Spirulina and moringa are both known for their extensive array of health benefits. They are so nutritious that many people deem them superfoods. Processed spirulina and moringa powder also look alike in that they are both green powders. Beyond those similarities, they are very different. Below, we will take a closer look at spirulina and […]
Betony: An Herb That’s Good For The Head
Betony is also known as wood betony and is native to Europe as well as parts of Asia and Africa. The herb belongs to the mint family. The Ancient Egyptians used betony and according to their superstition, betony had magical properties that enabled it to protect people from evil. Betony was also used in Ancient […]
What’s A Good Spirulina Substitute?
Spirulina is an ancient Chadian and Aztec food that also happens to be very nutrient-dense. It consists of blue-green algae that grow in freshwater. While it does provide a rare combination of nutrients, there are alternatives that you can try if you can’t find it locally. Let’s take a look at some of the best […]
The Two Culinary Witch Hazel Uses
Witch hazel is a large shrub that can grow up to 20 feet tall and that may have multiple branching trunks. It is not related to the hazelnut (which is genus Corylus) despite a resemblance that may account for the shared name. In comparison to the hazelnut, witch hazel’s culinary applications are severely limited. The […]
Spirulina: A Nutritious Algae
Spirulina is a type of algae that grows in freshwater. It is harvested from lakes, ponds and rivers. It is found mainly in Africa but also in Asia parts of Asia, Mexico and the US. Spirulina is called dihe in Chad and is harvested from Lake Chad by women in the Kanembu tribe. The Kanembu […]
What’s A Good Witch Hazel Substitute?
Witch hazel is best known for its topical applications but it does also have some internal ones. When it’s consumed internally, witch hazel is usually made into a tea. Among the benefits to be gained from witch hazel tea are help with respiratory problems such as coughs, sore throats and even asthma. If you can’t […]
Sarsaparilla: A Rhizome From The Americas
The rhizome of the sarsaparilla plant is native to the Americas, including the West Indies. It belongs to the lily family. Sarsaparilla was not well known outside of the Americas until the 1400s. It was at this point in history that explorers took sarsaparilla root back to Europe from the New World and it became […]
Witch Hazel: A North American Inflammation-Fighter
Witch hazel is from North America. Specifically, it is native to the Midwest part of the North American continent as well as to Canada. Like many medicinal plants from this part of the world, witch hazel was first used by Native Americans. The Menominee, Osage and Iroquois tribes all made use of it and shared […]
St. John’s Wort: A Proven Herbal Antidepressant
St. John’s wort gets its name from the time of year that it gets its flowers, which is around St. John’s day (June 24). Hippocrates and Dioscorides wrote about the medicinal benefits of the herb, as did Pliny. While the Ancient Greeks and Romans saw St. John’s wort as a medicine, it was used for […]
Periwinkle: An Herbal Memory Enhancer
The name periwinkle mainly applies to a family of plants from Europe and the Middle East, but the name is also used for another genus Madagascar. The genus of the European periwinkle is Vinca; the genus of the Madagascar periwinkle is Catharanthus. The herbs share many of their medicinal properties. Both herbs belong to the […]