Medicinal Ohio Herbs

Since 1972, Gahanna is known for being the Herb Capital of Ohio. Jane Geroux founded the Ohio Herb Education Center in 1975, which offers natives of Ohio and travelers from all around the world, guided tours of the plants and herbs prominent to this city. The Herb Educational Center offers a variety of educational workshops where people learn about the culinary and medicinal properties of herbs valuable to this historical city in Ohio.

Rosemary

• Gahanna Herb Society reports that rosemary is the official herb of the city. It is vibrantly aromatic and comes in silver and gold striped varieties; however, people use green leaved rosemary for medicinal purposes. Internal uses include taking it orally as a holistic tonic and stimulant. It helps ease stomach problems, relaxes nerves and helps to alleviate headaches. People use it externally as a hair lotion because it helps stimulate hair bulbs in the scalp, which prevents baldness. A combination of dried leaves and flowers of the rosemary shrub along with borax, in a cold environment make an all natural hair wash which prevents scurf and dandruff.

Horseradish

• Master herbalist Dr. David Christopher states that in the past horseradish was eaten during the feast of Passover. Modern people still use it in the Passover Sedar. He recommends using grated horseradish as a natural remedy for sinus infections because it helps break up and loosen mucus from the sinuses and alleviates sinus pressure. Since it contains sulfur, it has many properties found in a variety of antibiotics. These components help fight against harmful bacteria which cause infections. Horseradish is also a powerful diuretic and in the past was used to treat kidney stones and infections of the bladder.

Mint

• Mint is an herbal remedy best known for its ability to help aid digestion and alleviate indigestion. This is because it helps to relax the muscles inside of and surrounding the intestine. Peppermint oil contains a menthol compound, which is known for alleviating chest congestion and breathing problems associated with the respiratory system. Mint also has valuable and powerful antioxidants, which help to protect the body against the creation of various types of cancer cells. In addition, mint helps to stall the growth of bacteria and fungus. It also helps to clear up all the breathing passageways and airways in the body. It has natural relaxing properties and helps to ease tension and stress. Mint is commonly found in a variety of breath mints and gum products and has a refreshing flavor, which helps to neutralize bad breath. External uses include easing inflammation from minor burns and skin irritations.

Thyme

• Thyme is an herb that has a long history of all-natural medicinal uses for chest congestion and respiratory problems, including bronchitis and coughs. However, it wasn't until modern times when researchers discovered thyme has all natural healing properties. The most important volatile oil harvested from thyme is thymol, which has been shown to have antimicrobial effects on bacteria and fungi. Thyme also contains flavinoids--apigenin, naringenin, luteolin and thymonin--which amplify thyme's powerful antioxidant properties.