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In the last chapter we have given you some recipes for your vitamin water with fruits. But also herbs can contribute a lot to a better state of health and emphasize the taste. There are many herbs with which you can also produce pure herbal water. Let yourself be surprised by the following explanations and flavours!

Herbs have many healing substances. For the preparation of the flavoured water, it is advisable to get the herbs fresh and to crush them lightly with a mortar before use.

Delicious flavoured water can be made from the following herbs:

- Basil

- Dill

- Fennel

- Lavender

- Balm

- Mint

- Rosemary

- Sage

- Thyme

Basil with cucumber and pineapple

Add five basil leaves, a cup of pineapple and half a cucumber and refrigerate for several hours. You can also leave out the pineapple and try this recipe with strawberries, or use lemons instead of cucumber.

Dill with cucumber

Dill tastes fantastic with cucumbers and both ingredients for the vitamin water have an extremely refreshing effect, making this recipe ideal for

particularly hot summer days. Leave half a cucumber with some dill in a jar overnight.

Fennel with apple

Put a thin slice of apple with a few twigs of fennel in the preserving jar. If you like the taste, you can also cut off some extra pieces of the tuber and put them into your water. Otherwise you can try the fennel with ginger and cinnamon.

Lavender with strawberries

For the preparation of your vitamin water you need half a cup of strawberries and some lavender, which should however be worked briefly in the mortar before, so that the aroma can develop better.

Melissa with peach

The fresh lemon balm leaves are put on together with the cut peach (without seed) and put in the fridge overnight if possible. Melissa can also be combined with other fruits or spices, such as pineapple, kiwi or ginger.

Mint with pear and grapefruit

Five to ten mint leaves with a few slices of grapefruit (with skin) and a few pieces of pear is an excellent remedy for a hangover, and also to get back into shape. Mint, by the way, is suitable for almost all fruits, or also in combination with other herbs, because it provides a particularly refreshing taste.

Rosemary with strawberries

Two large branches of rosemary are advisable for this recipe, which are prepared together with a cup of berries as infused water or vitamin water. Rosemary is also ideal with watermelon, cherries or pomegranates.

Sage with watermelon

1/3 watermelon with fresh sage, the number of leaves depends on the desired flavour. Sage is also very suitable for berries, as well as combined with mint.

Thyme with melissa and cucumber

Arrange half a cut cucumber with a few leaves of lemon balm and a stalk of thyme as aroma water and leave to stand for several hours. Thyme water can also be prepared with fresh ginger and lemon.

With these delicious and simple recipes for refreshing flavoured water, you're sure to want to drink a really big glass of your homemade preparations, don't you? Not only the recipe ideas are important, but of course also the ingredients and possible effects of the selected herbs for our drinks, which is why we describe these ingredients in more detail. In this case, you can also orientate yourself not only on the desired flavour, but also on the respective advantages of the most popular culinary herbs.

Basil is one of the most popular herbs in food preparation. This spice is particularly popular in Italian cuisine. Originally, basil was a well-known medicinal plant because it contains healing substances. Basil is prescribed in folk medicine for inflammation and digestive problems, migraine, menopausal complaints, skin diseases, sleep disorders and also for the treatment of joint pain. However, in cases of illness you are not automatically healed by some dried leaves on the pizza or in the tomato sauce. But in infusions with fresh basil you can certainly benefit from the valuable ingredients. These include vitamin C, vitamin K, beta-carotene, iron, calcium, copper and manganese. For the infusions, basil can also be prepared with paprika to make a spicy version of vitamin water.

Dill is known to most people only as a popular spice for salads and fish dishes. This option is also a particularly healthy ingredient for our vitamin water from herbs. Dill has a fine, tart taste, which also goes very well with parsley. For the preparation of flavoured water you should take the fine leaves and also the delicate dill tips. This culinary herb contains large amounts of vitamin A and vitamin C, but iron, calcium, manganese and folic acid also offer us numerous health benefits. Dill is good for digestion, helps against existing gases, protects our bones and is also effective against diabetes. By the way, dill is also a good home remedy against hiccups, as it not only reduces gas formation, but also has a calming effect in case of nervous disorders. Otherwise you can combine dill with other herbs and fruits, such as lemon or grapefruit.

Fennel has a very special aroma, which is why it offers many more advantages than just tea, cough or digestive problems. It can be used in many ways in food preparation and is also frequently used in naturopathy. Its healing properties are due to the essential oils it contains, which strengthen the stomach, stimulate blood circulation and are also anti-inflammatory. However, fennel loses its excellent healing properties when cooked, as the essential oils evaporate. Fennel contains many vital substances that can certainly cover our daily needs. Even if you may not be a fan of these tasty vegetables, you should pay attention to your nutritional needs. With the exception of vitamin B12, fennel contains all the vitamins of the B group, from which your muscles, heart and nerves can benefit. Otherwise it convinces with beta-carotene, calcium and potassium as well as vitamins C and E. Fennel therefore offers excellent protection against numerous diseases.

Lavender not only looks beautiful on the windowsill and in the garden, it also has very good healing properties. By the way, you can also use the flowers for your vitamin water, because they provide a very special eye-catcher in the glass carafe. In the kitchen it is used to season meat dishes, in soups and in many cheeses, such as raclette cheese or goat cheese. Lavender, consumed as tea, is a healthy alternative to conventional tranquilizers and can also bring even totally exaggerated children back to rest. In vitamin water it has a cleansing and refreshing effect that can even sharpen the senses. The leaves have an intense, aromatic taste. However, it is advisable to use it sparingly for now. Lavender has been used for years to treat liver and lung diseases, cramps, aching limbs, dental problems and also heart and digestive problems. Lavender also goes very well with berries, peaches and mangos.

Melissa is mainly used in German-speaking countries for the preparation of exotic dishes. This herb is more known to us as a medicinal herb in tea blends. The leaves are used for medicinal purposes. They have a lemon-like and very intense smell, which is why they are also known as lemon balm. In combination with lemons, oranges or of course with other fruits and herbs, this plant is a popular ingredient for infused water or detox recipes. Lemon balm is ideal for relieving stress, cramped stomach and intestinal complaints, for a better sleep as well as against flatulence. Also, melissa has an antiviral effect. In case of frequent stomach and intestinal problems, you can also prepare lemon balm with fennel and aniseed as aroma water to benefit even better from the ingredients.

Mint is one of the most popular ingredients for all kinds of herbal water, as this aromatic plant has an excellent refreshing effect. It is not included in toothpastes and chewing gum for nothing. In the kitchen it is used for smoothies, desserts, sauces and salads. Mint leaves should be used fresh for the aroma water. Although this popular herb has a very intense delicious taste, you should not exaggerate the dosage, as a strong menthol concentration can attack the gastric mucosa. Five to ten mint leaves are therefore quite sufficient for one litre of water. It can actually be combined very well with everything. So not only with fruit, but also with other herbs and spices. Especially refreshing is mint with citrus fruits or berries. But the flavoured water also tastes very good with melissa or ginger. Mint is ideal for headaches, colds and inflammation of the oral mucosa, exhaustion, itching and respiratory diseases.

Rosemary is an important ingredient in Mediterranean cuisine, but the official pharmacopoeia also lists this spice as the medicinal plant of 2011. Rosemary also contains essential oil with an excellent effect. It has been known as an antiseptic since ancient times, as well as for better brain performance. Above all, the carnosolic acid contained is said to have a positive effect on Alzheimer's and dementia, as it effectively fights free radicals and toxins. But of course the intensive aroma also contributes to the fact that rosemary is now being used more and more frequently in aroma waters. Depending on its intensity, this plant is good against nausea, nervousness, exhaustion, digestive problems and also against bladder and kidney diseases. By the way, you can still use the rosemary branches for full ribbons after use in vitamin water, as it is a natural and gentle cleanser that can also relieve pain. So rosemary can be used in many ways. During pregnancy, however, you should refrain from consuming this medicinal plant!

Sage as a kitchen spice is not very widespread in German-speaking countries. It is indispensable in Mediterranean cuisine, as it is used for the preparation of salt, for sauces and also for the vegetable filling of ravioli. Pasta, for example, is served with sage leaves steamed in butter, resulting in a particularly spicy and delicious taste. If you buy sage fresh for your aroma water, pay attention to the leaves, as young leaves have a milder taste. Sage is also a popular medicinal herb with great effect for numerous ailments. It helps with respiratory diseases, as its essential oils have an antimicrobial effect. Sage is also used for excessive sweat production. Sage gives your aroma water a unique taste. You can combine this plant with lemons or limes, with berries or with anise and cloves.

Thyme is often used in food preparation. It is ideal for seasoning casseroles, salads, sauces, soups and also meat dishes. However, this spice is also a very popular and above all versatile medicinal herb with which you can emphasize the effect of your vitamin water much better. Thyme has already been recommended by Hippocrates against respiratory diseases. The essential oils contained have an antibiotic, antibacterial and mucolytic effect. It is therefore a natural antibiotic that can also relieve cramps. By the way, thyme is also a good natural remedy after an extended drinking session, as it can also help against the typical complaints of a hangover. This, too, is of course a convincing reason to enrich the vitamin water with thyme. Infusions of this popular medicinal herb are said to keep you mentally fit and can also lower your blood pressure, depending on the dosage. You can combine thyme for your flavoured water with cucumbers, strawberries, pineapple or of course with other herbs.

Of course, you can also use other herbs for your vitamin water, such as parsley, lemon grass, nettle or dandelion, as well as flowers. Daisies and sunflowers in drinking water look extremely good and contribute to rare vital substances for our organism. By the cold preparation of our aroma water also the important vitamins, minerals and trace elements remain contained. The herbal preparations should be consumed within 24 hours, as this not only changes the taste, but can also have a negative effect on our health after this period. For a summer party, or to attract even more attention with your aroma water, you can also prepare small meadow flowers, clovers and herbs as ice cubes. Only one leaf or flower per cube is placed on the water and after a few hours you will have a very colourful and above all original effect in your water glass or in the carafe. You will be enthusiastic about the healthy ideas you can come up with.

Edible flowers are not only daisies, but also violets, camomile, yarrow, roses, mallows and evening primroses. However, you should keep away from oleander flowers, golden rain and aquilegia flowers, as these flowers are poisonous! The monkshood, thimble, yew berries and daphne, whose berries are very similar to currants, are also poisonous. The deadly nightshades are also extremely dangerous. For meadow plants you should therefore only rely on reliable and really healthy alternatives for your aromatic drink.

If you want to enrich your herbal water with flowers, you can combine rose petals and daisies with balm or mint, for example. The taste is particularly aromatic after about one hour.