Herbs and spices excite our senses and dominate cuisines. Cultures are identified by their food, but the use of particular plant materials to food is not a random act of history, nor is it limited to the regions where the herbs and spices first appeared. Research by Paul Sherman at Cornell, and others has shown that herbs and spices that are used in a culture are also the most effective at inhibiting pathogens and parasites where that food is traditionally served.
I must talk about some related experiences that touch on the same subject, but are simply fun explanations of cultural practices. Milk is used in some interesting cultlural practices, because it has very potent anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal components -- milk keep newborns well nurished, but also safe from nasty germs, etc. while the immune system the baby matures. Two astoundingly disparate applications of milk come to mind: pruning fruit trees and walking hot coals. I have observed both. I previously worked with plant pathologists and I watched pruners sanitize their shears in milk between trees. The milk stopped the spread of viruses and bacterial pathogens. I also observed firewalking in the Sri Mariamman temple in Singapore. The firewalkers stepped from the coals into a pool of milk to stop infections of their singed feet. In both examples, milk provided an abundance of anti-microbial molecules that were retasked from protecting babies to protecting trees or adult feet.
Herbs and spices are plant products that are toxic to plant pathogens or herbivores, which are retasked to protect people. Some of these, such as the curcumin in turmeric, are potentially more effective that commercial drugs. I want to point out some of the common plant materials that are very useful in our diets and to remedy common infections, aches and pains.
My current champion cure-all is Vicks Vaporub. This thick ointment has the pleasant scent of its ingredients, menthol, eukalyptol, camphor and terpentine. I associate the smell with childhood treatment for congestion. I also remember that my father used to rub it on his arthritic hands to loosen them up before a day’s work. There is a solid physiological basis for the action of Vicks.
Many of the ingredients are powerful antibiotics effective against a variety of bacteria and fungi. Vicks is one of the most effective topical treatments for athlete’s foot and ringworm fungal infections. The menthol is cooling, because it binds to the cold sensing receptors and it is an effective analgesic and anti-inflammatory, because it triggers acupuncture like responses through the vagus nerve. I would also try Vicks on autoimmune conditions of the skin, because of both the anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties. I have even seen Vicks recommended for the same reasons for the treatment of acne. TMJ pain and inflammation apparently responds to the menthol.Castor oil binds to heat detecting receptors of the skin and works similarly to hot pepper capsaicin. Castor oil can be used to stop many aches and pains in arms and legs by topical applications. Since most of these plant products act through the pain sensors in the skin, they don’t actually penetrate to the joints involved, but rather they trigger release of neurotransmitters from nerves that do penetrate to the sites of interest. I also think that the use of castor oil packs applied to the skin of the abdomen, may have systemwide anti-inflammatory impact.
Garlic is the most anti-bacterial of the herbs, but most of the common herbs added to food probably affect the gut flora and shift it to a more anti-inflammatory composition. Many herbs and spices are used as topical cures for acne, because of their combined antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory qualities. Plant materials are very potent. They contain many compounds that are highly effective at low concentrations in neutralizing plant pathogens and herbivores, and so they are also very potent in their impact on the bacteria of our gut and potential on our own systems. Plants are powerful, but just because they are natural does not mean that they are safe. Plants are also rich sources of poisons. Domesticated plants are safer, because we have selected for variants that have lower levels of the compounds that the plants need to otherwise protect themselves. This also means that the compromised varieties need to be sprayed with antibiotics, e.g. apple trees sprayed with streptomycin, fungicides and herbicides. We have traded one group of plant toxins for manmade toxins. All this aside, plants are necessary for our health, but it is better to browse over many different plants than eat a lot of just one. Grains are a relatively recent addition as large components of the human diet, and should also be limited because of their high starch and inflammatory omega-6 oil content.
Turmeric, red pepper and black pepper are commonly ground together and used to enhance many dishes in a variety of different cuisines. It turns out that the curcumin in turmeric and the capsaicin in red pepper are very potent anti-inflammatory agents, but they are enzymatically modified as they are absorbed through the intestines. The black pepper piperine inactivates the enzymes of the intestines and enhances the effectiveness of the other two chemicals. Thus, there has been a lot of trial and error optimization in the use of spices. It makes a lot of sense to eat the way that locals eat when traveling.
