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What are the benefits of herbs and how can we use them in everyday life?

Antibiotics are being over-used to treat many forms of chronic illness in Ireland, which could be simply improved by a change in diet; a situation which, significantly, is contributing to the dangerous rise in antibiotic resistant infection like MRSA and ESBL.

The B vitamins are often referred to as the ‘energy’ vitamins, mainly because they are involved in energy release in the body. There are eight different B vitamins. The eight B vitamins are vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9 and B12. Getting enough B vitamins will keep energy levels up, provide mental alertness, improve memory, combat ageing, boost the immune system, and fight against depression. Many elderly people, vegetarians, or people who are on strict diets don’t get enough of these important vitamins. People who are stressed, eat out often, don’t have a good balanced diet with plenty of fruit and veg, or abuse alcohol can also be deficient.

What do food intolerances, allergies, IBS, cancer, asthma, hayfever, coeliac disease, behavioural issues, and countless other increasingly common conditions all have in common? They are all symptoms of immune system dysfunction. Not many people realise this but approximately 70 per cent of our immune system resides in the gut, which is why probiotics — ‘good’ bacteria — has become such a buzzword in recent times, and need to be replaced after taking a course of antibiotics. Many people develop food intolerances or are even diagnosed with coeliac disease after suffering from viruses or similar immune dysfunction. This is because the good flora in the gut, which is so important for healthy digestion, has often been affected by the illness or even the medication for treating it.