Healing Greek Ingredients

From olive oil to oregano, all food was medicine to the ancient Greeks

Olive oil. Dusan Zidar/Shutterstock

To the ancient Greeks, “everything had a purpose,” says Maria Benardis. These days, trendy superfoods bearing exotic names and origins are touted for their magical, cure-all abilities. But the ancient Greeks recognized the super in the everyday. All food was used for both sustenance and healing, and the ancients wrote extensively on the properties of each ingredient. Benardis documents much of their knowledge in her books, “My Greek Family Table” and “Cooking & Eating Wisdom for Better Health.”

Olive Oil

Olive oil. Angel Simon/Shutterstock