Four herbs to keep you healthy

Thyme Aromatic thyme yields powerful antiseptic properties that kill bacteria and help ease bronchial ailments, from tonsillitis to garden variety sore throats. Herbalist Hilde Hemmes says many brands of mouth wash use thyme's active agent, thymol, as an antiseptic component, as it helps clear congestion from the lungs and bronchial passages . "I make a great tea out of thyme," says body+soul naturopath Mim Beim. "Combine a handful of crushed, fresh thyme, a dash of honey, the juice of one lemon, the rind of half a lemon and a two centimetre piece of ginger, chopped, in a plunger or tea pot. It's perfect for coughs and colds," Beim says. SageAccording to Hemmes, sage is one of the most important herbs for winter health because of its antibacterial and antiseptic qualities. "Its botanical name, salvia, is derived from the Latin salvere or 'to be saved' and is a reference to the curative properties of this herb," she says. Sage is an astringent, strong-flavoured herb, so a sprinkling is more than enough to flavour a warm winter pie or pot of herbal tea. Beim says sage is the perfect tonic for laryngitis and mouth ulcers, but it tastes and performs better when fresh. Plus, its oestrogenic properties are the perfect antidote to fevers and night sweats, she notes. Echinacea The quintessential winter herb, echinacea helps you maintain a normal, healthy immune system capable of warding off the winter lurgy, and serves as a soothing treatment if the bugs do bite. "The root of the echinacea plant has antibacterial and antiviral properties and has been used successfully to treat colds, flu, tonsillitis, bronchitis coughs and ear infections, and can be recommended as a preventive measure during the winter months to help increase immune function to fight off viral, bacterial and fungal infection," says Hemmes. While echinacea is commonly taken in tablet form, Beim says it's an easy plant to grow at home and you can use the whole plant to make tea, gargling solutions or mouth wash. Nasturtium The leaves and flowers of the nasturtium plant are packed with vitamin C. The use of vitamin C in the treatment and prevention of the common cold is controversial in medical circles, with research ongoing. Yet numerous studies in the US found that taking vitamin C daily can help to reduce the duration of cold symptoms by 10 per cent in adults, and 15 per cent in children. Beim says nasturtium is also a powerful decongestant that helps to clear congested sinuses and lungs. "It clears mucus from a cough, plus it's really easy to grow from seed and almost impossible to kill."