A Russian manufacturer recently uncorked a new vodka named Rastoropsha that is supposed to be good for the liver - despite overwhelming medical evidence that booze and cirrhosis often go hand-in-hand.
The manufacturer named the vodka after a local herb that supposedly has health-giving qualities. And, in fairness, it must be said that he conceded it works only if drunk in moderation.Hogwash? Very likely. But it underlines a growing interest in the use of herbs to treat illness, an interest that may date back to the day early man noticed his dog seeking out certain grasses to relieve some distress or another.
To feed that interest, Judith Benn Hurley, a journalist and author who writes about food, has come up with a new book, "The Good Herb" (William Morrow & Co., $25). Among other things, she looks into the way herbs can be used to treat hay fever, asthma, prostate trouble, menopause, fatigue, cancer, stress and indigestion, among other things.
But even before digging into her subject, Hurley hoists a big caution sign: Don't go overboard on herbs.
"If you have full body sweats and crushing chest pains, don't go herbal - get to a hospital fast," she urges. "Then, by all means, you can use herbs to help recovery."
Hurley is by no means following a solitary path in her search for herbs that might substitute for expensive man-made drugs that sometimes produce side effects as painful and frustrating as the illness itself.
The year-old Office of Alternative Medicine of the National Institutes of Health is pressing research into several unorthodox areas of health care, including hypnosis, homeopathy, acupuncture, massage - and diet.
Practitioners in these fields also recently launched their own medical journal, with a respected board that includes former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop, to review clinical trials of alternative medicines and devise ways to guarantee the integrity of the tests.
They contend that their lack of access to conventional medical publications, like the Journal of the American Medical Association, prevents them from making an effective case for alternative medicine and raises public doubts about its value.
Hurley's delightfully illustrated book may aid their mission. She offers exhaustive histories of 45 popular herbs such as basil, tarragon and thyme and tells how they are believed to aid your health - and even improve your looks.
First, there is garlic, "the health heavyweight." The ancient Chinese chewed it raw to ward off colds and coughs. The Vietnamese believe it prevents sickness and disease. Egyptian workers are said to have been fed garlic to strengthen them to build the pyramids.
Hurley says current research gives garlic high marks for fending off colds and flu - and even in treating heart problems and preventing certain kinds of cancer, provided it is eaten raw and always under the guidance of a health professional.
Parsley, often disdained by "real men," was used by early Romans after their extravagant meals to mask the smell of wine and rich food. Now it's viewed as an herbal multivitamin with more vitamin C than oranges, more calcium than milk and more iron than liver. It's also a mild diuretic, a plus for men with prostate troubles.
Hurley's herb list goes on and on: Alfalfa (headaches), bay leaf (colds and flu), cabbage family (cancer), dill (digestive aid), fennel (colds and flu), kelp (heartburn), rosemary (stress), sorrel (respiratory ailments), tarragon (blood pressure) and, finally, yarrow (fever).
Hurley also provides 200 recipes gathered over 20 years of travel that took her through much of this country and from France and Italy to Egypt and Thailand. They use "bold herbs" and a minimum of fat, sugar and salt, which can be dangerous in excess.
Hurley found some herbs by "riding a mule deep into the Smoky Mountains in search of wild chives . . . gleaning a sore throat remedy from an Asian taxi driver . . . savoring cool coriander in a spicy fish dish in the Straits of Malacca, where cooks have elevated the use of herbs to a high art."
In India, cauliflower and cabbage are cooked with mustard seed to avoid digestive upset. Vietnamese cooks add ginger to their steaming soups to ease cold symptoms. Rosemary is a headache remedy in Mexico.
Hurley discovered "the hard way" that an Arab man is likely to be offended by food containing basil because Arab women use basil tea to ease menstrual cramps. A Jordanian diplomat raved about her feta pastries until he discovered they were flavored with basil and "retreated to the powder room for at least 20 minutes."
Unfortunately, Hurley says, scientists and women who have tried basil say it doesn't work. But the Portuguese use fresh basil to freshen their breath. In India, people say its aroma gives them a feeling of "sattva," enlightenment and harmony.
On the other hand, she adds, science has given a thumbs up to a salve made from hot peppers in Zaire and Zambia to treat arthritis. African and Mexican herbalists also have long recommended hot peppers for digestion.
East Indian herbalists suggest coriander to cool a "hot stomach" and help digestion. In China, during the Han Dynasty (207 B.C. to A.D. 220), liquor laced with coriander was thought to be an aphrodisiac.
Hurley draws no conclusions on that. But she does note that coriander seeds found in ancient Egyptian tombs "are still able to germinate."