Oleuropein is a phenolic compound found in the leaves, olive skin, flesh, seed and oil of the olive plant. The compound gives the olive it’s bitter taste. Olives are normally processed to remove oleuropein for consumption. In recent times, oleuropein…
The Amur cork tree, (phellodendron amurense) is a tree that is native to eastern Asia, in particular countries like China (northeastern region), Korea, Japan and the Ussuri and Amur regions of Russia. Although planted in North America, it is considered…
White Korean ginseng, also known as panax ginseng is a plant that grows in the mountains of Eastern Asia. It is normally used in herbal medicine and is thought to have a lot of health benefits. It is called white…
Quercetin is a flavonoid, a phenolic compound high in antioxidants that are found in most plants. It is found in fruits, vegetables, herbs and derivative foods like tea, wine and cocoa powder. Foods rich in quercetin are usually very colorful.…
Normally, when you think about bees, the first thing that comes to mind is honey. But bees produce more than just honey. Two other consumable substances that bees produce are royal jelly and propolis. In this article, I’m going to…
Holy basil (ocimum sanctum) is a plant that is native to Southeast Asia. It is also known as tulsi and in India where it is highly revered, it is commonly used in Ayuverda, the traditional Indian medicine system. Users of…
As an invasive plant that eats everything in its path, the kudzu vine gets a bad reputation in North America. However, it is packed with nutrients with the root alone containing over 70 compounds and has a host of medicinal…
There are all types of weight loss pills and supplements out there from prescription pills to natural dietary supplements. They all work in different ways and have varying degrees of effectiveness. Some have side effects and others have ingredients that…
Did you know that what we call “baby fat” could possibly hold the secret to weight loss? The proper name for “baby fat” is brown adipose tissue (BAT) or brown fat. Babies have brown fat to help keep them warm…
Perilla (perilla frutescens) is a herb that is native to Asia and belongs to the mint family. This herb has many uses and is commonly used in Asian cuisine. It is one of 50 fundamental herbs used in traditional Chinese…