Hello everyone! In just a week I will be starting my third year in university so I decided to talk about my dissertation topic! It’s all about herbs and the affects it can have on some of the systems of our body. Is it good for us? Should we stop eating herbs?

Shall we begin?

So, to explain in detail and in a simple way, herbs are known to have some effects on our body and in a good way. It has been experimented and there are a lot of studies on herbs and the effects it has on our body. My dissertation is focusing on two different things, the effects it has on glucose levels in the body and the antioxidants in the body and the two herbs I am focusing on are Rosemary and Sage.

Glucose is a sugar component that can be found in food sources and is part of the carbohydrate family. Glucose is very important in our bodies and it can be digested and stored in our bodies for use when we are fasting and not eating. The process for glucose being stored and digested needs insulin which is a hormone that allows the process of glucose use in the body. I hope this is all making sense! In some bodies insulin stops being produced and the glucose levels in the body become irregular. This then leads to illnesses such as diabetes. Some foods help maintain and regulate glucose levels in the body, my dissertation is researching the effects of rosemary and sage and what happens to the glucose levels in our body after we have consumed these herbs.

Antioxidants are components that could be found in food sources and are very beneficial for health and reducing what is called ‘oxidative stress’ in the body. This oxidative stress can damage body cells and can lead to illnesses and diseases such as atherosclerosis, cancer, diabetes, heart attacks and cardiovascular disease. These antioxidants can be found in herbs that I am studying which is rosemary and sage. My dissertation will be focusing also on the antioxidant activity in these herbs.

So that’s basically what my dissertation is about, in a nutshell. It’s very lab-based and will be very interesting! I will keep you all updated about the progress of the project throughout the year and hopefully it all goes well!

That’s all I had for this week! If you have any requests or any topics you would like me to discuss than be sure to let me know! I actually have a blog post planned which is a little different from what I usually write about and it is more nutrition based.

-Yours Truly, Raisa