they can be added to virtually any recipe. Try adding herbs to:

• stews and casseroles

• soups

• breads

• mustards

• marinades

• butters

• sauces

• salad dressings

• stocks

• vinegars

• vinaigrettes

• yoghurts

• custards

• desserts

• drinks

Consuming herbs help the body prevent and manage heart disease, cancer and diabetes. It may also help to reduce blood clots and provide anti-inflammatory and anti-tumour properties. Research is ongoing but studies have shown that: Garlic, linseed, fenugreek and lemongrass may help lower cholesterol.

Reference Better health 2019