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Featured Definitions...
Pectins are a group of white amorphous complex polysaccharides, often refered to as insoluble fiber. This insoluble fiber is formed when the protopectins found in unripe fruit are converted into pectins as the fruit ripens. Pectins are found in large amount in peaches, plums, currants and apples. Apples contain by far the largest amount of pectins, with the Jonagold variety containg the most. When pectin is mixed with water, a colloidal suspension is formed. A thick gel is formed once this solution cools. This is what makes the fruit used in jams and jellies to set up. |
Milk thistle is a hardy annual plant native to southern Europe and the Middle East but is now found world wide. It prefers warm, dry soil and is often found growing in locations inhospitable to other plants. These hardy plants grow from 4-10 feet in height. The leaves are wide with white blotches and are at the top of a single branched stem. The red-purple flowers appear from May through September. The flower of the milk thistle produces a small, brown hard skinned fruit from July to October. The history of Milk Thistle’s use in traditional healing dates back to the ancient Greeks and Romans. They used it to treat a variety of ailments with milk thistle, particularly those connected with liver. In fact, Pliny, a first century naturalist, said that it was “excellent for carrying away bile”. |
Nopal or prickly pear as it is more commonly called is a member of the cactus family. It is native to the entire western hemisphere as well as Africa, Australia and the Mediterranean. It is a large cactus that can range in height from less than a foot to over 7 feet tall. The pads of the prickly pear are actually the stems of the plant and are where the moisture is stored. Its flowers are range from yellow, to red, to purple and bloom from July to August. Once the flowers are pollinated they produce small oblong fruit about 2 ½ inches long. The use of cactus as a food source dates back to from between 5,000 to 7,000B.C. It was an important staple especially in arid regions. Archeologists believe that the cultivation of the prickly pear cactus allowed for the settlement of the arid lands of Mexico and the southwestern United States. |
Siberian
ginseng is a native of eastern Russia, northern China and Japan. It is a small woody
shrub that grows 3-10 feet tall. The leaves are palm-shaped and attach to the trunk
by a long stem. The leaves and stems are covered with thorns. Flowers of either yellow
or violet grow in umbrella shaped clusters. These flowers turn into small black berries.
Siberian ginseng is grown for its roots which are woody, and twisted. Siberian ginseng
has been used in Chinese medicine for over 2000 years. It is valued for its ability
to help the body combat physical, mental and environmental stress. It is also used
to treat bronchitis, infections, and improve concentration. Studies done by the Russians
in the 1950’s confirmed what traditional Chinese medicine already knew. Siberian ginseng
is widely used in Russia to increase endurance, improve concentration and enhance
their performance.
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Dulse is a common red sea weed native to the North Atlantic and the Northwest Pacific Oceans. It grows in the inter-tidal zone where the water is cold and fast moving and the bottom is clean. The color of this seaweed ranges from light rose to a deep pinkish purple. Dulse grows extremely fast. Its strands reach 8-16 feet so quickly that during the summer, it can be harvested every two weeks. Dulse has been used as a food source since the Norseman crossed the North Atlantic. Regulation of the collection of dulse was introduced into Iceland in the 13th century. Icelandic sagas tell the tale of a Viking warrior that was lulled to sleep with dulse in milk before he was slain. The dulse is harvested, dried and the used in a myriad of different ways. It is high in protein making it a welcome addition to the diet of vegetarians and is found in many “green” foods. It has a high mucilage content which makes it excellent for detoxification of the body, soothing to skin problems and promoting bowel health. Seaweeds are also used in the treatment of radiation poisoning and to counter the effects of radiation and chemotherapy in cancer patients. |
Chlorella
is a single celled green alga that lives in fresh water. It is about 2-8 microns in
diameter or about the same size as a red blood cell. This single celled life form
emerged about 2.5 billion years ago and was the first plant with a well-defined nucleus.
Although chlorella has been around since the pre-Cambrian era, it was not discovered
or studied till the late 19th century. Under favorable conditions such as strong sunlight,
clean air and water, chlorella multiplies rapidly. In order for the nutrients in chlorella
to be more readily adsorbed the cell wall is often “cracked” open by mechanical or
chemical means. It is then dried and powdered. Chlorella can then be taken as either
a tablet or as a powder mixed with juice or water. Chlorella’s value as a source of
complete nutrition did not emerge until the 1950’s. It was studied extensively by
the Carnegie Institute as a solution to world hunger. The Japanese began studying
the health benefits of this single celled organism in the 1960’s. They found this
single celled plant to be a superior source of complete nutrition that had the ability
to stimulate the immune system; speed wound healing and showed promise as a way to
remove harmful toxins from the body.
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Horsetails are the last remnants of huge tree like plants that thrived 400 million years ago. Horsetail is closely related to ferns and is native throughout Europe, Asia, the Middle East and North America. It is a perennial with hollow stems and shoots that closely resemble asparagus. It has two distinct stem forms. The variety that grows in early spring is brown in color and is topped by a spore containing cone. The mature form of the herb appears in summer and has feathery branched stems. These plants are closely related to ferns and can reach a height of over 6 feet. Horsetail has been used in traditional medicine all over the world. Since the time of the ancient Greeks and Romans, it was used to stop bleeding, treat ulcers, and wounds as well as a treatment for tuberculosis and kidney problems. Today the horsetail is still an important herb in traditional medicine. |
Cranberries grow on low spreading evergreen shrubs in marshes or boggy land. The cranberry bush has upright branches with leaves that are flecked with white dots on the underside. It produces pink blossoms in June and July with the berries appearing soon after. The cranberry is closely related to the blue berry, huckleberry and bilberry. The use of cranberries dates as far back as the Iron Age. The Romans were the first to record their medicinal properties. They found the cranberry in use in the British Isles and brought them back to Rome. The Romans used cranberries as a treatment for gout. Since being mentioned by herbalist Henry Lyte in 1578, the cranberry has been used to treat a variety of illnesses and conditions. Modern science is beginning to confirm the cranberry’s usefulness in treating a variety of illnesses and it nutritional value. |
