Around 6 million years ago, early humans co-evolved with the flowering plants around them. They learned to use the leaves, roots, nuts, seeds, berries, gum and bark as both food enhancers and for medicinal purposes. Using herbs and spices to mask the unpleasant tastes and odors of food was very common. In today’s world, new scientific evidence seems to support what the ancients knew all along – some herbs and spices have beneficial effects for our hearts, minds and overall health.