By Connor Yearsley
A recent BBC investigation uncovered squalid living and working conditions on some tea estates in India's northeastern state of Assam. The report raises questions about the need for higher wages and increased standards across the board. Read more>>
By Hannah Bauman
As Americans turn in greater numbers to herbal supplements for their own health, another market segment emerges: herbal supplements for their animals. Read more>>
By Connor Yearsley
Eloy Rodriguez, PhD, coined the term "zoopharmacognosy" with his colleague in the 1980s and, today, is studying natural chemicals found in members of the Asteraceae family that may have potential for treating leukemia and breast cancer. Read more>>
By Hannah Bauman and Mallory Houck
Chickpea, an ancient legume, has been cultivated for nearly 7,500 years in the Mediterranean area. Whether stewed in curries, ground into flour, or smashed into hummus, chickpeas provide high amounts of fiber, vitamins, and protein. Read more>>
From The Integrator Blog
At the end of September, John Weeks, publisher and editor of The Integrator Blog, asked his readers to comment on an article in HerbalGram issue 107 that focused on botanical research funded by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Medicine. Read more>>
Case Mill Homestead's Fertile History. Featuring ABC's historic headquarters. Austin American-Statesman. November 12, 2015.
Canadian Health Food Association Underwrites ABC-AHP-NCNPR Botanical Adulterants Program. November 11, 2015.
Botanical Adulterants Monitor, Issue #5. November 9, 2015.
Woman plucking tea in Assam.
Photo ©2012 Akarsh Simha
Photo ©2009 Don Wecua
Eloy Rodriguez, PhD
Chickpea pods
Photo ©2007 Eitan F.
Chickpea pods
Photo ©2007 Eitan F.
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Cannabis Update:
An Introduction to the Endocannabinoid System
Conference Report:
ILSC Event Focuses on New TCM-Derived Drugs
Book Review:
Handbook of African Medicinal Plants, 2nd ed.
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Aromatherapeutic Blending: Essential Oils in Synergy was written by Jennifer Peace Rhind and published by Singing Dragon in 2015. The excerpt includes the title page, table of contents, preface, and Chapter 3, “A Spectrum of Approaches.”
Author Jennifer Rhind explores the art of blending complementary essential oils for enhanced therapeutic benefits in her fifth book. While primarily aimed at students and practitioners looking to improve the efficacy of essential oil treatments, the text also offers helpful information and tips for the at-home aromatherapy enthusiast.
This text offers conceptual and practical information regarding the efficacy of blending essential oils and absolutes to gain better results than single ingredients alone. Along the way, Rhind encourages the reader to reflect upon his or her experiences to become a more empathetic and insightful practitioner.
“The synergistic blending of essential oils is at the very heart of aromatherapy,” writes Rhind in her introduction. “Here, the aim is to examine the concept and the underpinning hypotheses, and from this provide informed and accessible guidance on how to formulate aromatherapeutic blends, with an evidence-based and philosophically sound approach.” The text covers theory, new research, and profiles of over 60 aromatic botanicals.
Aromatherapeutic Blending is available for purchase at the publisher’s website.
© 2015 Singing Dragon. Reprinted with permission. This article may not be reproduced for any other use without permission.
Texas Vets Call for Legal Medical Marijuana, End to Painkiller Dependence. Al Jazeera America. November 11, 2015. US military veterans are lobbying the Texas legislature for the right to medical marijuana, which is currently strictly limited in the state.
How Traditional Healers Helped Defeat Ebola. Al Jazeera. November 5, 2015. During the year and a half long Ebola epidemic, traditional healers in Sierra Leone were credited with filling in the gaps of the Western medical response.
In The 'Cradle Of Cacao,' Chocolate Brigades Fight For A Bigger Harvest. NPR. November 4, 2015. A government-backed initiative in Ecuador is trying to convince skeptical cacao farmers to embrace an unusual technique for improved harvests.
Move Over, Yellow 6. More Natural Colors From Plants Are Coming. NPR. November 2, 2015. After a study linked artificial colors with hyperactivity in children, an increasing number of food companies are moving away from synthetic colorings and toward plant-based ones.
Soybean Foods May Protect Menopausal Women Against Osteoporosis. EurekAlert! November 1, 2015. Eating a diet rich in both soy protein and isoflavones can protect menopausal women from bone weakening and osteoporosis, according to the results of a preliminary study.
Five Rupee Herbal Pill to Treat Diabetes. Live Mint. October 27, 2015. The pill, which contains extracts of four different plants, comes from an ancient Ayurvedic formula and is intended to regulate glucose levels.
Who Owns the Patent on Nutmeg? New Yorker. October 26, 2015. The defeat of Colgate-Palmolive’s attempt to patent products based on old herbal remedies has opened up a wider dialogue about biopiracy and intellectual property rights.
China Finally Wins a Science Nobel, yet Critics Remain Unsatisfied. Caixin. October 23, 2015. Despite earning international acclaim for her research on artemisinin, Tu Youyou’s Nobel Prize win is contested among other Chinese scientists.
FDA Requests Comments on Use of the Term "Natural" on Food Labeling. US Food and Drug Administration. November 10, 2015.
Notice of Opportunity for Public Comment on the Dietary Supplement Label Database. National Institutes of Health. October 29, 2015.
Dietary Ingredient and Supplement Manufacturers Can Demonstrate Superior Quality Systems Using Newly Launched USP GMP Audit Certification. United States Pharmacopoeia. November 2, 2015.
NPA Challenges New “Study” On Supplements and ER Visits. Natural Products Association. October 14, 2015.
McCaskill Asks Retailers to Voluntarily Pull Dietary Supplement from Shelves After FDA Fails to ‘Lift a Finger’. US Senator Claire McCaskill. November 10, 2015.
American Chemical Society Announces Cannabis Chemistry Subdivision. Americans for Safe Access. October 28, 2015.
Experts to Review Trade Levels and Conservation Status of Wild Plants. CITES. October 19, 2015.
March 29-30: 2016 Clean Label Conference. Itasca, Illinois, USA.
More event listings can be found on ABC's website.
Do you know which common, vitamin C-rich herb can provide protection against degenerative diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis? Find out here!