Fact Friday: Herbs in Medcine has a long history

I never gave much thought to herbs,  however with the release of the Jordan Essentials Herbal Blends,  I thought I might do a little research.  I knew that they had a long history,  but I remember my grandma and many in her generation referring to "OLD WISE TALES"  but maybe they should have listened more.

The Egyptians were studying the use of herbs as far back as 3500 B.C.,  using them for medicine and in their religious rituals.  Today,  about 7,000 compounds used in medicine originate from plants.  About 200 million pounds (90,718,474 kg) of herbs and spices are consumbed in the U. S. annually.  The most common are black pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, garlic, paprika, chili powder, oregano, celery seed and parsley.

Fact Friday: The difference between Herbs and Spices

Several weeks ago at a Wellness Clinic,  I was asked what the difference was between Herbs and Spices.  I could list different ones in each catagory, after all we all have them in our kitchen,   but I could not give a clear explaination.  However while we were on vacation last week,  I pieked up a copy of "TIDBITS of Cheyenne" and it actually had a GREAT explaination of the difference between Herbs and Spices.  

There is a difference between herbs and spices.  Generally,  herbs are the leaves of a plant, while spices are taken from the roots, bark or seeds.  This means rosemary, thyme and mint are herbs, and cinnamon, paprika, coriander and nutmeg are spices.

Such a simple answer to a question,  now I'll know how to answer the question when asked again while I'm presenting our Herbal Blends and Essential Oils.