| Herbs are medicinal plants that have been used for | | | | can be served hot or cold and sweetened with |
| healing over centuries in civilizations around the world. | | | | molasses, honey or brown sugar. |
| Almost every culture has a distinct tradition of healing | | | | Decoctions are parts of the plant such as roots or |
| with medicinal plants. At one point, when science was | | | | barks that are thick and impenetrable and cannot be |
| relatively new, humans relied solely on herbs for | | | | maximized by simple boiling. These parts are made |
| curing illness. | | | | effective by cutting them into bits and boiling them in |
| Herbs and medicinal plants continue to be lifesavers | | | | water for hours at a time. |
| to millions of people who do not have access to | | | | Aromatic plants are partly composed of essential oil |
| good health care. Additionally, herbal poultices can be | | | | complexes that can be extracted and used as oils in |
| used on injuries of the bone, joints and muscles, while | | | | aromatherapy and massages. These oily substances |
| herbal teas can be used as sleep inducing tonics or | | | | are found in the glands that are located in the |
| invigorating drinks. | | | | flowers, leaves, roots, bark and resins of the herb |
| Infusion is a straightforward way of extracting the | | | | plant. |
| active principle of herbs by boiling them in water. | | | | Some examples of herbs that are used regularly as |
| Infusions are prepared much the same way that we | | | | part of home remedies are rosemary, thyme, |
| prepare tea. This technique is used to extract the | | | | eucalyptus, hibiscus, tea tree, cinnamon, fennel, garlic, |
| unstable components of the dried green leaves. | | | | ginger, mint, ylang-ylang, ginko, chamomile, etc. The |
| Infusions are made with a single herb or in | | | | list is endless, as are the benefits. |
| combination of herbs. Once prepared, the herbal tea | | | | |