Rosemary & it's nutritional benefits

Written by Efooddehydrator.com Thursday, 29 April 2010 16:07

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) is a well-known culinary herb. However, you may not be aware that rosemary extract has a long history of medicinal uses too. It has been used to treat a wide range of ailments, including stomach upsets, digestive disorders and headaches. Recent research is now revealing even more benefits attached to this remarkable herb...

Dried rosemary leaves are a popular seasoning for food... adding flavour to soups, stews, meat and fish.

Applied to the skin, rosemary essential oil helps strengthen the capillaries and has a rejuvenating effect. For this reason, rosemary is a common ingredient used in many cosmetics, including skin toners, creams, soaps and hair products.

However, beyond being a flavouring-enhancer for certain foods and its use in cosmetics, you may not be aware that rosemary extract has a long history of medicinal uses too. It has been used to treat a wide range of ailments, including stomach upsets, digestive disorders and headaches.

Recent research is now revealing even more benefits attached to this remarkable herb, including its ability to help prevent cancer and age-related skin damage, boost the functioning of the liver and act as a mild diuretic to help reduce swelling.

Two of the most important ingredients in rosemary, which are thought to be largely responsible for many of these therapeutic actions, are caffeic acid and rosemarinic acid - both are potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agents.1

These two natural acids are effective at reducing inflammation which may contribute to asthma, liver disease and heart disease.2

Rosemary is proving an important defence against cancer

The antioxidants contained in rosemary help to protect your body's cells from damage by free radicals. They include monoterpenes, phenolic diterpenes and flavonoids, which are renowned for their ability to slow down the production of free radicals.3, 4

It is also a rich source of vitamin E (alpha tocopherol), another potent antioxidant, which contributes to its free radical fighting powers further still.5

DNA is your genetic blueprint, and it is particularly prone to injury from free radicals. Left unchecked, this damage can eventually lead to cells proliferating out of control, which greatly increases the risk of cancer.

Scientists from the department of Mutagenesis and Carcinogenesis, Cancer Research Institute of Slovak Academy of Sciences, in the Slovak Republic, have found that rosemary extract can significantly help to protect DNA against free radical damage.6

By blocking oestrogen, rosemary helps prevent breast cancer

It is well known that an imbalance of oestrogen hormones in women can contribute to breast cancer. Several conventional drugs such as Tamoxifen are aimed at blocking the effects of oestrogen to help reduce this risk. However, Tamoxifen can cause a range of unpleasant side effects, including hot flushes, vaginal bleeding, headaches and nausea.

Fortunately, rosemary offers a safe and natural alternative treatment. Dr Zhu and colleagues from the Department of Chemical Biology, 
State University of New Jersey in the US, found that a 2 per cent concentration of rosemary extract given for three weeks was able to significantly inactivate excess oestrogen. Researchers believe that it works by stimulating liver enzymes, which inactivate oestrogen hormones like oestrone and oestradiol.7

Rosemary helps minimise the effects of ageing on your skin

As mentioned earlier, one of the traditional uses of rosemary is as a cosmetic. Recent research findings have now confirmed the skin-protective benefits it possesses.

According to researchers working at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Catania, in Italy, rosemary extract helps protect the individual components of skin cells, which may prevent age-related skin damage such as wrinkles.8

In a follow-up study the Italian researchers found that rosemary extract is able to exert even greater benefits. In particular, it was shown to safeguard a protective protein called HSP70. The role of this protein is to reduce damage caused by stress, free radicals and other toxins on the skin.9

Disarms harmful toxins and flushes them from your body

Another benefit rosemary extract has been shown to possess is an ability to inactivate toxins and then eliminate them from your liver, before they can inflict any serious damage.

French scientists from the National Institute of Agronomic Research in Dijon, found that rosemary extract encouraged detoxifying enzymes - including cytochrome P450, glutathione transferase and quinone reductase - to flush harmful toxins from the liver.10

In effect, rosemary stimulates your liver to work more efficiently, which helps you feel more healthy and energetic.

Rosemary helps combat the effects of water retention

Rosemary also has therapeutic properties as a mild diuretic - making it effective in reducing swollen ankles and bloating. Dr M Halaoui from the department of Biology, University of Fez in Morocco, has studied the effects of rosemary extract's diuretic actions on the kidney.

He found that a daily dose of rosemary extract in liquid form can improve kidney function significantly, increase urine flow, and preserve the essential minerals sodium, potassium and chlorium.11

This is important because conventional diuretics (water tablets) may actually worsen kidney function by speeding up the elimination of these essential minerals from the body.

What to take for best results

The recommended dosage is two 400mg rosemary capsules up to three times a day.

Warning: Pregnant women should not take rosemary extract. In addition, you should not take rosemary supplements if you suffer from high blood pressure or epilepsy.


1. Masuda T et al. J Agric Food Chem 2002;50(21):5863-5869
2. al-Sereiti MR et al. Indian J Exp Biol 1999; 37(2):124-130
3. Saen-Lopez R et al. J Chromatogr A 2002953(1-2):251-256
4. Lee KG, Shibamoto T. J Agric Food Chem 2002; 50(17):4947-4952
5. Torre J et al. J Chromatogr A 2001;919(2):305-311
6. Slamenova D et al. Cancer Lett 2002;177(2):145-153
7. Zhu BT et al. Carcinogenesis 1998:19(10):1821-1827
8. Calabrese V et al. Int J Tissue React 2000;22(1):5-13
9. Calabrese V et al. Int J Tissue React 2001;23(2):51-58
10. Debersac P et al. Food Chem Toxicol 2001:39(9):907-918
11. Halaoui M et al. J Ethnopharmacol 2000; 71(3):465-472

Dehydrated Lemons & Oranges Video & discussion

Written by Efooddehydrator.com Tuesday, 13 April 2010 17:19

Hi,

What are you dehydrating today?  Today I have uploaded a new video on food dehydration- lemons & oranges.  To see it visit http://www.youtube.com/efooddehydrator.

Please let me know if you have any questions.  I look forward to meeting you and discussing food dehydration.

That's All For Now!  TTYS!

All The Best,

Stephanie
www.efooddehydrator.com

 

What you want to know about herbs, dill, basil, rosemary, cilantro, sage

Written by anonymous Friday, 30 April 2010 01:16

• Growing Basil from Seed
• Planting Rosemary Cuttings
• Overwintering Rosemary
• Trimming Sweet Basil
• Preparing Herb Garden for Winter
• Growing Dill
• Harvesting Herbs
• Basic Herb Gardening
• Growing Cilantro
• Growing Sage 

Growing Basil from Seed : “How do I grow basil from seed?”

"Starting basil from seed is similar to starting most seeds. Plant in slightly moist seed starting mix, covering seed with just 1/8" or so of soil. Loosely cover the container with plastic wrap to maintain humidity and set in a spot out of direct sunlight. At warm temperatures (about 70 degrees) the basil should germinate in just a few days. As soon as you see sprouts, remove the plastic and place the pot in direct sunlight, or within 1-2" of a fluorescent light bulb. Keep the soil evenly moist but not soggy and the plants should grow well. You can also sow seed directly into a garden bed in full sun as soon as the soil has warmed in spring. By starting your own seeds, you can enjoy a number of unusual varieties of basil, including lime and lemon basils, cinnamon basil, and Thai basil. And don't forget some attractive and tasty purple basil!”  

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Planting Rosemary Cuttings : "I cut a few sprigs off my outdoor rosemary and put them in a glass jar with water, and, voila, they grew roots! Now what should I do? Can I grow rosemary indoors? What type of soil should I use?"

"Rosemary is one of those versatile plants that adapts to growing indoors or out, in pots or in the ground. To pot up your cuttings, find a container with good drainage holes in the bottom, fill it with regular potting soil, and plant your new rosemary. Then water it thoroughly and place it in bright light but not direct sun. The cuttings should develop roots in a few weeks. Rosemary prefers soil on the dry side, so don't overwater the plant. Water when the top of the soil dries out, or when the pot feels light when you pick it up. Sometimes rosemary is grown as a topiary plant. You can train your containerized plant into a topiary by pinching out all growth except one main stem, and rubbing out anything that sprouts along that stem but leaving the top stems and foliage alone. You'll end up with a "lollipop" rosemary, with a long, bare stem and a fluffy top of foliage." 

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Overwintering Rosemary : "A friend gave me a large, woody rosemary plant, which I planted in my yard last summer. Do I dig it up and bring it inside to a cool room, or should I keep it where it is? Should I mulch it?"

"Rosemary is generally hardy to about 15 degrees F. It's a tough shrub, but won't survive temperatures cooler than that unless you protect it. To be on the safe side, if it's not too large, transplant it to a container and bring it inside, next to a sunny window. It needs well drained soil and frequent watering, and will do best near a humidifier. When the weather warms in spring you could take it out to a porch or deck." 

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Trimming Sweet Basil : "My sweet basil plants are about 10 to 15 inches tall--no flowers yet. Can I cut off the top of the stems to make the plants bushy, or do I have to wait for the first flower?"

"Actually, it is best to keep basil from flowering because, as an annual, once the plant flowers and sets seed it will go into decline. Usually gardeners encourage bushiness by a process called pinching. They begin literally pinching off or trimming off the growing tip(s) of the branches when the plants are quite small. (You can eat the pinchings!) They repeat this several times until the plants are as bushy as desired. When the plants become quite dense, some gardeners simply trim or shear them regularly and use the shearings in cooking. Other gardeners will cut off a larger proportion of the plant for harvest, especially if they plan to dry or freeze a quantity of basil all at one time. These more drastic harvests can be done just a few times a season as they are stressful on the plants and eventually the plants just ‘wear out’." In either case, the trimming prevents the plant from flowering and it regrows in order to try to flower. Since your plants are already quite tall, I would suggest cutting them back by about a third. This will give you a nice harvest and allow you to begin pinching as it grows back. When you do this, be sure the plant receives adequate water and nutrients to regenerate itself." 

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Preparing Herb Garden for Winter : "What should I do to help my herb garden make it through the winter? I have sage, thyme, oregano, parsley, spearmint, peppermint, and wormwood. What do I do to protect the plants from deep snow and very cold winters?"

"Perennial herbs are hardy and relatively low maintenance. The ones you have listed all fit this category, so there should be no special procedures to follow. After frost, trim away any browned and dead stems and mulch lightly around, but not over, the plants. Snow acts as an insulator and protects plants from excessive cold, so it is not something to worry about. In fact, plants tend to fare better when snow stays in place all winter. In the spring, tidy up any winter damage and gradually pull off debris that has blown in and become wedged in the plants."

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Growing Dill : "I have planted dill from seed. How do I know when it is ready to pick and best way to dry and/or prepare? "

"Dill (Anethum graveolens) can grow 3'-4' tall. It's an interesting plant, with feathery leaves and stalks of umbrella-like clusters of small yellow flowers. If flowers are allowed to remain on the plant, seeds will form at the end of the growing season. You can harvest the foliage at any time during the growing season for kitchen use, cut the yellow flower clusters for inclusion in canned or pickled vegetables, or allow the seeds to mature and harvest them when they turn hard. Seeds are separated from the stems and air dried, then stored in an airtight container for use in cooking." 

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Harvesting Herbs : "I have tried year after year to grow herbs, usually basil and oregano. The plants thrive but then after I harvest some of the leaves, they are never quite the same. I usually pinch them with my fingers."

"I wonder if you're accidentally damaging the stems when you harvest your herbs. Sometimes it's best to snip the stems with a pair of scissors. A clean cut will heal quickly, and the act of snipping the growing tips promotes new stem and leaf growth on the remaining portion of the stem. With both the basil and oregano, try harvesting frequently rather than waiting until late in the season. You can snip sprigs from spring through summer. In fact, oregano sprigs can be harvested when the plant is only 6 inches high, and you can continue snipping the leaves and stems throughout the summer months."

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Basic Herb Gardening : “I want to get started on making a herb garden but I really don't know how to get started. Can you help?”

"First, you need to decide whether you will dedicate an area outside in your garden, grow in containers outside, or grow in containers inside. Next, think about what types of herbs you would like to grow. There are so very many it boggles the mind! However, it is a lot of fun browsing around and picking and choosing. Like flowers, there are perennial and annual herbs, and different herbs have different requirements, so choose herbs that will grow well in the space you've chosen. There are some common factors; most herbs like full sun and thrive in rich soil, but there are exceptions. For example, basil is an annual that enjoys a very rich soil, but oregano is a perennial that thrives in less fertile soil. I would recommend you start with a list the herbs you use most in cooking, and choose a half dozen or so to start with. Once you feel confident with these, you can introduce others to the plan."

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Growing Cilantro : "This is the first time I have planted cilantro. I purchased the plants from a local nursery, and just days after planting them they started to flower. One of my fellow gardeners said to leave the flowers and the plant would start to bush out. Another gardener said to pinch the flowers off, and the plant would grow bushy. A third said that the plant is kaput, and to start new plants. Which one is correct? How can I get my cilantro plant to bush out?"

"It's difficult to coax cilantro to grow tasty leaves once it flowers. Your best bet is to go with gardener number three: start new plants. Cilantro is an annual herb, a member of the parsley family. The seed is generally sown in cool spring temperatures for a summer crop, or as summer wanes for a fall crop. For good quality cilantro, harvest foliage prior to the formation of flowers. When the plant sets blossoms, foliage quality declines. Since yours has bloomed, you can leave the flowers on until the plant dies and then harvest the seeds (the seeds are the spice called coriander!). Grind the seeds to use in the kitchen, or save some to plant in August for a fall crop of cilantro.”  

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Growing Sage : "Can sage be used in dried flower arrangements? Does it need full sun, wet or dry soil? How high does it grow?"

"Culinary sage (Salvia officinalis) is generally used fresh or dried as a flavoring in stuffings for meat and poultry. It is also used in making herb vinegar and butter. The leaves probably wouldn't hold up well in dried arrangements. There are flowering salvias, such as Salvia farincea and Salvia clevelandii, that you can grow for dried bouquets. Culinary sage is fairly drought tolerant but it will definitely benefit from adequate watering. It thrives in full sun in well drained soil. The plant does better if not planted in soil that is too fertile. Generally the plant grows to about 2 feet high and up to 3 feet across."

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New Video Alerts! Dehydrated Parsley is easy & fun with your Excalibur food dehydrator!

Written by Efooddehydrator.com Wednesday, 28 April 2010 16:21

Hi,

I have begun the dehydration of my organic herbs.  I am starting off with Parsley, as it is truly a super food.  Please see my article on the benefits of parsley.

I have 30+ videos on youtube!  See me at http://www.youtube.com/efooddehydrator.

Dehydrating parsley in your Excalibur food dehydrator is easy and fun.  First, wash the parsley and dry it well.

I suggest just using the parsley flourets, so just cut of the stems with your kitchen scissors.

Next, arrange them on your food dehydrator tray and dry for about 10 hours.

It is easy, healthy and wise to use your dehydrator to dry herbs.  Makes great cabinet spices, gifts to friends/family and to store for the future.

As always, if you are going to dehydrate parsley for the long term, be sure to preserve them in their whole form (not ground).

Please let me know if you have any questions.  THANK YOU!