Herb Highlights: Turmeric
Herb Highlights: Turmeric Introduction Humans have been using turmeric for medicinal purposes for close to 4000 years.1 It is a part of the ginger family2 and is native to Southeast Asia. Through history to today, it is used in food, Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine,3 as well as in in marriage2 and religious ceremonies.1 It’s […]
Herb Highlights: Peppermint
Herb Highlights: Peppermint Introduction Peppermint is a naturally occurring hybrid of spearmint and water mint and is native to Europe and North America.1 Today, it can be found growing naturally in parts of India, where it is also cultivated.2 There are many cultivars of peppermint, including “Candy Mint” and “Chocolate Mint.”3 Other countries that cultivate […]
Historical Herbalists: Keewaydinoquay
Historical Herbalists: Keewaydinoquay Introduction There are many amazing herbalists that come from the Indigenous communities of North America, including Keewaydinoquay Pakawakuk Peschel. She was born in 1919 on a fishing boat on the way to the hospital from Garden Island, Michigan. Her name, Keewaydinoquay, means “Woman of the North Teaching continues In addition to Keewaydinoquay’s […]
Historical Herbalists: Harriet Tubman
Historical Herbalists: Harriet Tubman Introduction In addition to saving humans from slavery, Harriet Tubman also saved lives during her work as a nurse in the Civil War.1 Before that however, she was a slave in Maryland.2 In fact, she was born as Araminta Ross. Her exact birthdate is unknown, yet thought to be between 1820 […]
Herb Highlights: Burdock
Herb Highlights: Burdock Introduction Burdock can be found all over the world and the root is often eaten.1 There are close to 50 species of Burdock worldwide, but Arctium lappa is the species that is used throughout China, Europe, and North America in traditional medicine.2 This species is native throughout Europe and Asia but has […]
Supporting Hood Herbalism
Supporting Hood Herbalism Yellow Emperor values education. This is why we have donated to groups like UNCF and supported the Lilium Initiative’s organoleptic workshop. We also value the Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) community in our industry, supply chain, and community. So, when we discovered the work of Hood Herbalism, a community herbal education […]
Herb Highlights: Astragalus
Herb Highlights: Astragalus Introduction Astragalus is an entire genus of plants. The genus contains over 3,000 species, many of which have “milkvetch” in their common name.1 However, the species used in Traditional Chinese Medicine and dietary supplements is Mongolian milkvetch or Astragalus membranaceus/propinquus.2 Although it is a flowering plant, the roots are used to make […]
Herb Highlights: Ashwagandha
Herb Highlights: Ashwagandha Introduction Ayurvedic medicine has been in practice for over 5,000 years. A popular traditional herb is Ashwagandha, also known as winter cherry or Indian ginseng.1 In fact, Ashwagandha root’s use goes back 3,000 years.2 Semantics The word “ashwagandha” translates from Sanskrit as “horse smell.” This refers to the smell of the […]
Herb Highlight: Ginseng
Herb Highlight: Ginseng Introduction Our previous Case Study on Ginseng highlighted the history, popularity, benefits, and threats to American Ginseng. However, the article did not cover the various forms of ginseng. To clarify, all true Ginseng plants have Panax as the root of their scientific name. 1 There are 3 types of ginseng in […]
Historical Herbalist: Mrs. M. Grieve
Historical Herbalist: Mrs. M. Grieve Introduction Those that have studied herbalism have heard about Mrs. M. Grieve and her book A Modern Herbal. Born in 1858 in London, Sophie Emma Magdalene Grieve was introduced to herbal medicine during her time in India in the early 1880s.1 Eventually, after many years in India, Mrs. […]
