FWD 2 HerbalEGram: August 2013
Volume 10, Number 8, August 2013

 

 

Butterfly weed

Goldenseal

Ole Miss Medicinal Plant Garden

Stefan Gafner
Milkweed: Medicine of Monarchs and Humans
By Lindsay Stafford Mader
Monarch butterflies depend most heavily on a single genus of plants — the
milkweeds — for the continuance of future monarch generations, while humans
also have used various 
Asclepias species for centuries to improve myriad health
conditions.
Read more>>



US Foundation Terminates Native Plant Conservation Program
By Lindsay Stafford Mader

In April 2013, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation announced that it would
stop funding its Native Plant Conservation Initiative, which gave grants to projects
aimed at conserving important native plants such as goldenseal. Read more>> 



 
Pharmacy Schools Dedicate New Medicinal Plant Spaces 
By Tyler Smith 
The University of Mississippi and the University of Rhode Island announced the
openings of new medicinal plant garden spaces, harking back to the days when
medicinal plant gardens were an essential component of pharmacy education.




Noted Herb Expert Joins ABC as Chief Science Officer 
The American Botanical Council is pleased to welcome its first-ever Chief
Science Officer, Stefan Gafner, PhD, a phytochemist with extensive analytical laboratory experience. Read more>>


 
 
 
 
Wild Medicine Solution  
The Wild Medicine Solution: Healing with Aromatic, Bitter, and Tonic Plants, was written by Guido Masé and published in 2013 by Healing Arts Press. The featured excerpt includes the book’s table of contents and Chapter 1, “A Cuisine for Medicine.”

This book introduces three classes of wild plants, and explores how individuals can incorporate their unique healing properties into daily living. According to the author, The Wild Medicine Solution “strives to define a clear and understandable framework for using plants mindfully in daily life, based both on thousands of years of safe use and also a reasoned argument that draws on modern understanding.” 

The book consists of four main sections, “A Cuisine for Medicine,” “Aromatics – Open and Flow,” “Bitters – Turn On and Challenge,” and “Tonics – Nourish and Balance.”

Available for purchase from the publisher’s website.

 
HerbalGram 98  
Exploring the Peripatetic Maze of Black Cohosh Adulteration

Artichoke Leaf for HDL Cholesterol

Plant-Based Insect Repellents Provide an Alternative to Synthetic Formulas

Treating PCOS Naturally: Clinical Experience and Scientific Evidence
 
 
 

 

 
October 11-13: Southeast Wise Women 9th Annual Herbal Conference. Black Mountain, NC. 
 
October 20-22: 10th International Conference of the Society for Integrative Oncology. Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. 
 
November 7-10: American Herbalists Guild Symposium. Bend, OR. 
 
More event listings are available at ABC's website.


 
 
 
Artichoke Blend Reduces Cholesterol in EU. NutraIngredients. An artichoke extract formulation can now feature cholesterol-lowering claims on its label.
 
Rosy Periwinkle: A Life-Saving Plant. Fox News. Scientific analysis of this toxic yet medicinally important plant led to the discovery of important anti-cancer compounds.
 
Health Reform Law and Alternative Medicine. PBS NewsHour. With "Obamacare," insurance companies cannot discriminate against any state-licensed healthcare provider.
 
Tea's Health Benefits Exist, but Many Claims Remain Cloudy. Los Angeles Times. Black and green teas contain a number of beneficial compounds, including antioxidant flavonoids.
 
Herbal Remedies Display Potential for Autism. Autism Daily Newscast. A seven-herb Japanese formula reduced irritability and inattentiveness in children with pervasive developmental disorder. 
 
Branded Curcumin Matches Effects of Prozac on Depression. WholeFoods Magazine. A six-week trial found curcumin to be as effective as Prozac in improving symptoms of depression.
 
Siberian Herb Could Extend Life. Victoria Times Colonist. Researchers found that fruit flies that were fed Rhodiola rosea extract lived 24% longer than control insects.

Oldest Grave Flowers Unearthed in Israel. LiveScience.com. A 14,000-year old gravesite in Israel was found to contain stems and flowers of herbs such as mint and sage.
 
 
Dietary Supplement Trade Groups Respond to Dietary Supplement Legislation Introduced by US Senators Durbin and Blumenthal. Press releases from Senator Durbin, the Council for Responsible Nutrition, American Herbal Products Association, and the United Natural Products Alliance

Senate Committee Urges NTP to be 'Highly Precise' When Identifying Herbal Extracts. Press release from AHPA. 

ACEER Wins Peru's National Award of Environmental Citizenship. Press release from The Amazon Center for Environmental Education and Research.

Dannon Urged to Use Berries, Not Insect-Derived Carmine, to Color its Yogurts. Press release from the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

FDA Alerts Companies to Stop Illegal Sale of Treatments for Diabetes. Press release from the US Food and Drug Administration.



Madagascar periwinkle is the source for which cancer chemotherapy drugs? Find the answer here