Herb & Plant Profiles

CLOVES: BENEFICIAL SPICE

Cloves are the unopened and dried flower buds of an evergreen tropical clove tree. Clove has long been one of the most popular spices, because it has an exquisite aroma and a bitter-tart pungent taste. It is added to a wide variety of products, including confectionery, desserts, drinks, first courses, as well as mushroom, fruit and berry, meat and vegetable marinades and sauces. Today, cloves are actively used in the production of wine, in bakery. They are widely used in medicine, cosmetology and perfumery.

CHICORY

Chicory is a plant, that grows in meadows, forest glades, grassy slopes, often as a weed in wastelands, fields, near roads, near settlements. It is found in Eurasia, North Africa. As an invasive species, it is found in South Africa, North and South America, Australia and New Zealand. Chicory is used as flavoring and aromatic additives to various food products: coffee and coffee drinks, confectionery. Chicory root contains polysaccharide inulin (up to 49%). Pharmacists use it as a prebiotic - a substance that has a beneficial effect on the intestinal microflora.

OLIVE LEAF

Olive trees have been cultivated in the Mediterranean since ancient times. They were revered as sacred plants. The ancient Greeks considered Olive trees the creation of the goddess of wisdom and justice Athena. Even now the olive tree is a symbol of holiness, abundance, peace, victory, wisdom, health, and a long, fruitful life. Olive trees are exposed all year round to hot sunlight and the salubrious sea climate of the Mediterranean. This gives unique properties to the fruit, and to the olive leaves. Archaeological documents confirm that the beneficial properties of the olive leaf were known to poeple several thousand years ago. The olive leaf, which has a strong antimicrobial effect, was used to mummify deceased kings. It has also been used since ancient times to heal as an anti-febrile remedy and to heal purulent wounds. A decoction of olive leaves is useful for normalizing blood pressure.

SPICY AND BENEFICIAL CUMIN

Cumin is a culinary spice, that has a pungent taste and a warm spicy scent. It also is a natural herbal remedy that can treat certain diseases or reduce health problems. Much research has been done in recent years to understand the benefits of this plant better. Cumin is rich in iron, that optimally transports oxygen in the body. Remember to combine it with other foods like lentils or fish.

CALIFORNIA POPPY

Eschscholzia californica, or California poppy, is the official flower of the state of California. It is pictured on welcome signs along highways entering the state. April 6 is celebrated as California Poppy Day. Since ancient times, the Native peoples of North America have used its leaves for medicinal purposes, and the seeds have been eaten. They also added dry leaves and seeds to a smoking ritual mixture.

HAWTHORN

Hawthorn fruits contain vitamins A, C, E, beta-carotene, fatty oils, flavonoids, saponins, phytosterols, carotene, choline, glycosides, organic acids, fructose, tannins. Hawthorn flowers contain essential oils, acetylcholine, flavone glycosides, various acids (caffeic, ursolic, chlorogenic, etc.). Amygdalin and essential oil are found in seeds. Hawthorn helps improve health and stimulate immunity. It strengthens the walls of blood vessels, including small capillaries. It is used as an agent against vascular spasms, for lowering cholesterol levels, as a diuretic and anti-edema herb.

KOLA NUTS: BETTER THAN COFFEE

Kola is a distant relative of cocoa. Kola nut is the fruit of the evergreen tree Cola acuminata, a twenty-meter giant native to equatorial Africa. Kola nuts are used in medicine, as well as for the manufacture of tonic drinks. Back in the 16th century, European travelers enthusiastically described the amazing properties of this nut: according to them, it suppressed hunger, and also relieved fatigue. Kola increases the physical capabilities of the human body. This is why the Kola nut has become one of the most expensive trade and exchange products in Africa.

ST. JOHN'S WORT

LAUREL: A NOBLE PLANT

Laurus nobilis, commonly known as Laurel, or Bay, is a subtropical tree or shrub. Its leaves have long been used as a seasoning. Laurel leaves and oil are widely used in world cuisines. Laurel leaves give dishes a pleasant light aroma and a bitter, spicy taste. They are used both fresh and dried, sometimes ground into powder.

ROSEHIPS, OR DOG ROSE

Rosehips are rich in vitamin C, its average content of which is about 6%. Rose hips are also rich in vitamins A, K, P, E, B vitamins. The complex of trace elements that is contained in rose hips includes: potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, sodium, phosphorus, chromium, copper, cobalt, molybdenum, and manganese. Rosehip contains sugars, pectins, tannins, organic acids, essential oil and many other substances