Do You Think Fresh Herbs Can Help Medically or Otherwise Post Op ?

I just finished this fascinating book about how plague affected Byzantine Rome and Africa, Asia and Europe called Justinians Flea ... and one of the most interesting take-always was how many Byzantine Emperors (and Roman ones like Caesar before them) lived to crazy old ages ( 87 - 84 -85 ! ) in times when you looked and were venered as ancient at 40 ... when the adult average male life expectancy was no more than thirty .

These guys ( Justinian, Justin before him, Caesar ) shared one thing in common - a very lowfat ascetic diet featuring daily intake of many aromatic fresh herbs - like Rosemary Thyme Basil Sage Oregano ... in large quantities like as virtually salad ... at least according to contemporary chroniclers .

Herbs were considered preventative of disease particularly high blood pressure cancer and possibly cholera and typhus . They've also been shown to deter mosquito bites ( malaria was a huge killer of humanity then as it remains worldwide today ( maybe even plague carrying flea bites ) through making the blood smell a little different and so untasty to these pests .

I'm just wondering about your post WLS experience with eating fresh herbs . A lot of us grow them . I use at least a handful but often a lot more fresh basil , dill , oregano, chives , thyme , rosemary every single day in my cooking ( and in my salads and yogurts ) . I do miss them over the winter - I tend to agree with the ancients that they do have mysterious health promoting curative powers .. what do you think based on your experience ?

There is no scientific evidence that the cooking herbs you've mentioned cure any diseases. If they did, doctors who practice evidence-based medicine would regularly prescribe them to ill patients. There's some research suggesting that a few spices may "reduce inflammation," but the science behind those is sketchy at best.

In the ancient world, folks considered herbs to cure disease because that's the best they had. That doesn't mean that they ACTUALLY help any illness or health condition.

Also, please check your facts before trying to teach us history. Julius Caesar lived to be 55, not "crazy old" or over 80. He was murdered, so that's not exactly a great example to choose when suggesting longevity.

Yeah, average life expectancy is misleading. Chilhood death rates were really high, pulling down the average. Death from diseases and death during childbirth were sky high, bringing the average down even more.

If they made it past those obstacles, they were just as likely to live to a ripe old age then as we are today.

I was going to say the exact same thing. The human life span hasn't really changed all that much - it's just that most kids actually make it to adulthood these days. That wasn't true even 100 years ago. Kids died all the time - and the infant mortality rate was sky high to boot.

My great grandmother died at 97 in Ireland with none of the modern medicines. I believe that people have a life expectancy of about 100 years and reach it if they are lucky enough to avoid fatal accidents and fatal diseases. As Grim pointed out, lower life expectancy takes into account deaths among people of all ages.

Well I HOPE I can finally reply on my own thread . Of Course Julius Caesar was murdered at 55 prob because of his own arrogance but he was in great health and vigor ... at a time 55 was VERY old . And no, Grim I Have discounted infant mortality rates here .

It's just INTERESTING . Provocative even. I know I totally crave fresh basil fresh dill fresh parsley and thyme every spring ... why ? So many of us do that's obviously why expensive transplants are so popular every spring ...