By Mark Plotkin, PhD
Relive the adventures and expeditions of the greatest Amazonian explorer of the 20th century, Richard Evans Schultes, with this compelling interactive map that recounts his extensive travels of the region and his encounters with native plants and peoples. Schultes, who collected more than 30,000 herbarium specimens (including 300 species that were new to science), is considered by some to be the father of modern ethnobotany. Read more>>>
By Connor Yearsley
The new natural products training center at the University of Mississippi will be used to educate government officials, academic and industry professionals, scientists, and others about good manufacturing practices for natural products and botanical dietary supplements. Waters Corp., which offers a range of chemical analysis system solutions, contributed software and equipment for the new research space allocated for the training center’s activities. Read more>>>
By Hannah Bauman and Krissy Lines
Want to add some lemony tang to your dish and receive essential vitamins and minerals at the same time? Garden sorrel (Rumex acetosa, Polygonaceae) can do the trick. All things in moderation though. Oxalic acid contained in sorrel can lead to the formation of kidney stones, if consumed in excess. Read more>>>
Thad Cochran Research Center
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Feature:
Tainted Tea: The Abysmal Conditions on Assam's Tea Estates
Research Review:
Yerba Mate & Circulation
Quality Control:
Botanical Integrity: Part 2
Market Report:
The Growing Market for Herbal Pet Care
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Aromatica: A Clinical Guide to Essential Oil Therapeutics, Volume 1: Principles and Profiles was written by Peter Holmes and published in 2016 by Singing Dragon Press. The excerpt includes the title page, table of contents, forewords by Gabriel Mojay, Tiffany Carole Pollard, and Charles Rothschild Lev, and Chapter 5, "Surveying the Modalities of Essential Oil Therapy."
Peter Holmes draws on more than 30 years of experience as a medical herbalist, clinical aromatherapist, and practitioner of Chinese medicine to create a holistic approach to essential oils and their psychological, physiological, and topical uses. Safety, modalities, sourcing, and history of essential oil use are examined, and the text includes an extensive materia medica (or “materia aromatica”). Therapists and practitioners will find expert guidance and reliable information regarding the use of essential oils in their practices and as a complement to existing therapies.
Aromatica can be purchased at the publisher’s website. © 2016 Singing Dragon. Reprinted with permission. This article may not be reproduced for any other use without permission.
Leicester City's Secret Weapon: Beetroot Juice. NutraIngredients. May 5, 2016. As part of their training, the English soccer champions consumed beetroot juice, which has been shown to have performance-enhancing effects.
Warriors’ Leandro Barbosa Swears By a Remedy That Restored His Giddyup. The New York Times. May 4, 2016. The "Brazilian Blur" credits an extract of arnica do mato, typically a horse medicine, for his stamina.
A Wake-Up Call: UNPA Survey Shows Lack of Consumer & Market Awareness of Credible Certification Seals. NutraIngredients-USA. April 29, 2016. Roughly 80% of those surveyed thought that a new certification seal would be in order if the industry were to move toward a unified quality standard.
Loathed By Farmers, Loved By Ancients: The Strange History Of Tiger Nuts. NPR. April 27, 2016. Used as a medicine since ancient times, the increasingly popular tiger nut weed is a nutritious nuisance.
Watercress Extract Detoxifies Carcinogens in Smokers, Clinical Trial Demonstrates. Science Daily. April 19, 2016. A watercress extract was found to reduce the activation of certain carcinogens in cigarette smoke.
Study Shows Curcumin/Fenugreek Combo Helps Relieve Work-Related Stress. NutraIngredients-USA. April 18, 2016. In a recent study, an herbal combination product significantly improved self-reported levels of stress, anxiety, and fatigue.
Drought Ravaging Trees for Birth Control in Kenya. SciDev.Net. April 16, 2016. Climate change is affecting the availability of medicinal trees traditionally used as a source of birth control in rural Kenya.
CRN Announces Industry-Wide Dietary Supplement Product Registry to be Launched This Year. CRN. April 13, 2016.
Kew to Release First Annual State of the World’s Plants Report in May. Kew Royal Botanic Gardens. April 28, 2016.
AOAC Releases 20th Edition of [Official Methods of Analysis]. AOAC International. May 4, 2016.
The Republic of Tea Issues Voluntary Recall of Organic Turmeric Ginger Green Tea. US Food & Drug Administration. April 29, 2016.
AHPA Adopts Labeling Guidance for Alcohol-Removed Products. American Herbal Products Association. April 28, 2016.
May 28: 9th Annual Canadian Holistic Nutrition Conference (CHNC). Toronto, Ontario, and Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
June 29 - July 1: 10th World Congress on Polyphenols Applications. Porto, Portugal.
July 11-14: 7th Biennial Symposium of Integrative Medicine Professionals in the Land of Enchantment (SIMPLE). Taos, New Mexico.
August 4-7: Midwest Herb Fest 10. French Lick, Indiana.
More event listings can be found on ABC's website.
Do you know the origin of the Memorial Day tradition of wearing red poppies (Papaver rhoeas) to honor fallen servicemen and servicewomen? Find the answer here!